Could we use the name [name]Rowan[/name] if DH’s cousin has a boy named [name]Owen[/name]? We see them a few times a year…
Absolutely! I have a friend in the exact same situation and it seems to work fine for them. Use the name you love.
I wasn’t sure if it would be confusing to everyone…Especially at Holidays when all the kids are together…
I know the names themselves are VERY different, but they SOUND so close!
It wouldn’t bother me if you only see [name]Owen[/name] and his family a few times a year. Most families have more than one [name]Michael[/name], etc when you start thinking of the big holidays and extended family and that seems to work out. It would be different imo if the boys were first cousins (shared grandparents) or saw each other frequently.
That’s what I was thinking, but I didn’t want to use the name if it would upset [name]Owen[/name]'s parents…
I usually use the grandparent consideration here too. If great-grandparents are still alive (which is often the case these days) then I suppose it might seem odd to have 2 great-grandchildren with the same name although I’m sure in the past when there were fewer names making the rounds then I’m sure this would have been a quite a common occurrence. We struck a certain name off our list for this reason although if we had really, really loved it I don’t think it would ultimately put me off using it unless we were close with the cousins in question.
[name]EDIT[/name]…sorry, I misread the initial question here. I think [name]Rowan[/name] and [name]Owen[/name] on distant cousins is absolutely fine. Those names don’t actually rhyme the way I say them but even if they did I think it would still be no problem.
I’m curious…how do you say them? They rhyme when I say them…
There was a thread about this a couple weeks ago, was a bit hard to explain - I’ll have a go…
Think OW as in cow or how, so rOW-an, as opposed to r-oh-en like [name]Owen[/name]. All the [name]Rowan[/name]'s I know have been British or Australian.
hmm…that’s interesting!
Thanks!
There was a thread about this a couple weeks ago, was a bit hard to explain - I’ll have a go…
Think OW as in cow or how, so rOW-an, as opposed to r-oh-en like [name]Owen[/name]. All the [name]Rowan[/name]'s I know have been British or Australian.[/quote]
As an Aussie I have to say that we would never say OW as in COW for [name]Rowan[/name] it is pronounced as [name]Ro[/name] an for both [name]Rohan[/name] and [name]Rowan[/name]
Good to know. I was trying to remember for sure how my aussie friends said [name]Rowan[/name] - perhaps its all a bit relative to my Canadian ears for which the aussie ‘oh’ has ever so slight a touch of ‘ow’ to it 
I live in the UK now and the ow as in cow is definitely how I’ve usually heard [name]Rowan[/name] said over here (like the tree) but I think the ‘oh’ way is much prettier.
[quote=“canadianne”]
Good to know. I was trying to remember for sure how my aussie friends said [name]Rowan[/name] - perhaps its all a bit relative to my Canadian ears for which the aussie ‘oh’ has ever so slight a touch of ‘ow’ to it
I live in the UK now and the ow as in cow is definitely how I’ve usually heard [name]Rowan[/name] said over here (like the tree) but I think the ‘oh’ way is much prettier.[/quote]
Heavens you have shocked me to think that you can hear the OW sound when we are clearly not saying it.
Maybe if they where accual cousins then it might matter more,but as you said you go on hoidays together you could call [name]Rowan[/name] Row on holidays of something.
I thought [name]Roe[/name] would be a really cute nn, anyways! 
maybe it’s because I’ve always been “in like” with [name]Beau[/name]…
[name]Hi[/name] Ricalina (I’ll give you some time to adjust to your new name…)
I agree that it’s not a big deal with you seeing [name]Owen[/name] only a few times a year. If you’re worried about [name]Owen[/name]'s parents getting their panties in a bunch if you use the name, you could always clear it with them beforehand.
Take care!
Thanks everyone! I really appreciate your comments!
PS - Ricalina is awesome! 
Yeah, move over, Ricette, because Ricalina is definitely your new name.