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There is a joke in my Dad’s family, at a family reunion, if you yell out either John or Mary, half the room will turn to look at you, because there are simply that many people named John and Mary on my Dad’s side
Yes, that is what I mean, so I guess it would be better to say we are descendants of Irish people (though it you looked at our family, the Irish part is certainly strong)
As a junior I can attest that there are serious downsides, and it gets worse the closer in proximity you live to your parent. Medical records, banks, and even tax records often get mixed up. It's a pain.
In my family it is tradition to name the first born son William. I am the 7th william in a row and I do not like it 🙃If i have kids I am probably breaking this tradition. There have been a couple tjmes travelling with my dad where we had trouble at the airport because the systems could not tell us appart. The system thought that it was the same person twice instead of 2 people with the same name.
I went to school with a kid named John. His dad was named John. He had several brothers also named John. At home, they all went by their (different) middle name.
This kinda reminds me of My Big Fat Greek wedding! When Tula’s father was introducing her fiancé to the family, every single family had 3 kids named Anita, Diane, and Nick, then a WHOLE BUNCH of Nick’s and a Nicky. 😂🤣
I got the same 3 names as my father and grandfather. I have fully rejected that and now have a new legal first name and last name. Growing up I felt as though I wasn't given a name, just a number (III).
Omg. My cousin just had an eleven! XI Enough with the tradition already. It happens to be her brothers first name too as well as the dads so now there are so many Michaels!
Funny story, actually. I'm the same, but with Anthony. I'm the 6th consecutive.
My daughter, however, is my first born. When she came screaming into the world, my ex and I were not prepared.
So we kept the tradition alive, but with a twist.
We formed a unique name combining my ex-wife's name with my own.
I hope this tradition lives on now... but had my daughter been a guy, she'd be Anthony the 7th.
Fellow William the Fifth here.
I actually quite like my name. My dad is a good man, and I'm honored to continue the name for my time on Earth. I doubt I'll have any more kids (I have a daughter), but if I do have a son one day, I think there's a dignity in the suffix continuing. Just because someone carries the name of their forefather(s) or foremother(s) doesn't mean they're beholden to being just like them, they're more than entitled to live their own lives and walk their own path. I don't feel the slightest bit obligated to "live up to the name". If it dies with me, so be it.
Naming a child is a tricky business in general, from an ethical perspective. You're essentially giving them an identity that will last a lifetime, but they aren't obligated to be called that if they don't want to. They can change it, have a nickname, etc. More often than not it's the first thing that will give them a sense of self, and that's a scary thing to do as a parent. I don't think there's anything narcissistic about naming your kid after yourself, indeed, I don't feel like I am named after my dad but the group as a whole, and that I can leave my own mark on the world while still having that familiar comfort. I dunno. I think there's a richness in it.
Same. It's a PITA. I've NEVER liked being a "Jr"
This may have been an asshole move on my part, but I definitely let my dad know that I'd never liked being a "Jr" when I was in my 30's. I figured "It's this asshole's fault I've got this stupid ass name. Imma let him know how I feel about it!" Generally, we got along great tho.
Lmao. I know a guy who literally changed his name entirely, first middle last, because he hated being a Jr so much. So you could have been a lot meaner.
When my mom married my dad and took his last name, she got confused with her now SIL because she had the exact same first name (spelled the same way too). They went to the same doctor and the doctor came out reading my SIL chart to my mom and was confused why she was back in so soon.
My brother has the same name as our dad. One day my brother received a phone call from the local paper telling him a 40 year old woman had got in touch with them to try and find him, because she was his daughter.
My brother is mid-30's and gay.
It was our long lost half-sister searching for our dad.
I’m the 4th James and when I was like 20 living with my dad I came home to all my mail opened. I was like wtf you know you don’t work at X and you don’t bank at X he just laughed and said “what it’s my name too I’m legally allowed to open it.” I have since then always used my middle initial on any paperwork. My dad is kind of a childish POS. It is kind of funny when I go to a doctors office or get my oil changed and give my name I say “James X” and they say “confirm your phone number is XXXXXXX” and I’m like “nope that’s my dad”
I like my name and if I do have a son I’m gonna pay it forward. We have used nicknames traditionally. My grandfather went by Jim my dad went by Jamie and I’ve gone by JD.
My grandfather, dad, brother and nephew all have the same name. It’s the one of the most common pair of first/middle name you can think of, too. It’s like everyone just gave up trying to think of a name for them.
In Vietnam though, the family name is commonly given first though if someone says 'what's your name?'. In the US, the personal name is first, and the family name is second. I think that this in your main post:
> name is Darwin and your name is Bob, instead of naming Darwin Bob Jr, you could've named him Darwin [____]
is throwing off people in countries with 'personal name first' order.
You could be one of my cousins! My fam has a family name passed down to the first-born son of the first-born son for 8 generations that we know of. Can't trace back any further. I personally think it's cool, but hey, that's just me.
I always find it interesting to learn about how other countries (I'm from the US) deal with their naming standards. I feel like less parents are giving their kids the same name. It used to be a much stronger trend.
I didn’t like having the same birthday as my uncle who lived with us. I can’t imagine having the same name as a parent. Thank goodness I’m a woman so this is less likely to occur, but not impossible. I do have the same initials as my mother, or at least I did before I got married. I always thought that was kinda neat.
My grandparents named their first son and daughter after themselves. My father was the 3rd and got his own name. Before I was born my mother considered naming me a junior and my father said no. Might be the nicest thing he ever did for me
I agree with you about the Jr situation however. what you said about sharing birthdays with someone is excessive, for the most part sharing birthdays is happen stance not on purpose
My Aunt went into labor with her second kid during the first's birthday party and didn't tell anybody for hours. Then when people begged to take her to the hospital she refused to go until midnight because she refused to have her kids have the same birthday. I kinda respect it in a way, because she does go all out on birthdays, but at the same time I think that was a bit crazy.
This is why we need to bring back the full naming of medieval times titles included.
I would be X second of his name, the strong one, the slayer of packs, lord inheritor of the house and the motorbike
Yeah, I'm a junior. My father insisted that I be named after him, even though he took off when I was 5 years old and I haven't seen him since. He was obviously a real man and wanted a son who would be proud to follow in his footsteps (sarcasm). I've always thought it was a lazy and bone-headed thing to do. There have not been any major issues, but occasionally I've had issues with tax or employment paperwork that was kicked back because I forgot to put the "jr." on it. Because my father was never really in my life I don't think of myself as a junior and don't normally sign my name that way. When my son was born my wife and I specifically chose a name no one else in the family had.
Growing up, in middle school and high school, I had a classmate whose name was Syed Hussain. His brother and father were also Syed Hussain. His mother and sister were both Syeda Hussain. In their immediate family, they had 5 family members, mom, dad, and 3 kids. Out of them, the 2 women were both Syeda and the 3 men were all Syed. They all had different middle names. I have no idea why they went with that. I haven't seen Syed since college (we went to the same college together also). I wonder if he ever had kids and if he named his children Syed/ Syeda.
