NAH. I’ve actually been in this position.

My wife lost her brother when he was only 17. Needless to say, my MIL was devastated. My wife and I, when we had my son, wanted to name him after my wife’s brother.

However, when we talked to MIL, she didn’t like the idea. She said she appreciated the thought, but the idea of calling someone else by her son’s name was just too difficult. She also didn’t want my son to feel like he had to fill some vacuum that my wife’s brother left when he died.

We decided to flip our middle and first names, so my wife’s brother’s name is now my son’s middle name. My MIL was happy with this compromise. It still honors my BIL, but allows my son his own identity.

So remember that. Naming your daughter after your sister seems like a good idea, and it is a wonderful way to honor her, but it may put expectations on her that you don’t foresee. It may make people view her as your sister’s “replacement,” whether you mean it to or not. Even your daughter may one day feel like she’s trying to live up to the image of a person she’s never met.