# Mind dating someone with the same first name at all? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2011, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717 "2011-08-06T09:59:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/1 "2011-08-06T09:59:42Z")
Something that randomly popped into my head one day during an unrelated thought process. Would you mind at all dating someone with the same first name as you? I’d like those with fairly (or greater) gender-specific names who are not gay or bisexual to try to refrain from answering, since the answer is probably relatively obvious (if it’s not, feel free to!). ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/2 "2011-08-06T11:17:36Z")
Straight man here, I would find a similar name more than a bit of a turn-off _Screw internet anonymity._ I’m called Alex and I’ld be hesistant marrying someone named Alex[andra], Alice or Alison. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/3 "2011-08-06T11:45:39Z")
What **Namkcalb** said. It would be weird. I don’t think I’d call it a deal breaker, but it would probably prevent us from hooking up in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/4 "2011-08-06T12:56:55Z")
It wouldn’t bother me, but I’ve never been able to date a man with the same name as my father, stepfather, grandfather, or brother. That would weird me out, but my own name, I could totally handle. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/5 "2011-08-06T13:07:57Z")
> [@sugaree](#): > > It wouldn’t bother me, but I’ve never been able to date a man with the same name as my father, stepfather, grandfather, or brother. That would weird me out, but my own name, I could totally handle. Phew! three of my younger sister’s boyfriends were called Alex, If Alex wasn’t such a common middle-class name, I’ld be very worried ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/6 "2011-08-06T13:11:36Z")
If you find someone you can trust, has similar values, have some common bonds with, enjoy their company, someone you find attractive - wtf’s in a name? ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/7 "2011-08-06T13:22:31Z")
> [@the lone cashew](#): > > If you find someone you can trust, has similar values, have some common bonds with, enjoy their company, someone you find attractive - wtf’s in a name? This. Personal names are meaningless and insignificant (possibly not in other cultures but certainly anywhere Westernised). Also, I’d just like to mention my favourite example: the author Evelyn Waugh and his first wife, Evelyn Waugh. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/8 "2011-08-06T13:36:07Z")
My friends Aaron and Erin did ok for many years. I don’t think I could be with a man named Jessica 😛 But my friends Jesse and Jessica did ok too. I’d be fine with a Jesse. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/9 "2011-08-06T13:42:41Z")
It wouldn’t bother me. After all, Jack Kennedy married a Jackie. And Paul McCartney’s family is full of people marrying people with names that are all in the family–Paul’s adopted daughter and second wife were both named Heather. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/10 "2011-08-06T13:51:28Z")
I’d be more put off by rhyming names: Bill and Jill Kim and Jim Annie and Manny Larry and Carrie That’s just way too cutesy. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/11 "2011-08-06T13:57:08Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > I’d be more put off by rhyming names: > > Bill and Jill > Kim and Jim > Annie and Manny > Larry and Carrie > > That’s just way too cutesy. That’s not too bad Billy and Billie Kim and Kim (it can be a man’s name too) ---
**Author:** ![rekkah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@rekkah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rekkah)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/12 "2011-08-06T14:02:10Z")
I’ve known a Julian married to a Julia. For myself I don’t think I would object in principle, but since I’m a straight woman and Rebecca (or even any of the short forms) would be a rather odd name for a man, it seems it would be unlikely even if I weren’t already married. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/13 "2011-08-06T14:08:40Z")
We met a couple a few months ago. Her name is Roberta. Her SO’s name is Robert. At one point the strangeness hit me and I whispered to my gf, “Hey, the cat’s name is Bob. Think about it”. It took a minute, but she grinned. They were very strange, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/14 "2011-08-06T14:13:23Z")
[Stranger things](http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-07-20/entertainment/17929492_1_male-today-show-couple) can happen. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/15 "2011-08-06T14:19:30Z")
Wouldn’t bother me one bit - although I am straight and the chances of me dating someone with my own (unusual but very clearly feminine) name would be between zero and nil. I’ve dated two men with the same name as my father, and one with the same name as a brother…I thought it would be strange, but it wasn’t. I used to know a married couple called Gene and Gina. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/16 "2011-08-06T14:23:11Z")
The day that gay marriage beame legal in New York state, NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg performed the wedding ceremony for two of aides, [John Feinblatt & Jonathan Mintz](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NzOd_uaHJg) ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/17 "2011-08-06T14:32:22Z")
I know three similar-named couples, and it gets annoying when I call their house and need to ask for “lady-Chris”, so I think I’d avoid dating someone with my name, out of courtesy to my friends. Not hard to do, as most male Jennifers likely keep themselves in complete seclusion to avoid the schoolyard beatings. My exception to this name rule, of course, is if I were a celebrity and it would make for a cool mashup name for the tabloids, a la Brangelina. I have a Chris/Chris (tina and topher), a Daniel/Danielle and a Michel/Michelle couple among my casual friends. The last two are friends from Montreal, so their names are pronounced almost identically, forcing me to dramatically emphasize the end of the name to show I want the female half of the couple on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/18 "2011-08-06T15:09:06Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > We met a couple a few months ago. Her name is Roberta. Her SO’s name is Robert. At one point the strangeness hit me and I whispered to my gf, “Hey, the cat’s name is Bob. Think about it”. It took a minute, but she grinned. > > They were very strange, indeed. Hah. There is a couple like this in my family. In addition to giving their cats the same name, they also named their boat after themselves too. Good people though! Personally, I probably could deal with dating a guy whose name was similar to mine, but it was creepy to me when I would consider dating guys who shared a name with my dad/brother. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/19 "2011-08-06T15:30:29Z")
> [@rekkah](#): > > I’ve known a Julian married to a Julia. I know a couple named Jillian and Julian. I’d be more put off a guy whose surname was the same as my first name. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717/20 "2011-08-06T15:34:20Z")
The only problem I could see would be with others. I’d pretty much have to have a nickname amongst her family, and she amongst mine. And, despite having a name that is very unfeminine, one of the few people I’ve met with my name was female. My name is all Es. There’s was with an A and a Y. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-dating-someone-with-the-same-first-name-at-all/591717.md?page=2)