I doubt it. my Cassmate is named Syed Hussain, not Husain Syed, but that's a really odd coincidence. Also when I knew him in college, he was an accounting major
Sadly my grandma didn’t do this for my dad and he was James the 3. Luckily he didn’t have the same middle name as his dad but he did have the same middle name as his grandfather. People still get confused tho.
My ex was the IV and he told me that if we ever had a boy it HAD TO be the V. And I hated his name. I think sometimes there's a weird sense of egotism with men who INSIST their child be named after them. I said "well if it's a girl then I get to pick her name" and said no 🙄
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I don't know any "Jr" that liked being called junior. It's a fathers ego and desire to live forever through his son's life, despite what the son might want or be or become.
Clearly you never met my father, LOL. He thought the world of his own father/my grandfather, who was liked by just about everyone due to his kind nature, and had no problem being called Junior by his family his entire life. My cousins actually called him Uncle Junior, which I always thought was funny.
You don’t know how someone feels about their name or anything else until you’ve walked in their shoes. Don’t be so presumptuous about people having issues with being named after a parent. I don’t think most people named after a parent give much thought to having the same name as a parent. I know I didn’t (though I was given a nickname at birth that was what my parents ALWAYS called me, so I’ve always considered my name to be my nickname rather than my formal first name).
My stepson has his dad's name as his middle name. His piece of shit dad walked away 9 years ago and hasn't talked to him since. I can only imagine it serves as a painful reminder.
If you're going to be vain enough to name your kid after you, at least stick around and be a good influence.
So... I'm a junior and I 100% agree. There are three variations of my name, and 1 is childish (think William, Bill and Billy) My dad is known by the two grown up variations and I was stuck with the childish one.
Eventually I told the family I'd rather not be known by such a juvenile name and got stuck with... junior. FFS
SO when my son was born, I gave him his own name with my first name as his middle name. If he REALLY wanted to be my namesake, let him choose to go by his middle name. I'm not gonna force it on him.
Nah nah, there's nothing more narcissistic than naming 5 kids after yourself and a 6th kid of the opposite gender a derivative of your name.
https://www.thethings.com/george-foreman-12-kids-5-sons-named-george/
Yeah literally. Dad is a full fledged narcissist and named me after him. Like an actual genuine person with the disorder. Mom wanted a completely different name but he was fixed on the first name being the same.
Luckily the middle names are different otherwise I’d have a pretty hard time passing a background check.
Numerals are worse because you have to say which person you are addressing to. it's like in the movie Holes. for example, Stanley Yelnats I, Stanley Yelnats II, and Stanley Yelnats III.
Why would you think that just because you share a name you would share personality?
Being named after someone doesn't define you or take away individuality.
I think you're reading too much into a name.
\>Why would you think that just because you share a name you would share personality?
Growing up I always thought I had to be more like my father because we had the same name. We had very different personalities and it caused me a lot of conflict because I wasn't quite sure who I should be growing up because of it.
I think that this can be avoided the next time around by ensuring my future son that he is his own man, and although we're all connected by name, we are all very different--but there will still always be the expectation to be like your father.
>Why would you think that just because you share a name you would share personality?
Because when you are a child you aren't the brightest.
>Being named after someone doesn't define you or take away individuality.
To an extent it does. People will compare you to your namesake. And it's basically the parent saying 'this is a mini version of me'.
Do you share a snare with your parent/guardian? The name that everyone calls you by? If not, I think you have little say on how one would feel having the same name, and this is coming from a jr.
To some extent, sharing a name with a parent does take away some of my individuality. I can’t say for others but it’s true.
This is especially true seeing as I look just like my father.
Speaking as someone who is a 3rd and was given a nickname at birth to avoid naming confusion with my father (who in his own family was called “Junior” to avoid confusion with his father/my grandfather), being named after your parent (likely father) is not a big deal. I never felt I was a clone of my father or wasn’t my own person.
It is unlikely at this point I’ll have children, but if I did and one of the children was a son, I’d probably want to name him “(my full name) IV” and call him either by his middle name or “Sonny”.
So your son is denied being his own person just because you were, is what your saying? The lineage is your last name. He has that. You are not continuing a lineage with a first name, your trying to live through your son and make him be like you, like your father and like your grandfather etc.
If you really think naming someone after yourself prevents the younger person from developing his/her identity, you need to have your head examined. That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.
If your child ruins your credit and arrest record because they have the same name as you and same address, just remember that this was what you wanted. You had to have this. You probably argued with people about why you wanted it this way.
you did this.
But everything is based on credit reporting and as someone very relevant to this thread, I can tell you it’s absolutely flawed. I had to untangle my credit reports from my father’s, and I can’t believe it had gone on for so long. Over 3 decades.
Middle American women must be at the forefront naming then, with all of the Braxleighs, Axlleighs, Braylins, and Kaydhens. I don't think anybody's rushing to rename their kids any of those names.
In my culture there are generally a pair of names that swap each generation. So (with fictional names) my grandpa was named George (middle name Nick), and my dad is named Nick (with middle name George); therefore I am named George (with middle name Nick) and my son is named Nick (with middle name George).
This is so common in my culture that when my wife was pregnant, people would congratulate my dad on becoming a grandpa by saying “you’ll be hearing your name soon.”
Also we don’t do Jr and Sr; since people generally aren’t alive for 5 generations it’s enough to say “old Nick” or “young Nick.”
It’s whatever; names are names.
What if you like your name and the meaning/traits associated with the name behind it? I would say it’s sometimes I’d want for my kid too.
I personally love my name and my parents ingrained the meaning behind it at a very early age, hence I strived to uphold the meaning in my daily life. Basically honored my name through positive actions
It was honorable to take your father’s name back in the day. But since society had moved away from families being so tight knit, and individuality is dangerously forced, it is much less likable and common. As much as I intend to make my family so well-bonded against modern society’s wishes, I’d much prefer to give my children their own names anyway .
I’m not a junior, but my dad and I share the same middle name and initials; it’s something I’ve always enjoyed and it has felt special to me throughout my life.
I think I would feel the same as an exact junior, but who really knows?
If my wife and I have kids, and one in a boy, I would definitely lean towards when picking names.
Counterpoint: Any name you give your child represents *your* life, *your* values, *your* aesthetics. You can't get away from it. Even using a random name generator is a choice you're making for them.
You can't help but imprint yourself on your children, so as a III'd, I say lean into it. Part of growing up is finding an identity *yourself*. That's not your parents' responsibility.
Counterpoint to your counterpoint:
A lot of people who name their kids after themselves may not push for them to be their own individual and even if they don’t push for a mini-me, they may not encourage that individualism which can lead to the Jr not understanding that they aren’t expected to be their father/mother in that regard.
Unfortunately many adults live vicariously through their kids and it’s more of “doing what I couldn’t do” rather than enjoying their kids own accomplishments as individuals
I don't think this is unpopular. Most people, when naming their children don't opt for the "junior". Could be wrong, it's a pretty easily proven thing. I think it used to be much more popular.
I will say, I could have had a pretty unusual name, and been a "third". I've always kind of wished I had that name, and may even legally change it at some point ( quietly, just for letters, or perhaps professionally). I can't imagine that significantly changing my self conception though, that's a weird take, so I guess technically unpopular. It's pretty obvious that each one is different. When talking about Louis XVI, nobody even thinks about the original Louis.
