I’ve been having lots of fun running potential baby names past my children (ages 7, 5 & 4). They like some more than others. [name]Do[/name] you know of families that let the older children help name the kids—or at least seriously take their opinions into account? I realize the age of the older children makes a difference. My 5-year-old thinks “Tree” is a great name- ha! But–my kids all love the name [name]Scarlett[/name]–and I like it too–although I like [name]Louisa[/name] more. Have you heard of families ever taking a “vote” to decide on a name for a new baby? Thanks
We didn’t take a vote, but I was 11 when my sister was born, and my opinion must have meant something to my mom, because she chose the first name I liked most over the one she and my dad thought they were going to pick. I remember that we had settled on my sister’s middle name (which is what she goes by) long before she was born, but we didn’t decide on the first name until mom was holding her. I was crazy excited when I found out they decided on my favorite choice, and mom has never mentioned any name regret, so it worked out well for us 
I knew a family that let their 2 older children each choose a middle name for their next child, I think they must of been 4 and 6 at the time, so the new baby ended up as [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Rainbow[/name], which I have always thought was quite sweet!!
My mum allowed me to “name” my sister, or at least she agreed with me that [name]Isabella[/name] was the right name for her. I think it’s nice to ask the older siblings for opinions, but I don’t think I would go as far as actually letting one of my future kids choose the name of a younger sibling.
I have one friend who named her little sister, she was fourteen at the time and chose [name]Amanda[/name] which is lovely. My parents discussed names with us before my brother was born, and had the whole naming process out in the open, but they chose the name they wanted for him, not the one we wanted. I think that’s fine, but I would never in a million years let a child decide the name. Maybe because I love names so much… I do think [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Rainbow[/name] is darling though!
I think letting the older children help pick a name is a really sweet way to begin a sibling bond! From day one, the older sibling will feel a special connection with their younger sibling because they had a part in such an important decision.
When my little sister was born, I was 7, and I was very involved in the naming process. When my parents didn’t choose my top choice for her, which was [name]Kiera[/name], I was very disappointed (I still kind of am because it would have fit her perfectly haha )!
Although, my mother did let me pick the middle name from our choices, and I chose [name]Soleil[/name]. It definitely made up for it and made me feel really involved in the birth of my sister.
I think letting the older children be involved in naming is a great way to get them excited about having a little sibling!
[name]Scarlett[/name] is lovely :).
I think it’s a great idea for the other children to be involved! I mean, you dont have to use that name, and if you don’t want to use it, you don’t have to. It all depends on how you approach it.
Xx, Shealah
At age 7 I campaigned pretty hards for [name]Lulu[/name], but that didn’tpan out.
I think talking names with kids could be a great way to get them prepared for the reality of a new sibling & also to give parents some perspective on names (like modern young associations a name has that we might not realize)
I wouldn’t put it to a vote though. But I’m not the type that wants my daughter to have a say in every decision we make as adults. I know plenty of parents that involve their kids in adult decision making like if the family should move, ect. I’m a bit more old school, but whatever works for other people’s families is great too.
For my parents third child they let me and my sister pick her name. They narrowed it down to a few options and we chose between those. We definitely picked the right name!
I love this idea, though I’ve never had any experience with it. I don’t think I’d put it to a vote; that’s giving up a bit too much power in the decision for me. I think I would ask for suggestions or give them a list and ask which names they liked. Asking opinions doesn’t promise anything. But I do love the idea of seeing what they have to say and if it’s usable, making it part of the name if not the actual name. I imagine it would make the siblings feel quite excited and would build quite a bond.
My parents took my offhanded suggestion (I heard the name [name]Cherish[/name] on Lambchop’s Play-Along) when I was 5 and used it for my baby sister, [name]Mariah[/name] [name]Cherish[/name]. She will sometimes give me grief about it, but I think it’s pretty! And not bad for just pulling something out of my 5 year old brain.
We let my then 9 year old step son choose our son’s middle name. He was really excited to be a part of the process and took the task very seriously. In the end he decided to choose my maternal granfather’s name because his middle name is also his mom’s maternal granfather’s name. And he really liked the name [name]Michael[/name]. It’s something special he and his brother share. Now that we are expecting again he wanted to know if he and our 3 year old get to pick the middle name …I haven’t decided yet 
I think it’s great if you want to include your kids in the process. It makes it special for the whole family! [name]Just[/name] make sure they know Mom has veto power.