![“Am I a jerk for not wanting my sister to have a name like mine?”](https://affopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/teens-dad-and-stepmom-plans-to-name-their-baby-her-name-fb-1000x600.png)
“Am I a jerk for not wanting my sister to have a name like mine?”
Your name is forever attached to your identity, so it’s only fair that you want to be the sole owner of your family.
So this young 18-year-old woman was very upset when her father and stepmother decided to name their baby exactly like her.
“My father is very excited about this baby, but he and his wife want to name the baby Roseanne because her favorite flower is a rose,” the author explained. AITA’s post subreddit. If they follow their plan, “that will be my exact name and surname”. Read the author’s entire perspective below.
Image credit: valeriygoncharukphoto (not actual photo)
Image credit: mstandret (not actual photo)
Image credit: Rosie Ro Throwaway
Name experts warn that giving the same name to the second child in a family puts both children’s identities at risk.
bored panda reached out to Pamela Redmonda baby name expert and creator of nameberryKnown as one of the world’s leading experts on baby names.
“It makes perfect sense to be upset that your parent or in-law named their baby exactly after you! It jeopardizes your identity within your family. Not only that, but it also jeopardizes the baby’s identity,” Redmond said.
In the Middle Ages it was common to give different children of the family the same name, but “this is no longer done and there is no excuse”.
“In the Middle Ages, there were relatively few names in circulation, families were large, and infant mortality was high,” said Redmond. It was common to be named Elizabeth, and thus the nicknames were born: one John was called Johnny, the other Jack, Elizabeth the other Lizzie, the other Betsy.”
But in modern times this is no longer done and there is no excuse. Indeed, the name experts claim, “There are over 70,000 names in Nameberry’s database. Parents can find different names for their two siblings. If these parents choose different names for their new baby, they can find them.” If you can’t come up with a name, you should let the older sibling, who wants to steal the name, choose a name for your baby.”
“Our name may not be unique in the world, but it should be unique in our family.”
Redmond believes that there is nothing more personal or central to our identity than our names. It should be the only one.”
“In some cultures and religions, children in a family may traditionally have the same first name. For example, Mary or Mary in conservative Catholic families, or the ancestral name given to all sons. With William as the first name for generations, the children will be called by their middle names,” said Redmond.
She added that the practice is outdated and becoming increasingly rare, but it is still practiced.