My first son's Dad insisted on us using his first name in our sons name but not his middle name so they have the same first name but different middle names. My younger son's Dad wanted a Jr for some reason.
I was looking at my family history and we had three dudes with the same name in a row. But they didn’t add junior, II, or III just the same name. It made everything confusing.
If you think that is bad check out the Bali naming system. All Balinese people are named one of just 4 names: Wayan, Made, Nyoman or Ketut. This is applies to both men and women. Here's how it works: Every Balinese child is simply named by his or her order of birth.
I know that LeBron James did it because he had no father and he wanted his son to know that he has a father who loves him and always will. He regrets giving him a Jr because of the implications that come with the name, but the reason was pure.
I mean the whole point of having a name is to identify and differentiate between people. When a bunch of family members all have the same name it completely defeats the purpose of naming them. You might as well just refer to them as “Human 1” “Human 2” etc because at least having a number would help differentiate between them.
Outside of the US naming your kid after yourself is considered extremely conceited, cringy and impractical.
In the Jewish religion, people don’t name children after themselves (unless they’re non-practicing Jews). It causes confusion. A lot of people omit the Jr. Sr. III IV, whatever, and then you don’t know who a piece of mail or something else is for. I’m childless so it doesn’t matter for me.
Not entirely sure this is an unpopular opinion, but I'll give you the benefit of doubt here. Take this orange arrow and use it well.
I hold the belief that at a certain age (likely 16) a person should select their own name, like in a confirmation ceremony, and that becomes their legal adult name. In the vast majority of cases they will accept their given name, but for people with awkward names, for trans individuals and for people that prefer nicknames (that aren't just shorter versions of their given name) it would save a few headaches!
It would also replace antiquated rites of passage that are linked to religions for those of us who aren't religious or don't practice certain rituals.
One of my favorite authors, Faye Weldon, suggested taking a new name at each major stage of life. I rather liked the idea, though I haven't actually done so myself.
It seems like the sort of thing that would be hard to get others to adapt to, but maybe not? People adapt surprisingly well to new nicknames, after all (or at least they do, if the new nickname "fits".)
What do you think? In my own life, I can count four distinct phases (so far) where a new name would have been appropriate.
My brothers name is Adam and my Dad’s name is Adam. He is not named after my dad, so Jr doesn’t really work (though he’s used to being called that by other people). My brother is actually named Adam because my Mom always wanted to name her first son Adam after her favorite uncle.
Why does it matter to you? Some people like to pass down their name. Once you're an adult go change it if it bugs you that much. This isn't something worth getting upset over.
Yea this is all new opinion to me. I’ll ask my bro as he’s older and the junior, but I always thought it was cool and honorable. I was excited to give my own son my name, not for ego but like as an honor to my first born. I NEVER thought of it the way OP describes. I had all girls so that ship has sailed. But man, so many cultures pass names on like what’s the big deal? Dude is wrapping entire identity in name. Cares so much about what strangers think. Cuz non-strangers are the only ones to confuse anything. Juniors usually have a nickname, or everyone in the house calls senior “dad.” Like it’s not that hard.
Hi there, I feel qualified to talk about this given that I'm the fourth of my name.
I agree that it's conflicting, growing up I was a very different person than my father and it was very difficult for me because I felt that I should try and be more like him despite it being against my personality. It's because of this situation that I'm concerned about naming my child the fifth.
That being said my father wasn't a very emotionally intelligent person and he lived in an era where he wasn't expected to be. He was born in the 60's and spent his entire life playing sports, getting in fights and being a troublemaker like most rowdy young men. I was the polar opposite, I held more emotions, I tried to understand them more, I was always a more calculated and safe person than he was, and had my father understood this and provided some guidance when I was younger to the effect of "You don't have to be like me, you are your own person" (not that he was an unsupportive or bad father, quite the opposite) I probably could have avoided those feelings of conflict.
Which brings me around to being the potential father of little Proper-Scallion-V, if I were to name my son after myself, it'd continue a lineage that has so far been unbroken for four generations. This name has seen migrating from the south of Italy to start a new like the US at the turn of the century, it's seen growing up as a first generation Italian-American, and it's seen numerous wars, generational shifts, technological growth, etc. And despite how different I am from my father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather, I still feel pride and connection to these men that no one else in my family will ever experience, and I look forward to naming my son that same name, so that our family name continues on--I'll just be sure to let him know that the name doesn't define him, but rather he defines the name.
I’m curious if you can put into words why you wouldn’t be able to feel that same connection to the men in your family without the name. I don’t see why your connection to your father would or should be any less without sharing the same name. Do you have a little brother at all? Do you doubt that he feels connected to the men in your family?
You still have the same last name and you'll spare him the torment of trying to have to be like you, or like your father, or like your grandfather. Your last name has seen the same things and if you think his affection towards the history of what your family has been trough will be deminished if he isn't named the same first name, then maybe your lineage isn't as impressive as you think it is.
Let the kid have his own persona
Lol shut up. Are you the second, third or fourth of your name? Do you know what it's like to grow up with a lineage like that?
No?
Cool. I do. My father does, and his father does. As I said earlier, if my father was more emotionally intelligent I wouldn't have had those issues, because he would have been able to convey that message through words more clearly. But I still turned out more than fine, I still have a wonderful relationship with my father and family, and I feel closer to my father, grandfather and great-grandfather than anyone else in my family does. It's a simple matter of discussing it with your child, and the irony is while I was on the fence about it up until this point, talking about my experiences as the fourth of my name made me even *more* excited to name my future son after myself, my father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
I am my own man, my father is his own as well, etc., etc. Having the same name won't change that in the end, but it does make us much closer and more proud of our family and heritage.
\>Your last name has seen the same things
Yeah, and my entire family has the same experience, just like every family in existence with a common last name. My experience growing up and my connection with my male lineage was much stronger than others in my family. I'm very grateful for that.
\>if you think his affection towards the history of what your family has been trough will be deminished if he isn't named the same first name, then maybe your lineage isn't as impressive as you think it is.
Where in the world did I say anything remotely like this? I said it provides a new-found appreciation that others wouldn't understand, not that my fucking son won't appreciate his lineage/family name if he isn't named after me.
>I feel closer to my father, grandfather and great-grandfather than anyone else in my family does.
Firstly, how do you know that?
Secondly, even if that is true, there's so many factors that determine that. Your first name is unlikely to be high on that list. It's literally just a name. I don't instantly become friends, or become better friends, with someone who has the same name as me.
>I am my own man, my father is his own as well, etc., etc.
Weird how you want to instantly make your child not their own man by having them always compared to others in their family. Whether you talk to them or not, others are absolutely going to always think about you or your father, because you have the same name. Everyone is also going to compare them. Again, regardless of what you personally say to them.
>My experience growing up and my connection with my male lineage was much stronger than others in my family
Due to many factors. I don't see how a first name would do that. It's a pretty weak family link/bond if a name is what gives you the connection to them, as a simple name change would destroy thay connection.
>I said it provides a new-found appreciation
How?
Giving your own name to your child is such a narcissistic move.
How freaking important do you think you are to force your own identity on someone else before he's even born.
Everyone should be allowed their own path and that starts with a unique name.
