I went to a friend’s baby shower yesterday. She has known she is having a girl for a few months and they announced immediately that they plan to name her [name]Estella[/name] (after a family member) and call her [name]Ella[/name].
Now her [name]SIL[/name] is also pregnant and due 2 months after her. At the shower her [name]SIL[/name] was saying that she had found out she was having a girl, the name would be [name]Arabella[/name], and they would call her [name]Bella[/name]. So they will have [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Bella[/name]. And she claimed it was “unintentional.”
Obviously I couldn’t say anything about it then, but I have to imagine my friend isn’t as “okay” with that as she was letting on. Would you be mad???
[name]Estella[/name] and [name]Arabella[/name]? [name]Bella[/name] and [name]Ella[/name]? Hmm…If I were in [name]Estella[/name]'s mom’s shoes, I think I’d be very mildly and very briefly annoyed, but not at all mad—and then I’d move on. I mean, if she chose [name]Estella[/name] like I did, I wouldn’t be very happy, but [name]Estella[/name] and [name]Arabella[/name] are two different names.
Knowing that she’s going with [name]Arabella[/name], I guess I’d be thinking, “Well, at least she didn’t choose [name]Estella[/name]!” [name]Even[/name] though they have the same ending sounds, [name]Arabella[/name] and [name]Estella[/name] have different beginning sounds and a differing number of syllables, so that would give me peace. I’d know I chose my favorite name for my baby girl, and that would make me happy—and that’s what I would focus on. Also, I’d know that because my baby was named and born first, I obviously wasn’t the one responsible for the rhyming cousins! (And then I’d hopefully realize that rhyming cousins may really like being rhyming cousins!)
I wonder if [name]Arabella[/name]'s mom has loved [name]Arabella[/name] all of her life, and didn’t want to give it up. I can understand that. And, at least she chose to go with the [name]Bella[/name] nickname, not [name]Ella[/name]! Yes, they rhyme, but they’re two different names.
I love both names, [name]Estella[/name] and [name]Arabella[/name], by the way!
I wouldnt be mad. Its a waste to be mad in such a joyous time in both families. [name]Bella[/name] and [name]Ella[/name]/[name]Arabella[/name] and [name]Estella[/name] are not the same name after all, and the reality is that both [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Bella[/name] will be in the company of many more little girls named [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Bella[/name] in their lifetimes! both beautiful names and an exciting time for all of them!
also, who knows if [name]Arabella[/name] and [name]Estella[/name] will want to use the nicknames? [name]Estella[/name] could want to be [name]Elle[/name], or [name]Esti[/name], or [name]Stella[/name] for example.
Caitalinna is absolutely correct in saying that these little girls will meet many other [name]Ella[/name]'s and [name]Bella[/name]'s in their life time (given their age) and having a cousin with a similar (yet totally different name) is not much to worry about.
Not worth worrying about or wasting anger on. All of the points made by previous posters are totally correct, and the fact is, little cousins named [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Bella[/name] could be quite cute together. They should just both be grateful to be blessed with precious baby girls when many people long for a child and don’t have one.
(And then I’d hopefully realize that rhyming cousins may really like being rhyming cousins!)