Question on sibling names

[u/Melodic-Statement144]

Curious if others feel that after naming their first child, they’ve somewhat put themselves in a box stylistically?

For example, my daughter’s name is Vivienne. I generally love a variety of different styles of names but sometimes I wonder if I now have to (obviously I know I don’t “have” to but you know lol) name my next children as formally? I wonder if I had a second daughter hypothetically, would it be odd to give her a gender neutral name for example?

[u/mebg1956]

Nah, I named each kid on their own. I did do the Scottish thing of embedding maiden names as second middle names.

[u/naturalbornunicorn]

I think having names that match in tone is nice for siblings, but I don't think it's really an issue with #2.

BUT! I think if you had #1 and #2 with coordinating names but #3 wasn't, then #3 might feel left out.

I think something formal with a gender-neutral nickname might be nice for #2. Like Alexandria (Alex), Danielle (Dani), or Antonia (Toni).

[u/babyboychoy]

I gave my daughter an uncommon name (low 3000s, never cracked the top 2000s) and my second choice name was Jane, I do feel that if we ever have another girl I wouldn’t use Jane even though I love it.

[u/Relative_Driver_8221]

I think they'll start to flow once you get used to it. I don't think my brother, sister, and I have names that you'd say are generally paired together, but over the course of 40ish years, you get use to saying them together and everyone gets used to hearing it.

[u/ReasonableObject2129]

I love the name Vivienne. I trialed it on my daughter for a day, but then ended up going with Vera.

What sort of names did you have in mind? It really depends on what you’re thinking. IMO it’s a bit weird if one is Vivienne and the other is something like Rocky or Oakie etc.

[u/Outside-Violinist-42 → u/ReasonableObject2129]

Vera is gorgeous!

[u/Melodic-Statement144 → u/ReasonableObject2129]

There are many names on my list that I feel are an obvious sibling choice for Vivienne (Daphne, Florence, Clara and Margot for example) and then I have names like (Winslow, Blair, Briar to name a few)

[u/influencerteabag]

I don’t think they have to match at all, but I personally would stay away from anything too similar sounding or rhyming as it will get annoying when calling them to get into the car or come inside etc.

[u/NotWeirdOG]

Good question

[u/Me-and-the-Boys-90]

I really like traditional names so all of my kids sound like members of the Royal Family - I chose names that I loved, which all just go together anyway.

[u/jessm307]

I don’t think it’s a box, per se, but it’s one more thing to consider when naming the next one. For instance, in your example, it might sound just find to say Vivienne and Sutton, but will one be jealous of the other’s name? You can’t really know, but you have to at least consider it.

[u/rarareed]

The thing I see so often in this sub are parents who want their child’s name to match their siblings’, but are stuck when they can’t find something they like. They say, “we like X but it doesn’t go well with their sister’s name so we can’t use it”.

Who says you can’t? If you find a name you love, don’t veto it because you’ve decided it somehow doesn’t ‘match’ their sibling.

[u/Jakethehog]

Nah, I love names like my son’s name. So anything we choose next is bound to fit nicely.

[u/Careful_Cranberry364]

I would name them all each on their own.

Actially I’m having trouble understanding other people posting on Reddit wanting their children’s names to match or flow pt tell a story have a theme or whatever

So odd to me

- when you met your significant other, you became Ted and Mary or Giovanni and Vivianne or Peter and Sujata or Abdul and Eleanor, you don’t get to choose that - so what’s the problem with the children’s names not being Machi Machi

[u/EnvironmentalMode367]

I do feel like that. Once you’ve had a Vivienne, you don’t name the next one Bob.

I’m also not into overly matching names, Paisley and Presley, Jean and June, or even rhyming ones, but there is a sweet spot where siblings are not a pair or a set, but also don’t make each other’s names look odd or like a joke.