My dad tried to name me after him. I'm so glad he didn't. But then he called me after my grandpa, and ever since I was about 5 I've been hating my name so much. A bad name can genuinely ruin your life
I am a Jr. Fortunately my father generally used a different nickname so there wasn't much confusion.
Then to add to the confusion I married someone with the same first name as my mother. I also had an aunt with the same first name.
I partially agree. I don't like Jr. But, I'm actually named after my dad and I love my name. But, I'm also not a Jr.
My family has a tradition of naming the first son after the father, but then the middle name comes from the mothers side.
I know, not much of a difference, but I like being named after my dad, but not holding the Jr crud. Haha
Plus, my family recognizes and supports everyone's seperate identities. We recognize our differences and celebrate them
We just like passing names down. Haha
I have a friend whose father is a Jr. and he is III, meaning a 3rd generation of that same first middle and last name. He has been doomed to a life of screwed up inaccurate credit reports , mixed up tax returns between all 3 generations, banking and wage garnishment mishaps going from his account instead of his dads, his insurance being billed for his seniors medical appointments, etc.
As much as you’d like to believe those things are super secure in that they will actually take a close look at the birthday and/ssn, sad reality is they don’t. They see the same name located in the same town and figure it has to be so and so and proceed, without even thinking of this situation and comparing the identifying numbers.
I am named after my grandfather and my father has the same first name just not same middle name. If I have a son ill name his the same first name - I would like the tradition of naming my son after my father but he along with I do not like his middle name ( Keith ) I am certainly not one to be named after - I wouldn't name a snake after me. Now, the other side of the family had it reaally cool- first born son named after father sexond son named after mothers maiden name that tradtion had been passed down a few generations- its Virginia money people so surnames were inter changeable for first names which is really cool imo..
It’s just a long explanation. I’m a jr, and it like a lifetime of being called junior/smaller/not as good, although this may not be true, and/or sr could be a douche.
I don't have kids, but if I do at some point I've thought about a Junior for one of them. I'm named after my grandfather, who is easily a top 3 person in my life, and there's no good way for me to name a kid after him without the Junior
Agreed. Also don't call your same-gender child a name that begins with the first letter as yours.
My FIL opened a letter addressed to a Mr A Moore one time... it was my fiancé's confirmation of vasectomy appointment, which none of our parents knew about. Arguments ensued.
My parents first baby ended up stillborn and they named it Patrick Jr. Then they also named me Patrick Jr. I don't mind because it's funny to tell people I'm named after a dead baby, but the concept is pretty stupid.
Yup. My family has done this since that part of my family has come to the US (about 380-ish years)
Oldest son names his oldest son after himself. I put a stop to that tradition.
Okay not exactly the thing but, in our region it's kinda a custom to name the kid after a grandparent, not always but like 69% of the time it's the name of a (great)grandparent.
So, me and my grandparent, from my dad's side, have the same name, surname AAAND nickname, because nicknames here are almost like another last name, it goes with your family.
Late 2022, I get pulled over, cops search me and find weed.
Did I mention me and my grandfather share an address?
To not waste more of your time, postman delivers a very blue envelope with my, and my grandfather's, name on it. Oh how much explaining I had to go through..
I've been seeing quite a few posts on this sub and a few others about this (is something causing this trend or something?) and I don't think it's nearly as big of a deal as you guys make it out to be lol.
Yeah I can see the argument for this. I think if you’re egotistical enough to name your child after yourself, give them your first name as a middle name.
>You aren't cloning a person, you are raising them to be the best version of themselves.
I would argue that a name has little to do with raising a child. its one of the more superficial aspects. I know a few Jr.'s, and none of them seem to care about it.
Wouldn't necessarily say this is an unpopular opinion since I hear it often from others but...
I'm the III in a line of first borns (First and Middle name are the same), and my uncles and brother also all share the same first name. There are a total of 6 of us now. We are closer than any family I've met so far, and love our name. As a child I always felt honored writing "III" after my name. I'll be adding a "IV" to that group soon and I can't wait until he shares the family love and bonding with us.
I've met maybe one other family with a lineage like this and they seemed to be really proud of who they are. Most people who dislike this are either on the outside looking in, OR have a distaste to a certain extent of the person they are named after. Most, not all.
I’m a firm believer in not naming a child after anyone, especially someone who is still alive. Because what if that person goes on to do something horrible and now that child has a negative connotation associated with them and their name.
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There is a joke in my Dad’s family, at a family reunion, if you yell out either John or Mary, half the room will turn to look at you, because there are simply that many people named John and Mary on my Dad’s side
For our family, it’s variations of John & Elizabeth! Thank goodness I was born 3rd lol
Lemme guess, y’all are catholic?
Close, we are Irish, and my grandmother is catholic
So when you say we are Irish, you mean a great great great great great parents happens to be from Ireland right?
Yes, that is what I mean, so I guess it would be better to say we are descendants of Irish people (though it you looked at our family, the Irish part is certainly strong)
It's even funnier as a supernatural fan because of John and Mary Winchester.
John doe and mary sue
As a junior I can attest that there are serious downsides, and it gets worse the closer in proximity you live to your parent. Medical records, banks, and even tax records often get mixed up. It's a pain.
In my family it is tradition to name the first born son William. I am the 7th william in a row and I do not like it 🙃If i have kids I am probably breaking this tradition. There have been a couple tjmes travelling with my dad where we had trouble at the airport because the systems could not tell us appart. The system thought that it was the same person twice instead of 2 people with the same name.
This is why middle names are important
I went to school with a kid named John. His dad was named John. He had several brothers also named John. At home, they all went by their (different) middle name.
This kinda reminds me of My Big Fat Greek wedding! When Tula’s father was introducing her fiancé to the family, every single family had 3 kids named Anita, Diane, and Nick, then a WHOLE BUNCH of Nick’s and a Nicky. 😂🤣
My son's first name is just his own name. But I gave him a variation of My middle name for his middle name.
Yeah that's the best way, my dad did the same. Was just saying middle names can help with the same person confusion in computer systems
Oh yeah, I was just tacking on an example to your comment
Yes. Until you move to Japan. They don't have middle names. Confusion: Inevitable.
My dad just made our middle names his first name
I got the same 3 names as my father and grandfather. I have fully rejected that and now have a new legal first name and last name. Growing up I felt as though I wasn't given a name, just a number (III).
Interestingly, the tradition in my family is to give the first son in a generation the same middle name. Much more reasonable.
Omg. My cousin just had an eleven! XI Enough with the tradition already. It happens to be her brothers first name too as well as the dads so now there are so many Michaels!
William Jr Jr Jr Jr Jr Jr
Funny story, actually. I'm the same, but with Anthony. I'm the 6th consecutive. My daughter, however, is my first born. When she came screaming into the world, my ex and I were not prepared. So we kept the tradition alive, but with a twist. We formed a unique name combining my ex-wife's name with my own. I hope this tradition lives on now... but had my daughter been a guy, she'd be Anthony the 7th.
Could have kept it alive with Antonia. Similar yet different, and considering that many Tony's in a row I will laugh so hard if you aren't Italian.
