name your daughter after yourself?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-28-2005
name your daughter after yourself?
23
Tue, 11-08-2005 - 9:11pm

My very best friend is pregnant with her third child, not due until May. She has 2 boys, ages 8 (Peirce) and 3 (Kyle). Although it is still too early to know the sex, she is thinking about if its a girl, on naming it after herself. (Not sure how DH feels about that though.)

She is named after her Grandmother. Her name is Alida (Ah-leeda), a name I like since we have been best friends since we have been 5 years old.

What do you think? I know its "okay" for the sons to be named after the dad, but rarely have I heard this the other way around. Just wondering how many of us out there would consider doing this??

Theresa

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2005
Wed, 11-09-2005 - 2:49pm
I wouldn't do it, but one of my best friends from high school was named after her mother. They were both Sarah C. Lastname, but her mother went by Sally. The best part for my friend was whenever being able to pose as her mother. People (at banks, etc.) would ask her if she were Sarah C. Lastname and she certainly was! (This enabled her to do things like help her little brother withdraw money from an account that also had his mom's name on it--nothing illegal that I know of.) Because they normally went by different names, there was little confusion with the phone (unless a telemarketer was calling) but sometimes mail could be a little confusing.
Jordan Mom to Hayden, 3 Feb 06 EDD 31 July 2008--It's a girl!
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-22-2005
Wed, 11-09-2005 - 4:16pm

I know of a lot of girls named after their moms.

When I was growing up our neighbor named Jane had a daughter Jane Anne. She in turn named her daughter Sinead (gaelic for Jane).

One of my school friends was named Margaret after her mom (her mom was Peggy, she was Maggie).

My friend Mary Elizabeth (Mary Beth) named her daughter Mary Katherine (Mary Kate).

The sister of one of DD's classmates has the same name as her mom, but a different nickname. It is an unusual family name.

I don't think there is anything wrong with it, as long as there is potential for a different nickname if the daughter wants her own identity (i.e. she could be called Allie). Another option would be for the daughter to call herself by her middle name (A. Rose Lastname, like lots of guys do... I know tons of J. Edwards, R. Stewarts, P. Roberts, etc.). Another option is to use Alida as a middle name.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-14-2003
Wed, 11-09-2005 - 6:46pm
I would never use my fn for the fn of a daughter but I would use it (or, more likely, my mn) for the daughter's mn.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2005
Wed, 11-09-2005 - 8:56pm
Its so individual, but in naming my kids I liked the way of thinking that is "a new name for a new person".
It is temptng sometimes and feels like it will make you closer, but to be 3rd in a family of the same name leave you no room for feeling unique - maybe consider it as a middle name?
Good luck
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-10-2005
Thu, 11-10-2005 - 1:02am
In my family, most of the women have the same middle name. I am the odd one out, but my middle name is still after my mother's name. My mom is named Susan, and my middle name is Sue. I personally don't like the idea of giving kids the same first name as their parents, but that is just me. I also am a strong believer in family names though. For instance, if my husband and I were having a boy, then he would be named Ian Michael, which is my husband's middle name and my brother's first name.
Photobucket
CL for Reflux
 
"That's the
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-30-2003
Thu, 11-10-2005 - 3:28am
I think it's fine to do that. My Grandmother did it. Her name's Jeanette, and so is my aunt's, but my aunt goes by Jeannie.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2005
Thu, 11-10-2005 - 10:35am
A friend at work has done this, named her daughter after her....everyone thinks it is very weird. I am not a fan of boys being called after their dads (as a middle name I love, but not as a first name). I am even less of a fan of a girl being called the same name as her mother....its all too confusing. This is my opinion.


iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2005
Thu, 11-10-2005 - 10:38am
I like sharing the middle name as well. My grandmother, mother and I all have the middle name Marie. I am going to pass that along and name my girl (if I have one) Leah Marie.


iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2006
Sun, 01-08-2006 - 4:46pm
well, hey i am having the same problem also. MY boyfriend wants me to name our little girl with the "Ray " in his name. His name is raymond but it is really hard for me to pick somthing that makes a little sense!!!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-07-2006
Sun, 01-08-2006 - 6:20pm
I think it is a great idea to name your children after yourself. However If this is your first child will you want to name a son Ray? Also maybe Ray could be a middle name. Or you could use it as her first name but use a different spelling like Rae? And of course you have to make sure that the name sounds good and that you are both happy with it and that when she is 10,20, or 30 years old she will be able to live with it. as a child though kids can be cruel and as opinion i just think gilrs names for grils boys names for boys i never cared for unisex name. :-) My name is Ana and my first daughter's name is Breana.