is it bad to use a name already in the family?

[jomc]

We are team yellow and OH and I have agreed on a girls name but are really stuck on a boys name.

OH really likes Samuel / Sam and I do too. Our surname is West so think it sounds nice.

The thing is, my cousin has a 4 year old called Sam so I'm not sure if it would be seen to be a bit out of order so to speak to have the same name? I have a really small family, only 5 cousins in total.

TBH I hardly ever see this cousin, although we do chat occassionally on facebook / make comments on each others updates and my mum sees her every so often (shes the daughter of my dads sister but since my aunt passed away we dont see the family much as my uncle remarried extremely quickly which hurt my dad, but thats another story). Shes the type of cousin I would only ever see at family occassions, weddings, christenings etc.

Cant ask my parents / sister as OH and I promised each other we wouldnt tell anyone our name ideas, and I made the mistake before of mentioning a name to my mum and she didnt like the name so put me off, so dont want that again.

I was just so happy when OH told me he came up with a name he liked and then when he told me I felt a little deflated
OH is the type that if I say a name hes a bit "oh I knew someone with that name and I didnt like them" so agreeing on a name is really hard.

Sorry for the long post and well done if u got this far lol

 

[positivity :)]

it is really difficult. i love the name Samuel, one of my close friends have it. i have a group of friends who all have babies and it feels like they have taken all the names we like one of my friends is close but only coz we are in the same group, she has a Zack, Joseph and Elijah. i love them all but me and OH want Zac - but i know she won't like it, even though she is moving far away soon and i know i won't see much of her. its so annoying isn't it!!

not actually given you any advice there xx

 

[jomc]

its so annoying, ur right! I love the name Matthew but OH doesnt as his last manager was called that and was not a nice person lol. I also love Daniel but a girl OH works with has called her new son that and also babys middle name will be Duncan so not sure 2 D names go together.
Its always been a case of what names I like he doesnt and vice versa, so was amazed when we both liked Sam, but now the reluctance is on my side lol

 

[positivity :)]

i think if you are finding it that difficult, u should go for Samuel. u know i mentioned my friend has a samuel, well ive just remembered that her cousin has a son called samuel too, so they done it and i dont remember anyone saying much about it.

could you inbox ur cousin and ask her what she would think? explain that you dont often see each other but just wanted to run it by her first? x

 

[jomc]

yeht hats not a bad idea...mite drop her a message later on xx
Trying to think of it that people will be just so happy OH and I have finally had a baby they wont care about the name haha!

 

[Rachaellius]

It's annoying. I love the names Max and Harry. But I have cousins with those names. Harry I see quite often so defo can't use it. Max is more of a distant relative so I could possibly use that, but then the family I've got that are closer to him might get annoyed :/ x

 

[Rachaellius]

Sorry I didnt give any helpful advise either! lol x

 

[Kayelle]

My oh is the same, I have mentioned so many names that he says o I knew someone with that name (he is also a policeman so everyname he knows a criminal, or he just arrested a peado with that name etc, nightmare! ) so if you both like it, and its not someone you see a lot just go for it! It's a lovely name

 

[l_maclean]

I have cousin's with the same name - my uncles step daughter, then his sisters daughter are both called heather.

And i had a cousin called callum, and my cousin's son has the same name - there was only a few years in age between the two callums, and it never really bothered anyone.

Our famillies HUGE though, so names do tend to pop up quite frequently.

I'd go with asking the cousin how she'd feel, cos then it really doesnt matter what anyone else thinks
xxx

 

[jomc]

thanks ladies xxxx

 

[misscrazycooki]

I can only say that I have used my partners grandads name but he is deceased so I guessed that causes no problems there. I think you should just pick a name that suits your LO and not worry about anyone else having it. Theres millions with the same name all the time

Happy hunting on the name front hugs x

 

[jomc]

thanks girls... the way OH has put it is that he wouldnt be offended if anyone in the family used a name that we used, which is a goioid point I suppose! Wouldnt bother me if anyone copied us so I reckon it wouldnt bother the family.

 

[TashaWink]

Is your cousins LO Sam or Samuel? Because if he's Samuel then you can name your LO Sam and then really its not the same name...

 

[jomc]

Is your cousins LO Sam or Samuel? Because if he's Samuel then you can name your LO Sam and then really its not the same name...

No hes called Sam, so even if we went for Samuel it wud end up getting shortened to Sam anyway.
Think we will keep it in mind, try and come up with a couple of others and then see on the day if its a boy and what we think he looks like

 

[hugsy]

Oh i know its so hard, We have a friend that used the girl name we want but have decided when shes born if its what we still want were gonna go ahead and use it because there so many people with the same name that if you give up on your fav and choose one no one you know has you can be sure someone else will copy you later anyway IYKWIM