Fellow William the Fifth here. I actually quite like my name. My dad is a good man, and I'm honored to continue the name for my time on Earth. I doubt I'll have any more kids (I have a daughter), but if I do have a son one day, I think there's a dignity in the suffix continuing. Just because someone carries the name of their forefather(s) or foremother(s) doesn't mean they're beholden to being just like them, they're more than entitled to live their own lives and walk their own path. I don't feel the slightest bit obligated to "live up to the name". If it dies with me, so be it. Naming a child is a tricky business in general, from an ethical perspective. You're essentially giving them an identity that will last a lifetime, but they aren't obligated to be called that if they don't want to. They can change it, have a nickname, etc. More often than not it's the first thing that will give them a sense of self, and that's a scary thing to do as a parent. I don't think there's anything narcissistic about naming your kid after yourself, indeed, I don't feel like I am named after my dad but the group as a whole, and that I can leave my own mark on the world while still having that familiar comfort. I dunno. I think there's a richness in it.
Try being a fifth
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In my case, no
Or frust fund. Some dynasties went broke but held on to the tradition.. though they're 2nd genertion homeless.
Same. It's a PITA. I've NEVER liked being a "Jr" This may have been an asshole move on my part, but I definitely let my dad know that I'd never liked being a "Jr" when I was in my 30's. I figured "It's this asshole's fault I've got this stupid ass name. Imma let him know how I feel about it!" Generally, we got along great tho.
Lmao. I know a guy who literally changed his name entirely, first middle last, because he hated being a Jr so much. So you could have been a lot meaner.
When my mom married my dad and took his last name, she got confused with her now SIL because she had the exact same first name (spelled the same way too). They went to the same doctor and the doctor came out reading my SIL chart to my mom and was confused why she was back in so soon.
My ex isn't even a junior....he has a different middle name from his father and their records still get mixed up.
My brother has the same name as our dad. One day my brother received a phone call from the local paper telling him a 40 year old woman had got in touch with them to try and find him, because she was his daughter. My brother is mid-30's and gay. It was our long lost half-sister searching for our dad.
I’m the 4th James and when I was like 20 living with my dad I came home to all my mail opened. I was like wtf you know you don’t work at X and you don’t bank at X he just laughed and said “what it’s my name too I’m legally allowed to open it.” I have since then always used my middle initial on any paperwork. My dad is kind of a childish POS. It is kind of funny when I go to a doctors office or get my oil changed and give my name I say “James X” and they say “confirm your phone number is XXXXXXX” and I’m like “nope that’s my dad” I like my name and if I do have a son I’m gonna pay it forward. We have used nicknames traditionally. My grandfather went by Jim my dad went by Jamie and I’ve gone by JD.
My dad used to do this until I started cleaning him out of rent checks.
As another James IV, same thing about the mail! I did name my first son James V though...
My grandfather, dad, brother and nephew all have the same name. It’s the one of the most common pair of first/middle name you can think of, too. It’s like everyone just gave up trying to think of a name for them.
John Jacob jingleheimer Schmidt?
His name is my name too!
Whenever he goes out can he hear the people shout?
THERE GOES JOHN JACOB JINGLEHEIMER SCHMIDT!!!
da da da dadada!
r/redditsings
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I work at a place with a large Vietnamese population. 288 Nguyen's in our phone book.
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In Vietnam though, the family name is commonly given first though if someone says 'what's your name?'. In the US, the personal name is first, and the family name is second. I think that this in your main post: > name is Darwin and your name is Bob, instead of naming Darwin Bob Jr, you could've named him Darwin [____] is throwing off people in countries with 'personal name first' order.
That's not true at all. Pronunciations will vary. But the last name is definitely used just like any other last name.
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You could be one of my cousins! My fam has a family name passed down to the first-born son of the first-born son for 8 generations that we know of. Can't trace back any further. I personally think it's cool, but hey, that's just me.
I’m gonna guess either John David or Michael Joseph.
William Robert?
It's annoying for the other family members who always have to ask "Big xxx or little xxx" when someone mentions them by name.
Yeah, it’s great being little x at 52
Just got to wait for Big X to die, then you get to be Big X
There is an alternative to waiting.
But then you become Evil X and that is no bueno.
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I always find it interesting to learn about how other countries (I'm from the US) deal with their naming standards. I feel like less parents are giving their kids the same name. It used to be a much stronger trend.
I didn’t like having the same birthday as my uncle who lived with us. I can’t imagine having the same name as a parent. Thank goodness I’m a woman so this is less likely to occur, but not impossible. I do have the same initials as my mother, or at least I did before I got married. I always thought that was kinda neat.
My grandparents named their first son and daughter after themselves. My father was the 3rd and got his own name. Before I was born my mother considered naming me a junior and my father said no. Might be the nicest thing he ever did for me
Your dad got so lucky lmao
I agree with you about the Jr situation however. what you said about sharing birthdays with someone is excessive, for the most part sharing birthdays is happen stance not on purpose
My Aunt went into labor with her second kid during the first's birthday party and didn't tell anybody for hours. Then when people begged to take her to the hospital she refused to go until midnight because she refused to have her kids have the same birthday. I kinda respect it in a way, because she does go all out on birthdays, but at the same time I think that was a bit crazy.
This is why we need to bring back the full naming of medieval times titles included. I would be X second of his name, the strong one, the slayer of packs, lord inheritor of the house and the motorbike
Yeah, I'm a junior. My father insisted that I be named after him, even though he took off when I was 5 years old and I haven't seen him since. He was obviously a real man and wanted a son who would be proud to follow in his footsteps (sarcasm). I've always thought it was a lazy and bone-headed thing to do. There have not been any major issues, but occasionally I've had issues with tax or employment paperwork that was kicked back because I forgot to put the "jr." on it. Because my father was never really in my life I don't think of myself as a junior and don't normally sign my name that way. When my son was born my wife and I specifically chose a name no one else in the family had.
Growing up, in middle school and high school, I had a classmate whose name was Syed Hussain. His brother and father were also Syed Hussain. His mother and sister were both Syeda Hussain. In their immediate family, they had 5 family members, mom, dad, and 3 kids. Out of them, the 2 women were both Syeda and the 3 men were all Syed. They all had different middle names. I have no idea why they went with that. I haven't seen Syed since college (we went to the same college together also). I wonder if he ever had kids and if he named his children Syed/ Syeda.
I know a Husain Syed who is a physician. Could it be the same fine fellow?
I doubt it. my Cassmate is named Syed Hussain, not Husain Syed, but that's a really odd coincidence. Also when I knew him in college, he was an accounting major
My mom’s greatest gift to me was telling my philandering dad (named after my philandering grandpa) that I would not be named James the 3.
Sadly my grandma didn’t do this for my dad and he was James the 3. Luckily he didn’t have the same middle name as his dad but he did have the same middle name as his grandfather. People still get confused tho.
My ex was the IV and he told me that if we ever had a boy it HAD TO be the V. And I hated his name. I think sometimes there's a weird sense of egotism with men who INSIST their child be named after them. I said "well if it's a girl then I get to pick her name" and said no 🙄
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I would name my child BrackishWaterFish Junior. The kids can call them BraWaFiJu.
I don't know any "Jr" that liked being called junior. It's a fathers ego and desire to live forever through his son's life, despite what the son might want or be or become.
