Is is really bad for cousins to have the same name?

Jocelyn&Dan · December 2009

I've always loved this one girl name. My sister in law had a daughter before I even met my husband, and named her daughter that name. Is it awful to use that name?

Oh, the other name I love is similar to another not so close friend. Yet, someone I still talk to like on facebook. Each of her daughter's nicknames are nicknames that work with our girl other girlname. Not a big deal, right?

robinsokj · December 2009

I would never do it even though my cousin took all my favorite names. Unless youre naming someone after another person (i.e. in a different generation) I think it would be a bit much to have the same names in a family.

MandyWes · December 2009

I wouldn't do it. My aunt named one of her daughters Meghan and her sister in law a couple years later had a girl and named her Megan.

So, we always had to call them by their first and middle names at holidays. (Meghan Elizabeth and Megan Ann) Not to mention my aunt was totally p*ssed. Their grandmother always said that 50% of her grandchildren were named Meghan, lol!

MrsEricH · December 2009

I would ONLY do it if they wouldn't see each other all the time at family functions. If they saw each other more than a couple times a year, I would absolutely steer clear of that.

My DH's brother named their son Parker, and DH's cousin (who's wife isn't even pregnant) was like "oh no, that's the ONLY name that Robin and I can agree on". And they're still considering it because they literally live across the country and only come here like 1-2 times a year.

Jocelyn&Dan · December 2009

The SIL & her family live about 3 hours away. The last time we saw them was Sept. 2008. We should've seen them this past Sept; but we were on vacation. So, we see them about once a year.

The other name we like (of the friend) is a totally different formal name. Just the nicknames, or shortened versions, are the same.

shopgirl_07 · December 2009

No, I would not give my child the same name as his/her first cousin.

As for your facebook friends, that doesn't matter at all.

MandyWes · December 2009

I agree about facebook friends. Who cares? Especially if it's only the shortened version that's the same. Go for it!

MommyBeen · December 2009

I have a cousin named Erica who is in her early 20s and a cousin who has a daughter named Erica who is 8 or 9. I also have a cousin named Abigail who is 7 and a cousin who has a daughter named Abigail who is 3. We have a big family and they really only see each other at family get-togethers a few times a year, if that. No hard feelings that I know of.

SweetBaby2004 · December 2009

I wouldn't name cousins the same name, especially if it is the same last name - too confusing. Even if the last name is not the same, if you see them with any degree of regularity I wouldn't use it.

My BIL and his wife have always wanted to name a son of their's by FIL's name. DH wanted to name our son same name. We got pregnant with a boy first and they told us they would still use the name even if we did. I did not want FIL and the two cousins to have the same first and last name so we used FIL's name as a middle name.

Friends on Facebook - wouldn't bother me.

lilygirl · December 2009

My only rule has ever been to not have cousins with the same name -- grandparents shouldn't have two grandchildren with the same name. Friends are a different story. Sorry.

Moesten · December 2009

My brother and one of our first cousins has the same name and it hasn't caused any sort of problems. I asked my mom if it bothered her that her brother named his son the same name (not a family name btw) as my mom named her child and she looked at me like I had 6 heads and asked, "Why in the world would that bother me?" Names aren't owned, claimed, or copyrighted. If you love it, use it. You need no one's permission or blessing.

As for facebook friends, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

FemmeNat01 · December 2009

I wouldnt do it. There are names I would love to use (Abigail, Benjamin, William) and I wouldnt because they are DF's family.

dale05 · December 2009

I'm close to all of my cousins and my family so there is no way that I would name my child a name that one of my siblings or DH's siblings had used.

shortstuff15 · December 2009

I wouldn't have a problem with it, and kind of have the same situation, but we have solved it. My sister used my absolute favorite girl name for her second daughter (she didnt' know it was my favorite name) and I was bummed. I didnt' through the name out right away, and my sister knew that and was ok with that. Now though, my husband and me have used that name as a middle name instead of a first, but that was only because we couldn't think of a middle name to go with the name if we used it as a first name!!!! There are many first cousins around with the same names in older generations, and they never seemed to have a problem with it.....

My husband's cousin also just named her baby boy our favorite boy name, but we are keeping that as our number 1 pick regardless because we had decided on the name prior to her having the baby and don't really think it matters that 2nd cousins have the same name when they only see each other not even once a year.....

detroitblondie · December 2009

I personally think that for boy's it's OK. For girl's- not so much. I don't know why but I do.

LMS05 · December 2009

No, I would do it, but I'm really weird when it comes to that sort of thing. I wouldn't use the same name as my cousin's kids either.

megstriesagain · December 2009

I have a big family, and most of the cousins have a "double," so it wouldn't bother me in the least. If you lived on the same block or something I guess it would be irritating, but since you only see them once a year, I don't think it matters.

WannaBAmama · December 2009

My cousin named her son Max and we really wanted to use that name but decided not to, even though we only see my cousin about once a year and they live in canada.