I found out today that the full name of [name_f]England[/name_f] cricketer [name_f]Ebony[/name_f]-[name_f]Jewel[/name_f] Rainford-[name_m]Brent[/name_m] is…
Apparently she had four older brothers and her parents let her brothers choose her name, but they couldn’t agree so they gave her all the suggested names to keep them all happy.
I know it’s a fairly ‘out there’ example of sibling naming gone wrong, but would you consider letting an older child name your new baby?
I think it’s nice when a sibling comes up with a name, but I wouldn’t name my child something just because their older brother/sister wanted me to. I knew a girl whose name is [name_f]Alicia[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. She was named so because her older brother came home from school one day (he was nine at the time) and announced that the new baby’s name would be [name_f]Alicia[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. The parents actually loved it and went with it. Turns out, he had a crush on a girl in his class and had the baby named after her to impress her.
I think I would consider the name, but at the end of the day if it isn’t my style or a name that I like, I’m not going to use it just to appease the older child.
Aww that’s such a cute story! I hope the original [name_f]Alicia[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] was impressed.
I think I would let my children pick from a list of pre-approved names. Friends of mine did this with their two sons when their daughter was born, she ended up with the name [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] which suits her very well.
I like the idea of older siblings having a say in what their younger sibling will be called! I think it’s really sweet and makes the kids feel involved. My friend named her brother when he was born - she picked [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] after [name_m]Tommy[/name_m] from the [name_m]Power[/name_m] Rangers, haha. I would probably give my older kid a list of names to choose from, just in case he/she has some wild naming ideas!
Not in the least. It’d be like cheating myself out of using my favourite names. I’d only want to have to consider my own opinions and those of my husband. I imagine it’d be challenging enough to agree on a name between two people let alone factoring in the opinions of other kids.
No, absolutely not. If the older child ‘picked’ a name that we were already considering, I might let them think they had chosen the name. But I wouldn’t actually do it. They’ll have their own chance to have children and name them when they’re grown up. I would let them name a pet, provided it wasn’t something I would be embarrassed to call the pet, but not a sibling.
I don’t think I would even risk the ‘pick from a list of preapproved names’ trick, unless I was absolutely certain that my feelings on the names were equal and I honestly didn’t mind which one. Otherwise the older child might pick something off the list, and then you change your mind and know that another name from the list is ‘the one’. Then the sibling will just feel betrayed and upset when it turns out they can’t pick after all.
I would involve the older sibling in discussions if they were old enough to have an opinion, but ultimately, no, it’s not up to them. Plus, from my experience with young children picking names, the majority of times they will choose the name of a character they like, from a film or a book or a TV programme. That’s very hit and miss. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] after a [name_m]Power[/name_m] [name_m]Ranger[/name_m] is fine, [name_m]Simba[/name_m] from The [name_m]Lion[/name_m] [name_m]King[/name_m] is not.
I don’t think I would do this myself, but then, I also think I could easily name twenty children all on my own. Many non-Nameberry people probably do not enjoy names quite so much, though. If picking out names was sort of a drag for you and you were naming your fifth child, I could totally see just letting the older kids name the new baby. I wonder if they agreed on the order or if they each refer to her as the name they picked?
I would consider their suggestions, but would pick what I loved. My parents did this for me with my younger sister. The name I suggested was one of the two names they took to the hospital with them. Dad got the final pick after my sister was born and he picked my name. A friend of mine let her two older daughters name her third girl. They picked [name_f]Brianna[/name_f], which followed the unintended theme… All had Br names.
No way. At my daycare, there’s a boy who named his younger sister and her name is Toodles. I know that’s extreme but still. Kids don’t have very good taste. They only know what they know. When my sister was born, my cousin wanted to name her [name_f]Samantha[/name_f] (after a girl he had a crush on), my other cousin wanted to name her [name_m]Roger[/name_m] (after 101 Dalmations) but I said she was a girl so we should name her Cruella de [name_m]Ville[/name_m]. Obviously none of those are good ideas. They named her [name_f]Eve[/name_f]. I might ask my kid’s opinion on the names we had shortlisted, but I would never give the kid free reign.
Maybe not entirely let them choose, my friend, [name_m]Adam[/name_m], is 4 years younger than his sister, and his sister’s suggestions for him were apparently Broccoli or Seatbelt However, if DH and I had a list, and we had a set top 2-10 names, and my child was old enough to make a decision like this (so say, a school-age child), then I’d allow them to choose the final name from the list, if DH and I could not agree. I think it’s nice for siblings to have a say in it, but it could end poorly if the parents don’t exercise a bit of discretion. (For example, I know [name_m]Adam[/name_m], who is now almost 18, is very happy that his parents chose [name_m]Adam[/name_m] over Seatbelt).