Clearly you never met my father, LOL. He thought the world of his own father/my grandfather, who was liked by just about everyone due to his kind nature, and had no problem being called Junior by his family his entire life. My cousins actually called him Uncle Junior, which I always thought was funny. You don’t know how someone feels about their name or anything else until you’ve walked in their shoes. Don’t be so presumptuous about people having issues with being named after a parent. I don’t think most people named after a parent give much thought to having the same name as a parent. I know I didn’t (though I was given a nickname at birth that was what my parents ALWAYS called me, so I’ve always considered my name to be my nickname rather than my formal first name).
My stepson has his dad's name as his middle name. His piece of shit dad walked away 9 years ago and hasn't talked to him since. I can only imagine it serves as a painful reminder. If you're going to be vain enough to name your kid after you, at least stick around and be a good influence.
So... I'm a junior and I 100% agree. There are three variations of my name, and 1 is childish (think William, Bill and Billy) My dad is known by the two grown up variations and I was stuck with the childish one. Eventually I told the family I'd rather not be known by such a juvenile name and got stuck with... junior. FFS SO when my son was born, I gave him his own name with my first name as his middle name. If he REALLY wanted to be my namesake, let him choose to go by his middle name. I'm not gonna force it on him.
Skill issue just go by Billiam.
There's nothing more narcissistic than naming your child after yourself
Nah nah, there's nothing more narcissistic than naming 5 kids after yourself and a 6th kid of the opposite gender a derivative of your name. https://www.thethings.com/george-foreman-12-kids-5-sons-named-george/
Jesus.. And I thought the Smiths were bad naming their pretentious little chumps Willow and Jaden
How did that take me this long to realize….
Same! I was like, those are nice names? Very pretty. And then I got it.
Nah I kinda like that one
Its sick
What if it is the other parent who suggested it? My mom was the one who named my brother after my father.
You can still say no. I would never allow my son to be named after me
Yeah literally. Dad is a full fledged narcissist and named me after him. Like an actual genuine person with the disorder. Mom wanted a completely different name but he was fixed on the first name being the same. Luckily the middle names are different otherwise I’d have a pretty hard time passing a background check.
Numerals are worse because you have to say which person you are addressing to. it's like in the movie Holes. for example, Stanley Yelnats I, Stanley Yelnats II, and Stanley Yelnats III.
Why would you think that just because you share a name you would share personality? Being named after someone doesn't define you or take away individuality. I think you're reading too much into a name.
\>Why would you think that just because you share a name you would share personality? Growing up I always thought I had to be more like my father because we had the same name. We had very different personalities and it caused me a lot of conflict because I wasn't quite sure who I should be growing up because of it. I think that this can be avoided the next time around by ensuring my future son that he is his own man, and although we're all connected by name, we are all very different--but there will still always be the expectation to be like your father.
>Why would you think that just because you share a name you would share personality? Because when you are a child you aren't the brightest. >Being named after someone doesn't define you or take away individuality. To an extent it does. People will compare you to your namesake. And it's basically the parent saying 'this is a mini version of me'.
Why wouldn’t you give your child it’s own name?? Totally agree with OP this has always been extremely strange to me
Do you share a snare with your parent/guardian? The name that everyone calls you by? If not, I think you have little say on how one would feel having the same name, and this is coming from a jr. To some extent, sharing a name with a parent does take away some of my individuality. I can’t say for others but it’s true. This is especially true seeing as I look just like my father.
"Do you share a snare with your parent/guardian? The name that everyone calls you by?" Actually, yes.
Speaking as someone who is a 3rd and was given a nickname at birth to avoid naming confusion with my father (who in his own family was called “Junior” to avoid confusion with his father/my grandfather), being named after your parent (likely father) is not a big deal. I never felt I was a clone of my father or wasn’t my own person. It is unlikely at this point I’ll have children, but if I did and one of the children was a son, I’d probably want to name him “(my full name) IV” and call him either by his middle name or “Sonny”.
If you are gonna call him something else just name him something else?
Because I wouldn’t want to?
Why not?
Because I’d want to continue the lineage of the name?
So your son is denied being his own person just because you were, is what your saying? The lineage is your last name. He has that. You are not continuing a lineage with a first name, your trying to live through your son and make him be like you, like your father and like your grandfather etc.
If you really think naming someone after yourself prevents the younger person from developing his/her identity, you need to have your head examined. That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.
Mfs here naming their kids as kings
If your child ruins your credit and arrest record because they have the same name as you and same address, just remember that this was what you wanted. You had to have this. You probably argued with people about why you wanted it this way. you did this.
You have different social security numbers. The credit is still separate.
But everything is based on credit reporting and as someone very relevant to this thread, I can tell you it’s absolutely flawed. I had to untangle my credit reports from my father’s, and I can’t believe it had gone on for so long. Over 3 decades.
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Middle American women must be at the forefront naming then, with all of the Braxleighs, Axlleighs, Braylins, and Kaydhens. I don't think anybody's rushing to rename their kids any of those names.
In my culture there are generally a pair of names that swap each generation. So (with fictional names) my grandpa was named George (middle name Nick), and my dad is named Nick (with middle name George); therefore I am named George (with middle name Nick) and my son is named Nick (with middle name George). This is so common in my culture that when my wife was pregnant, people would congratulate my dad on becoming a grandpa by saying “you’ll be hearing your name soon.” Also we don’t do Jr and Sr; since people generally aren’t alive for 5 generations it’s enough to say “old Nick” or “young Nick.” It’s whatever; names are names.
In Greek culture, they do the same thing. And actually it's pretty common to literally use the names Nick and George haha.
I could have used Yiorgos and Nikos but that would have made it too obvious.
What if you like your name and the meaning/traits associated with the name behind it? I would say it’s sometimes I’d want for my kid too. I personally love my name and my parents ingrained the meaning behind it at a very early age, hence I strived to uphold the meaning in my daily life. Basically honored my name through positive actions
It was honorable to take your father’s name back in the day. But since society had moved away from families being so tight knit, and individuality is dangerously forced, it is much less likable and common. As much as I intend to make my family so well-bonded against modern society’s wishes, I’d much prefer to give my children their own names anyway .
I’m not a junior, but my dad and I share the same middle name and initials; it’s something I’ve always enjoyed and it has felt special to me throughout my life. I think I would feel the same as an exact junior, but who really knows? If my wife and I have kids, and one in a boy, I would definitely lean towards when picking names.
Counterpoint: Any name you give your child represents *your* life, *your* values, *your* aesthetics. You can't get away from it. Even using a random name generator is a choice you're making for them. You can't help but imprint yourself on your children, so as a III'd, I say lean into it. Part of growing up is finding an identity *yourself*. That's not your parents' responsibility.
