Elaine or Elyse ? Plus name poaching?

[Anonymous]

Middle name Margaux

Last name starting with a C.



Also want opinion if it's okay to use Margaux as a middle name? It's a name I've always loved, but my sister had babies first and named my niece Margaux is it okay to use it as a middle name. Niece Margaux is 13.


Only other middle name we like is Grace.

[Anonymous]

Elyse or Elise!
Margaux as a middle name is fine even if it's your niece's name.

[Anonymous]

Well, your niece will think you named the baby after her. Will she be hurt to learn that isn't the case?

[Anonymous]

Elise or Elaine. As someone with a creatively spelled name, I hate creatively spelled names.

[Anonymous]

Elyse! I'm reticent to name-poach with a first cousin but my husband is not - he wanted to name our son the same name as our 12-year-old nephew. We didn't. Margaux is a lovely name, though! If both parents are on board with it I don't see why not...

[Anonymous]

Elyse Margaux sounds like you're trying really hard to appear French. Are you French? If not it comes across as super pretentious.

[Anonymous]

I like either Elise (this spelling) or Elaine. I'd use Margaux if you're OK with your niece thinking it's honoring her! (My dd is that age and would probably love for a little cousin to have her name as a middle name.)

[Anonymous]

I prefer Elise with the i instead of y. So many fake, stupid variations of names using y instead of i have ruined its use!

[Anonymous]

OP here.

I would like to just name her Margaux, but that would be to weird.

Going with the Elyse spelling because Elise happens to be niece's middle name which I also loved.

I didn't have the kids first so I didn't get to claim them. Trying to find something to be happy with.

Husband thinks it doesn't matter, but he's not too fond of my sister.

I like Elaine too.

[Anonymous]

The name Elaine is awful. It makes me want to puke. I say that having lovely relatives with the name - it's not an association issue.

Elyse is a little better, but it's not good. Margaux looks pretty but sounds ugly.

[Anonymous]

I usually think "name poaching" should be nbd, but even I think using your niece's first AND middle names (Elise and Margaux) is a little bit obnoxious. So I would say go with Elaine.

For Margaux, is there a reason you want to use that spelling? It's just a faux-french way to spell Margot, not a real french name

[Anonymous]

There are a bazillion names, and you need to use the exact two already used by a cousin? Srsly? I would be pissed if someone just flip-flopped my DDs first and middle names.

[Anonymous]

I love Elaine - we almost used it as a middle name for #2. It has a lovely meaning.

I mostly think use it because it is unlikely that there will be too many more of them.

[Anonymous]

Margaux is a wine. Margo or Margot is a name.

[Anonymous]

I'm an Elaine mn and my cousin is an Elise. I like both, and they're not super common.

Margaux is okay, and I know at least one pair of first cousins who share the same fn, so it's relatively common.

That said, I don't think Elaine Margaux or Elise Margaux flow very well.