Hello,

My boys are 2.5 years apart and we wanted to give them strong Persian names. Our oldest is Darius (Dariush) and our youngest is Darian. I loved their names until recently when people/strangers started commenting on how similar they are, and it’s confusing. Our family voted on our youngest name and chose Darian (who is 16 months old).

Now I’m worried that they are going to be made fun of at school. In your opinion, should I start calling Darian by a nickname like Rian or Ian…..or am I over-analyzing this situation?

My husband thinks Darius and Darian are fine and there is no issue, but I’m losing sleep over this. Your advise is really appreciate.

Sincerely,

Shadi (confused Mom)

Dear Shadi,

If you had asked me about your second son’s name before he was born, I would have advised against Darian. Yes, the names are too similar and it is confusing.

However now that Darian is over a year old, he has already identified with his name and I would not go do anything rash like changing it. Your solution is perfect: start thinking of some nicknames that you can at least call him at home that will avoid confusion in the household. If he likes his nickname, he’ll take it to school with him. If not, maybe he’ll choose his own.

Good luck and let me know what you choose!
Sincerely,
Jennifer