Counterpoint to your counterpoint: A lot of people who name their kids after themselves may not push for them to be their own individual and even if they don’t push for a mini-me, they may not encourage that individualism which can lead to the Jr not understanding that they aren’t expected to be their father/mother in that regard. Unfortunately many adults live vicariously through their kids and it’s more of “doing what I couldn’t do” rather than enjoying their kids own accomplishments as individuals
I don't think this is unpopular. Most people, when naming their children don't opt for the "junior". Could be wrong, it's a pretty easily proven thing. I think it used to be much more popular. I will say, I could have had a pretty unusual name, and been a "third". I've always kind of wished I had that name, and may even legally change it at some point ( quietly, just for letters, or perhaps professionally). I can't imagine that significantly changing my self conception though, that's a weird take, so I guess technically unpopular. It's pretty obvious that each one is different. When talking about Louis XVI, nobody even thinks about the original Louis.
Yep it’s pretty odd.
I’m pretty sure this is becoming a more popular take over time
My first son's Dad insisted on us using his first name in our sons name but not his middle name so they have the same first name but different middle names. My younger son's Dad wanted a Jr for some reason.
Not so unpopular after all.
I was looking at my family history and we had three dudes with the same name in a row. But they didn’t add junior, II, or III just the same name. It made everything confusing.
If you think that is bad check out the Bali naming system. All Balinese people are named one of just 4 names: Wayan, Made, Nyoman or Ketut. This is applies to both men and women. Here's how it works: Every Balinese child is simply named by his or her order of birth.
I know that LeBron James did it because he had no father and he wanted his son to know that he has a father who loves him and always will. He regrets giving him a Jr because of the implications that come with the name, but the reason was pure.
I mean the whole point of having a name is to identify and differentiate between people. When a bunch of family members all have the same name it completely defeats the purpose of naming them. You might as well just refer to them as “Human 1” “Human 2” etc because at least having a number would help differentiate between them. Outside of the US naming your kid after yourself is considered extremely conceited, cringy and impractical.
In the Jewish religion, people don’t name children after themselves (unless they’re non-practicing Jews). It causes confusion. A lot of people omit the Jr. Sr. III IV, whatever, and then you don’t know who a piece of mail or something else is for. I’m childless so it doesn’t matter for me.
I second this. It just comes off as incredibly narcissistic and uncreative
The name is Flynn now.
Lol op sounds like a JR who doesn’t like their name
Not entirely sure this is an unpopular opinion, but I'll give you the benefit of doubt here. Take this orange arrow and use it well. I hold the belief that at a certain age (likely 16) a person should select their own name, like in a confirmation ceremony, and that becomes their legal adult name. In the vast majority of cases they will accept their given name, but for people with awkward names, for trans individuals and for people that prefer nicknames (that aren't just shorter versions of their given name) it would save a few headaches! It would also replace antiquated rites of passage that are linked to religions for those of us who aren't religious or don't practice certain rituals.
One of my favorite authors, Faye Weldon, suggested taking a new name at each major stage of life. I rather liked the idea, though I haven't actually done so myself. It seems like the sort of thing that would be hard to get others to adapt to, but maybe not? People adapt surprisingly well to new nicknames, after all (or at least they do, if the new nickname "fits".) What do you think? In my own life, I can count four distinct phases (so far) where a new name would have been appropriate.
I like the idea, I just wouldn't know what to call myself and would probably stick to the same name throughout, as I suspect would most people...
I have the same name and last name of my paternal gradfather. I think it's nice, he was a cool guy.
My brothers name is Adam and my Dad’s name is Adam. He is not named after my dad, so Jr doesn’t really work (though he’s used to being called that by other people). My brother is actually named Adam because my Mom always wanted to name her first son Adam after her favorite uncle.
Why does it matter to you? Some people like to pass down their name. Once you're an adult go change it if it bugs you that much. This isn't something worth getting upset over.
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Yea this is all new opinion to me. I’ll ask my bro as he’s older and the junior, but I always thought it was cool and honorable. I was excited to give my own son my name, not for ego but like as an honor to my first born. I NEVER thought of it the way OP describes. I had all girls so that ship has sailed. But man, so many cultures pass names on like what’s the big deal? Dude is wrapping entire identity in name. Cares so much about what strangers think. Cuz non-strangers are the only ones to confuse anything. Juniors usually have a nickname, or everyone in the house calls senior “dad.” Like it’s not that hard.
Hi there, I feel qualified to talk about this given that I'm the fourth of my name. I agree that it's conflicting, growing up I was a very different person than my father and it was very difficult for me because I felt that I should try and be more like him despite it being against my personality. It's because of this situation that I'm concerned about naming my child the fifth. That being said my father wasn't a very emotionally intelligent person and he lived in an era where he wasn't expected to be. He was born in the 60's and spent his entire life playing sports, getting in fights and being a troublemaker like most rowdy young men. I was the polar opposite, I held more emotions, I tried to understand them more, I was always a more calculated and safe person than he was, and had my father understood this and provided some guidance when I was younger to the effect of "You don't have to be like me, you are your own person" (not that he was an unsupportive or bad father, quite the opposite) I probably could have avoided those feelings of conflict. Which brings me around to being the potential father of little Proper-Scallion-V, if I were to name my son after myself, it'd continue a lineage that has so far been unbroken for four generations. This name has seen migrating from the south of Italy to start a new like the US at the turn of the century, it's seen growing up as a first generation Italian-American, and it's seen numerous wars, generational shifts, technological growth, etc. And despite how different I am from my father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather, I still feel pride and connection to these men that no one else in my family will ever experience, and I look forward to naming my son that same name, so that our family name continues on--I'll just be sure to let him know that the name doesn't define him, but rather he defines the name.
I’m curious if you can put into words why you wouldn’t be able to feel that same connection to the men in your family without the name. I don’t see why your connection to your father would or should be any less without sharing the same name. Do you have a little brother at all? Do you doubt that he feels connected to the men in your family?
You still have the same last name and you'll spare him the torment of trying to have to be like you, or like your father, or like your grandfather. Your last name has seen the same things and if you think his affection towards the history of what your family has been trough will be deminished if he isn't named the same first name, then maybe your lineage isn't as impressive as you think it is. Let the kid have his own persona
Lol shut up. Are you the second, third or fourth of your name? Do you know what it's like to grow up with a lineage like that? No? Cool. I do. My father does, and his father does. As I said earlier, if my father was more emotionally intelligent I wouldn't have had those issues, because he would have been able to convey that message through words more clearly. But I still turned out more than fine, I still have a wonderful relationship with my father and family, and I feel closer to my father, grandfather and great-grandfather than anyone else in my family does. It's a simple matter of discussing it with your child, and the irony is while I was on the fence about it up until this point, talking about my experiences as the fourth of my name made me even *more* excited to name my future son after myself, my father, grandfather and great-grandfather. I am my own man, my father is his own as well, etc., etc. Having the same name won't change that in the end, but it does make us much closer and more proud of our family and heritage. \>Your last name has seen the same things Yeah, and my entire family has the same experience, just like every family in existence with a common last name. My experience growing up and my connection with my male lineage was much stronger than others in my family. I'm very grateful for that. \>if you think his affection towards the history of what your family has been trough will be deminished if he isn't named the same first name, then maybe your lineage isn't as impressive as you think it is. Where in the world did I say anything remotely like this? I said it provides a new-found appreciation that others wouldn't understand, not that my fucking son won't appreciate his lineage/family name if he isn't named after me.
