Ok, so I’ve posted numerous times about a name for our new baby girl (due in a week & a half now!!!).
DH and I like [name]Emma[/name] (some days I love it, some days I’m not sure!), but our daughter [name]Ella[/name] has called this baby [name]Emma[/name] since [name]December[/name]. She LOVES it. As silly as it sounds, she won’t entertain the idea of another name. “I just want to call her [name]Emma[/name]” is all we ever hear! Granted she’s only (almost) 4, but I’m afraid that she’ll call her [name]Emma[/name] no matter what we name her & be heartbroken if that’s not her name. She is soooo excited.
DH & I haven’t been able to agree on a name (although we’ve talked about [name]Alexandra[/name] [name]Kate[/name], nn [name]Lexie[/name]). My question is, how much say so do you give a sibling, especially if we really don’t love anything else? I know [name]Emma[/name] is close to [name]Ella[/name], but that doesn’t bother me. Would you chose a name the older sibling didn’t like & just hope she got used to it? What if we name her [name]Lexie[/name] & [name]Ella[/name] always calls her [name]Emma[/name]?
I wouldn’t use a name I didn’t like just bc [name]Ella[/name] liked it, but since DH & I actually like [name]Emma[/name], I just can’t decide what to do.
Thoughts are appreciated!!
If you really like [name]Emma[/name] then I say use it! They are similar but it could be worse ([name]Ella[/name] and [name]Stella[/name] would not be good).
If you decide to go with something other than [name]Emma[/name], I would consider buying her a lovely doll that she could call [name]Emma[/name]. That’s what we did when we chose not to name our son “[name]Rainbow[/name] Boy” as our then 3 year old daughter insisted.
If my child gave me a suggestion that I really loved, then I would consider it, but I wouldn’t really give them say. Sure, it’s cute if a sibling has say, but to give a 4 year old serious say in a life-long decision doesn’t seem like sound logic to me.
That being said, I like both of the choices. [name]Emma[/name] is lovely, but very similar to [name]Ella[/name] - [name]Alexandra[/name] is very classy and beautiful, too I would personally go with that one.
I like [name]Emma[/name] and if it’s the only name the 2 of you can agree on for sure, use it! She loves it and so do you both.
If you’re worried about it being too close, why not [name]Emmeline[/name] nn [name]Emma[/name]. [name]Emmeline[/name] and [name]Ella[/name] aren’t too close.
Thank you all. I agree that I wouldn’t let her have a say if she picked a name DH and I hated. We are only considering it since [name]Emma[/name] is a name we both like. I love the idea of giving her a doll to name [name]Emma[/name], if we choose something else. She absolutely adores her baby dolls, so that would be perfect! Thanks, again!
[name]Baby[/name] will be here soon, so I’ll let you all know what we decide!
I think [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Alexandra[/name] ‘[name]Lexie[/name]’ are perfect for sisters, and the idea of a giving her a doll to call [name]Emma[/name] seems like your best option if you only like the name. I’d continue searching for something you love!
If you absolutely love [name]Emma[/name] and there’s no other choice, then you should use it no matter what. But it doesn’t seem like you’re set on the name, and you should be sure before you decide! I personally wouldn’t use it because it is so similar to [name]Ella[/name]. I think [name]Alexandra[/name] [name]Kate[/name] is beautiful, and I would definitely pick that! A friend of mine called her baby “[name]Logan[/name]” for about 8 months of her pregnancy, and everyone who knew her referred to him as [name]Logan[/name], but she suddenly decided she didn’t like the name, and he ended up being named [name]Xavier[/name] when he was born. All of his siblings adjusted to the name change perfectly fine, including her youngest, who was about three and a half at the time. I honestly don’t think [name]Ella[/name] will call the baby [name]Emma[/name] if you choose not to name her that, and I doubt she will be upset that you picked a different name. If you pick another name and you are persistent with it, she will understand. She will probably also be so overwhelmed and excited to have a baby sister that she will overlook the change in name, if there is one. Good luck!
I actually find [name]Lexie[/name] and [name]Ella[/name] almost as similar as [name]Emma[/name] and [name]Ella[/name], and I like the latter sib set better! We had a similar situation with our 4 yr old and his new baby sister. At first he liked the name [name]Madeline[/name], which we had mentioned, and he called her that while she was still inside me, which was so cute, and made DH and I love the name even more. Then 4 yr old started calling her “Spygirl,” insistant that it would be her name. Anyway, she’s 4 mos old now, and he still occasionally calls her Spygirl (which we think is pretty sweet), but he also concedes now that her name is [name]Madeline[/name]. Haha. So I guess I’m saying, if you love [name]Emma[/name], go for it; it’s special that your DD loves that name for her so much; but if you decide to do a different name, she will eventually get used to it. [name]Just[/name] don’t make a big deal of it if she calls her [name]Emma[/name], even if you name her otherwise, and she will come around. Gotta love 4 yr olds.
My mother named my brother because I INSISTED on a name that had religious importance, and she couldn’t find it to say no.
However, we’ve always called him by his middle name/ the one she wanted.
You could do that.
Name her [name]Emma[/name] [name]Alexandra[/name] for example, and let [name]Ella[/name] call her [name]Emma[/name], and you can call her [name]Lexie[/name]/[name]Alexandra[/name]. OR, vice versa, [name]Alexandra[/name] [name]Emma[/name], and let [name]Emma[/name] be [name]Ella[/name]'s special name for her.
I know lots of people who’ve been named by siblings. I think it’s sweet at times.
I love the idea of [name]Alexandra[/name] [name]Emma[/name], for example sakes, and let [name]Emma[/name] be [name]Ella[/name]'s special name for her.
hat about a combo name? [name]Emma[/name]-[name]Kate[/name] sounds awesome!!!
My neighbour let her three older girls name her youngest girl- they chose [name]Amy[/name].
If you like [name]Emma[/name] then go with it- if you don’t then I would put [name]Emma[/name] as a mn. That way she can call her [name]Emma[/name] as a special pet name.
[name]Alexandra[/name] could also have a nn [name]Alexa[/name] which sounds similar to [name]Emma[/name].
I teach young children and trust me you can sway them when you want. If you really want a different name I would tell her now that when the baby is born you will hold the baby and just like magic you will know her name and that MAYBE it won’t be [name]Emma[/name]. Tell her that once you know then you will whisper her name into your DD’s ear. That way you can tell your 3yo DD whatever name you want. Make it a fun magical type anticipation.
Let us know what you decide.
I find [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Emma[/name] to be much too similar, honestly.
Maybe I’m mean, but I don’t think I’d give my older child any say at all in the names of her siblings. I mean, I’d listen to her suggestions, of course, but they wouldn’t have any bearing on my decision.
I think if you name the baby simply because your daughter may call her [name]Emma[/name], you’re making a mistake. You’re the parent, you tell her what to call the baby. If you decide that you love the name [name]Emma[/name] and that’s what you want to call her, then great. But don’t let your four year old call the shots.
