Sister just stole my baby name... no, literally, MY name!

[Anonymous]

And now from the OP... the update!

First off, wow, I feel a little bit famous that this thread took off the way it did. Thanks for all your nice comments, and the nasty ones were pretty funny to read too.

Our little girl was born four days ago--everything was perfect. We went ahead with the name we had chosen, and honestly when the time came, the whole fiasco was the furthest thing from our minds. We tossed around some alternatives, but honestly, we love the name we originally picked and there just aren't any others that felt as perfect. My sister and her family did not come to the hospital (we didn't go to see her either, so it wasn't a diss--they came over to the house yesterday for a first visit). DH's parents seemed a little confused at first that the two babies had the same first name, but they are also from a culture in which naming children after parents/relatives is the norm, so there were very few raised eyebrows, as far as we could tell (and if anybody did so privately, they kept it private!)

I was tempted to "warn" my sister and/or my mom ahead of time, but decided against it, mainly because I never figured out the right way to do it, and then baby came along. My mom mentioned after that she had kind of assumed we would use this name, and didn't think it was such a huge deal that the cousins would have the same name. The fact that they are essentially the exact same age adds to it, but here's something a little funny... I had completely forgotten that *I* in fact have two cousins named Brian (different sides of the family, though) and we never had to have any "Brian G." or "little Brian" distinction when speaking to/about them. So maybe it's not as big a deal as I originally anticipated.

My sister has made no mention of them having the same name, other than "Oh... so they have the same first name." And that was it. If she's upset, she didn't tell me, and I honestly don't care. She and BIL have been alternating between using the first and middle name for my niece, so I wouldn't be surprised if my niece ends up going by her middle name anyway (naming regret, perhaps??)

I have to say, I was really surprised by the number of comments on this thread that seem to not only dislike the concept of naming children after parents/relatives, but are so so vehemently opposed to it. My husband and his dad have the same first name, my mom and I have the same first name, and we LOVE it. There aren't any more qualified people to decide whether or not to bestow this onto the next generation. I have never felt like I didn't have my own name or my own identity--almost the opposite, in fact. In DH's culture, you'd be more likely to get raised eyebrows if the first child ISN'T given the same name as the parent. Not saying everything cultural is automatically the right thing to do, but perspective is important. We love our little family tradition, and I'm proud that we are passing it along. If our daughter chooses to continue it, great. If she opts to break from it, that's her choice as well.

So, there you have it. Two cousins, two weeks apart, both named.... Mary

[Anonymous]

Congratulations!! I'm glad you stuck with your original plan

[Anonymous]

congratulations! enjoy your little one.

[Anonymous]

congrats! hope you can forgive your sister. i have a double name and 2 of my sisters stole both. I also have a nephew named after my husband. no one names their child the same name as someone they have no respect for. hopefully all will be well with these kids as they grow up.

[Anonymous]

Mary is a gorgeous name. Good job! (We only use family names -- first AND middle)

[Anonymous]

Mary...Mary?!! All that fuss for the name Mary? It seems so... anti-climatic.
Anyway, Congratulations OP!!! Thanks for the update and I'm glad you kept the name.

[Anonymous]

Mary! Great name. Mine too, actually, although I use the French version.

Congratulations on your little one.

[Anonymous]

yea, fuck you, im disabled yet i have a more normal life than these sick fucks.

thanks for paying my wages guys, the taxes come in handy.

[Anonymous]

ohh and congrats on the person who had a child!

screw the idiots who thinks disabled kids are less human than anyone else.