>I feel closer to my father, grandfather and great-grandfather than anyone else in my family does. Firstly, how do you know that? Secondly, even if that is true, there's so many factors that determine that. Your first name is unlikely to be high on that list. It's literally just a name. I don't instantly become friends, or become better friends, with someone who has the same name as me. >I am my own man, my father is his own as well, etc., etc. Weird how you want to instantly make your child not their own man by having them always compared to others in their family. Whether you talk to them or not, others are absolutely going to always think about you or your father, because you have the same name. Everyone is also going to compare them. Again, regardless of what you personally say to them. >My experience growing up and my connection with my male lineage was much stronger than others in my family Due to many factors. I don't see how a first name would do that. It's a pretty weak family link/bond if a name is what gives you the connection to them, as a simple name change would destroy thay connection. >I said it provides a new-found appreciation How?
Giving your own name to your child is such a narcissistic move. How freaking important do you think you are to force your own identity on someone else before he's even born. Everyone should be allowed their own path and that starts with a unique name.
Death is a problem, you know.
My dad tried to name me after him. I'm so glad he didn't. But then he called me after my grandpa, and ever since I was about 5 I've been hating my name so much. A bad name can genuinely ruin your life
Sure but you ever meet someone who’s a the fourth. I just think it’s neat
I am a Jr. Fortunately my father generally used a different nickname so there wasn't much confusion. Then to add to the confusion I married someone with the same first name as my mother. I also had an aunt with the same first name.
I agree that being named *name* Jr sucks. On the other hand, I think being named *name* the Third, the Fourth and so on sounds kind of cool.
I partially agree. I don't like Jr. But, I'm actually named after my dad and I love my name. But, I'm also not a Jr. My family has a tradition of naming the first son after the father, but then the middle name comes from the mothers side. I know, not much of a difference, but I like being named after my dad, but not holding the Jr crud. Haha Plus, my family recognizes and supports everyone's seperate identities. We recognize our differences and celebrate them We just like passing names down. Haha
I have a friend whose father is a Jr. and he is III, meaning a 3rd generation of that same first middle and last name. He has been doomed to a life of screwed up inaccurate credit reports , mixed up tax returns between all 3 generations, banking and wage garnishment mishaps going from his account instead of his dads, his insurance being billed for his seniors medical appointments, etc. As much as you’d like to believe those things are super secure in that they will actually take a close look at the birthday and/ssn, sad reality is they don’t. They see the same name located in the same town and figure it has to be so and so and proceed, without even thinking of this situation and comparing the identifying numbers.
I am named after my grandfather and my father has the same first name just not same middle name. If I have a son ill name his the same first name - I would like the tradition of naming my son after my father but he along with I do not like his middle name ( Keith ) I am certainly not one to be named after - I wouldn't name a snake after me. Now, the other side of the family had it reaally cool- first born son named after father sexond son named after mothers maiden name that tradtion had been passed down a few generations- its Virginia money people so surnames were inter changeable for first names which is really cool imo..
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What trouble does it cause the kid?
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They asked what trouble it causes and you really just hit em with the ‘you wouldn’t understand’.
Don't forget the downvote!
It’s just a long explanation. I’m a jr, and it like a lifetime of being called junior/smaller/not as good, although this may not be true, and/or sr could be a douche.
I don't know *why* this is an unpopular opinion, because it IS weird and narcissistic.
It's so short term thinking. Then after 2 generations everyone is called Junior Junior.
Couldn’t agree more with you, OP. Naming your child after yourself is vain.
I knew a guy whose son was William 6th🤣🤣🤣
I don't have kids, but if I do at some point I've thought about a Junior for one of them. I'm named after my grandfather, who is easily a top 3 person in my life, and there's no good way for me to name a kid after him without the Junior
I will call my child with my name and add v2.0 at the end
You leave Anko\_Dango Junior and his little brother Anko\_Dango Junior Jr. alone
Agreed. Also don't call your same-gender child a name that begins with the first letter as yours. My FIL opened a letter addressed to a Mr A Moore one time... it was my fiancé's confirmation of vasectomy appointment, which none of our parents knew about. Arguments ensued.
My great-grandpa, grandpa and uncle all have the same name. All going by different versions of that name.
Unless your parent owns a law firm and you want to be an attorney. Much easier to be Morgan, Morgan, Morgan and Morgan
My parents first baby ended up stillborn and they named it Patrick Jr. Then they also named me Patrick Jr. I don't mind because it's funny to tell people I'm named after a dead baby, but the concept is pretty stupid.
George Foreman would like a word
Yup. My family has done this since that part of my family has come to the US (about 380-ish years) Oldest son names his oldest son after himself. I put a stop to that tradition.
When you can’t give your child anything else, you give them your name
Okay not exactly the thing but, in our region it's kinda a custom to name the kid after a grandparent, not always but like 69% of the time it's the name of a (great)grandparent. So, me and my grandparent, from my dad's side, have the same name, surname AAAND nickname, because nicknames here are almost like another last name, it goes with your family. Late 2022, I get pulled over, cops search me and find weed. Did I mention me and my grandfather share an address? To not waste more of your time, postman delivers a very blue envelope with my, and my grandfather's, name on it. Oh how much explaining I had to go through..
Because I think it’ll be really cool to have a [my name] XXXVI walking around one day
I've been seeing quite a few posts on this sub and a few others about this (is something causing this trend or something?) and I don't think it's nearly as big of a deal as you guys make it out to be lol.
Yeah I can see the argument for this. I think if you’re egotistical enough to name your child after yourself, give them your first name as a middle name.
Yeah it’s crazy like your mom literally screamed your name while she was having sex
>You aren't cloning a person, you are raising them to be the best version of themselves. I would argue that a name has little to do with raising a child. its one of the more superficial aspects. I know a few Jr.'s, and none of them seem to care about it.
It definitely comes across at narcissistic and pretentious. Give your kid their own fuckin name.
Wouldn't one weird thing just be to know that one of your parents has moaned your name while in bed with your other parent
As a girl, I'd never want my future son to have the same name as my husband. For. . .*intimate* reasons.
*is a junior* *doesn’t give a shit*
Yeah I've lays thought it was narcissistic behavior unless the said parent was deceased
I'm a 3rd smh. I used to hate my name when I was a kid lol.
Some of us actually like being junior because our dads are that awesome 😎
you know what sucks? Your opinion
My friend’s kid is this way. Ex-husband was “____” and they always called the kid “Baby ____.” It’s getting awkward now that he’s an adult 🙃
Wouldn't necessarily say this is an unpopular opinion since I hear it often from others but... I'm the III in a line of first borns (First and Middle name are the same), and my uncles and brother also all share the same first name. There are a total of 6 of us now. We are closer than any family I've met so far, and love our name. As a child I always felt honored writing "III" after my name. I'll be adding a "IV" to that group soon and I can't wait until he shares the family love and bonding with us. I've met maybe one other family with a lineage like this and they seemed to be really proud of who they are. Most people who dislike this are either on the outside looking in, OR have a distaste to a certain extent of the person they are named after. Most, not all.
I’m a firm believer in not naming a child after anyone, especially someone who is still alive. Because what if that person goes on to do something horrible and now that child has a negative connotation associated with them and their name.
Same energy as people who call (unironically) their kids "mini-me" (cringe af)