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What do you think about naming a boy after his Dad?

98 replies

PizzaHerbs · 26/09/2017 16:30

Just wondering. If I have a boy I know dh would like this and I like his name but would he be forever xxxjunior?

Has anyone done this?

OP posts:
KadabrasSpoon · 26/09/2017 16:32

Some family members have. It could get confusing when older and receiving post if it's the exact same name?

Justmuddlingalong · 26/09/2017 16:35

I think it's conceited, lazy and unimaginative. And I say that as someone who's DB is named after our DDad.

HoratioNightboy · 26/09/2017 16:37

I know loads who have done this; it's very traditional here.

Only one of the children is known as "wee XXX" to distnguish them for the parent XXX. The rest just use a different version of the name, e.g. Jimmy and Jamie, Rab and Bobby, Bill and Will, etc.

DiegoMadonna · 26/09/2017 16:38

I wouldn't do it but I don't hate it. It's not exactly unusual either.

PlatformNineAndThreeQuarters · 26/09/2017 16:39

Wouldn't do it myself but loads of people seem happy with it. Isn't Eminem Marshall Mathers III

PizzaHerbs · 26/09/2017 16:40

I wonder if being known a weexxx or littlexxx would have an impact on their confidence.

Why conceited just?

OP posts:
ThroughThickAndThin01 · 26/09/2017 16:40

Give him his own name. Use it as a middle name.

I think e.g James Junior as a permanent name is awful.

It could possibly work with two separate nicknames for the name i.e. Jamie and Jim.

Other than that it's not great.

Out2pasture · 26/09/2017 16:40

I think it’s fine until someone researchs the family tree. Man such a pain in the neck...but it won’t be your problem.

BertrandRussell · 26/09/2017 16:40

i love family names. But I come from Italian/Irish stock where it's more usual. Dd has my mother's and her great grandmother's names as second and third names, and ds has one grandfather's name as first and the other's as second. The first name is one I love, or it would have been second and third and another name as first, like dd.

confused123456 · 26/09/2017 16:41

I don't like it personally.

Viviennemary · 26/09/2017 16:42

It used to happen a lot years ago. But I thought it had gone a lot less popular now. It's up to the individual but IMHO I don't think it's a good idea. Fine for a middlename though. Why make life complicated.

BenLui · 26/09/2017 16:43

It might depend on the name. If it’s something like Alexander where one can be Sandy and one can be Alec that’s probably ok.

More difficult if it’s John Junior, wee John or Young John I expect.

I might be more inclined to use it as a middle name and give the child their own identity.

Fantspants · 26/09/2017 16:44

As someone who works in car insurance there's nothing more annoying than a father and son etc with the same name as if other insurers don't upload details properly you don't know if you're looking at a claim for the father or son, it causes all kinds of problems

danTDM · 26/09/2017 16:45

I live in Spain and it is the norm and not conceited at all.

I know so many children in DD's school who are named after their parents. Probably 75%

Estela and her mama Estela
Edu and his father Edu
Salva and his father Salva

etc ad infinitum, it is very traditional.

If you like the name go for it.

The junior business is rank and American!

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 26/09/2017 16:47

It does sound conceited to me.

You're not naming a child in fondness for a much loved relative. You're naming it after your much loved self.

Chrisinthemorning · 26/09/2017 16:48

DH has his Dad's name as his middle name and we did the same with DS. TBH we found boys names tricky and weren't feeling particularly imaginative. I do love DS name though as his first and middle names scan nicely both alone and with our surname and his initials are OK too, they don't spell anything unfortunate.
It was traditional back in the day but we wouldn't have named DS the same as DH though, too confusing -and we had more imagination that that!

BewareOfDragons · 26/09/2017 16:49

I can't stand it, personally. I think children should have their own names and in particular would never name a child after a living relative.

I especially hate it when men's families pressure women to name a baby after its father and argues it's their tradition, totally discounting what the mom might want for their child or her own family's traditions. Because obviously, only 'their' traditions and desires count, right? Ugh.

crispsahoy · 26/09/2017 16:49

I have. My DH's first name is the same as his df's. But he uses his middle name. Most people don't know his name isn't his actual name.
We have done the same for our ds. His first name is same as dfil and DH but is known by his middle name which is our chosen name.

No idea why mil and fil did it with DH but since neither are with us any more it meant a lot to DH to carry it on.

ShizzleYoDrizzle · 26/09/2017 16:51

I'd think 'egotistical' or 'unimaginative'.

ShizzleYoDrizzle · 26/09/2017 16:52

I mean, could Wayne Rooney Sr really not think of a better name for his son than Wayne?

LilithTheKitty · 26/09/2017 16:55

I know it's traditional in some places but I find it really weird. I wouldn't name my daughter after myself. Would you? And if you wouldn't, but would name a bit after his father, why the difference?

PizzaHerbs · 26/09/2017 17:00

I wouldnt name a dd after me, no!
It's tradition in his family but I'm not 100%. Maybe it'll be a girl Grin

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Awwlookatmybabyspider · 26/09/2017 17:00

My nephew is named after his dad.
They're a family of Richards (Richies) going back over the generations.

ArcheryAnnie · 26/09/2017 17:02

I like family names - eg naming someone after an aunt or a grandparent. But I have to admit I really do judge men who name their sons after themselves - it looks so egoistic. (I don't think I've ever known any women who've named their daughters after themselves.)

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 26/09/2017 17:02

DD is at school with a little boy called Junior. For around two years, I (and lots of others) thought that Junior was his actual name - it turns out it isn't. His full name doesn't even have Junior in it, it's the same name as his father and Junior is his "known as" name. Perhaps more oddly, the little boy in question also didn't know his name wasn't actually Junior Confused.

Also, my best friend at school's brother was known by his middle name - as had every first born male been for hundreds of years. The reason being that they were a farming family and the farm was known as "James Smith's" (not the actual name, but you get the idea) - so every first born son had to be called James Smith Grin. They did at least get their own middle names for day to day use though!

I'm not sure if I have any particularly strong feelings about it TBH. I certainly prefer it to naming a child after a random celebrity - Beyoncé etc.

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