Yes, this - all of this. In theory, I think involving older siblings is an adorable idea. In practice - much less so. I wouldn’t even open the door to debate. If they want to name the family dog or hamster, fine and dandy. More power to them. But aside from the danger of winding up with a daughter named [name_f]Rainbow[/name_f], there’s the simple fact that it’s my baby, not theirs. I will have waited 20 + years for the opportunity to use my names, and I intend to do so. Children will have their own opportunities to choose names in another few decades; I wouldn’t give up mine. No way.
Besides, stop and think for a minute of how drastically your own taste in names has likely changed from the time you were ten. And then ask yourself if it’s still a cute idea to let a sibling fill out the birth certificate. To each their own, I suppose, but it’s a huge, resounding no for me. Especially since my older brother did name me, and while he could have done worse, I still think my parents would’ve done much better.
When I was little and my mom was pregnant with my sister I insisted they name her [name_f]Angelina[/name_f] Ballerina (Ballerina wouldve been her middle lol) and they considered [name_f]Angelina[/name_f], but once I found out they wouldnt use Ballerina as her middle, I told them to just name her [name_f]Belle[/name_f] (Beauty and the Beast was my favorite movie) and we all settled on [name_f]Izabella[/name_f].
I think Id let my kids help, but not dictate the naming process
My friend let her children pick and they chose [name_m]Wolverine[/name_m]. So now he’s called [name_u]Logan[/name_u] ([name_m]Wolverine[/name_m]'s actual name). But I don’t think I’d risk it myself
My mom actually let my sisters and I pick my youngest sister’s middle name (we were all older and she was a surprise later in life). We ended up choosing my mom’s name, [name_f]Anne[/name_f]. It was a nice way for all of us to be involved in the new baby and made us more excited for/open to the new member of the family. And at the same time, my parents still chose a first name they loved. So in that limited situation, with older children (10-14), I might let them have a say in just the middle.
My 5yo has come up with [name_m]George[/name_m] for a boy (after george of the jungle) and [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] for a girl. I think they’re very sweet names, but I’m not going to use them he also chose batman for his little brother haha and insisted on calling him that for the first few weeks!
I would never give a child free reign over naming their sibling. I think their input is so cute, though! Earlier in my pregnancy, I would ask my 2-year-old “what do you think we should name the new baby?” just to hear what her response would be. The first time I asked, she said “Fruits”. LOL! After that, she was really stuck on the name [name_f]Sally[/name_f]. We’re not sure where she came up with it. My husband and I had already picked first names for both genders, but we hadn’t agreed on a girl middle name, so we were sort of considering using [name_f]Sally[/name_f] there, but only because it’s not terrible and we wanted a middle name with significance, so the fact that big sis picked it is a cute story. But, turns out we’re having a boy. Definitely not naming him [name_f]Sally[/name_f]! Our daughter doesn’t care that we aren’t using the name she picked, but I’m sure it helps that she’s still young.
me and my husband pick our favourite names and then i ask my eldest which name she likes, can pronounce and then we make ouyr final decision. though my kids are still very little so arent terribly opinionate
I have no interest in having my child name future children. I don’t really get the appeal. My brother named me when he was 7. He did a terrible job so perhaps I’m just bitter lol. i thought about letting him help after we narrowed it down to two favourites or something. But I’m still not really feeling it.
When my mom was pregnant with my second sister, she and my dad were stuck between [name_f]Grace[/name_f] and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] so she let me and my sister choose. We decided on [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] but we never call her that. It’s always [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] so I think my mom regrets not naming her [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] to begin with.
I think that’s something I could see myself considering. But I wouldn’t just be like “hey kids, it’s a boy. Gimme a name and that’s what we’re going with” because I’m a little afraid of what a couple of kids could come up with!
If they were old enough to understand that their choice isn’t the final choice and that there are other options to consider, maybe I’d ask for some suggestions.
But yeah I’d never just blindly hand over baming rights like that for fear of winding up with something a little too out there for my taste.
However, if DH and I had a list, and we had a set top 2-10 names, and my child was old enough to make a decision like this (so say, a school-age child), then I’d allow them to choose the final name from the list, if DH and I could not agree. I think it’s nice for siblings to have a say in it, but it could end poorly if the parents don’t exercise a bit of discretion. (For example, I know [name_m]Adam[/name_m], who is now almost 18, is very happy that his parents chose [name_m]Adam[/name_m] over Seatbelt).
he also chose batman for his little brother haha and insisted on calling him that for the first few weeks!