Hello! We’re considering the name [name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] if our baby is a boy. Our other children are [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] and [name_m]Conrad[/name_m]. We like old-fashioned names that are unique but not weird. I’m concerned about it possibly being too close to our nephew who is [name_m]Luke[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] (he’s named after my husband).
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it fits?
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it’s too close to [name_m]Luke[/name_m], who is only 2.5 years old?
If you could pick a different middle then no it’s not too close. [name_m]Luther[/name_m] is different enough from [name_m]Luke[/name_m], but the same middle really makes you notice their similarities. [name_m]Luther[/name_m] does fit your sib set though.
Hmm it’s a bit close. Personally I would probably choose one or the other… if he’ll have the same middle name as his cousin, I’d maybe choose a more distinct first name. Or a different middle, are there any other family/honor names you’d consider?
I think [name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] fits in really well with [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] and [name_m]Conrad[/name_m]. However, I do think it’s really close to [name_m]Luke[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]. Potentially too close, especially if you live very close together or spend any amount of time together. There are tons of name repeats in my family, so it’s not specifically that they’d share the same middle name, or a similar first name. But together, it does almost feel like copying. If they were [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Caleb[/name_m] and [name_m]Caleb[/name_m] [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m], for example, I think that’d be fine. Or [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Caleb[/name_m] nn [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Edward[/name_m] nn [name_m]Johnny[/name_m]. But the full [name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] does feel almost like you’re trying to copy them. Which I’m sure isn’t the case at all; that’s just how it might come across? If you feel like [name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is the one, maybe talk to them about it? But I think something as simple as varying up the FN a little (like [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]? I think [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f], [name_m]Conrad[/name_m], and [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] would be fantastic!), that might solve your problem. The only nn I’ve heard a [name_m]Luther[/name_m] receive was [name_m]Luke[/name_m], so that makes it even closer to [name_m]Luke[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], for me.
I do think [name_m]Luther[/name_m] fits with [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] and [name_m]Conrad[/name_m], and I don’t think [name_m]Luther[/name_m] is too close to cousin [name_m]Luke[/name_m]. [name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is great - they don’t share any sounds but they feel complementary.
I think whether [name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is too similar to [name_m]Luke[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] depends on your family dynamics. There are people who might accuse you of “stealing” or “copying” [name_m]Luke[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]'s name, and there are people who would think it’s sweet for two cousins to have such similar names, and there are people who’d fall everywhere in between. Also, there are people who use middle names a lot and people who never use them, and people everywhere in between. If [name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]'s middle name will be announced when he’s born and then never mentioned again, that’s a different scenario than if you’d likely call him “[name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]” much of the time.
Also, is [name_m]Luther[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] likely to spend a lot of time with [name_m]Luke[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]? If they live across the country from each other and will rarely-to-never see each other, that’s different again from whether they live next door to each other and will see each other daily or weekly.
I will say, if the [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] in both combos is after your husband, you’re less likely to be criticized for using it even if people do think you’re copying. No one can knock a parent for using his/her own name as his/her child’s middle name.
Your children have gorgeous names, I adore both [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] and [name_m]Conrad[/name_m].
However, I am not sure about [name_m]Luther[/name_m]. I like the sound, but isn’t as classic as [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] and [name_m]Conrad[/name_m], and it is indeed quite close to [name_m]Luke[/name_m]. Are there any other names you like?
P.S. By the way, may I ask whether [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] and [name_m]Conrad[/name_m] have nicknames? I have [name_m]Conrad[/name_m] “[name_m]Curt[/name_m]” and [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] “[name_f]Gwen[/name_f]” on my list.
Not sure I’m doing this correctly since it’s my first time posting, but our daughter is often called [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] and [name_f]Gwenny[/name_f] as well as occasionally [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] (which is my preference.) My great-uncle [name_m]Conrad[/name_m] went by [name_u]Con[/name_u] when he was older, but I don’t prefer that for our little 21 month old. He can decide when he’s older, but for now people sometimes say C-rad. I often call him by his full name ([name_m]Conrad[/name_m] [name_m]Cross[/name_m]) or just Brother.
He can decide when he’s older, but for now people sometimes say C-rad. I often call him by his full name ([name_m]Conrad[/name_m] [name_m]Cross[/name_m]) or just Brother.