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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

John Johnson etc

33 replies

youbethemummylion · 08/10/2014 15:09

What do you think of names such as John Johnson, Robert Robertson, William Williamson, Harry Harrison etc?

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BonnieWeeJeannieMcCall · 10/10/2014 19:53

I know a Donald MacDonald. I knew a Christine Chrystal too, but Chrystal was her married surname, so not her parents fault.

Littlebluebutterflies · 10/10/2014 10:18

I know of two women with names of this type (can't say as they are too distinctive) both Grandmothers for friends of mine and both married into the name rather than given it at birth.

StoneFoxMama · 10/10/2014 07:44

Yup, I knew a Milly Mills

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 10/10/2014 07:39

Interesting that they are all boys' names. Most traditional boys' names are also surnames: David, Philip, Andrew, George, Christopher, William, Thomas, Peter, Simon, Henry, John, Paul......

Anyone know any girls with same/similar first and surnames?

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 10/10/2014 02:14

I think they're great names

figgieroll · 09/10/2014 22:41

I'm going against the grain. I think hew hew is actually quite cute but possibly best suited to a child.

QuicheConverter · 09/10/2014 22:28

Also knew a Mayson mason - the differing spellings baffled me!

FamiliesShareGerms · 09/10/2014 22:27

We've got one of those surnames that could be a first name. Before we adopted and were considering some of the things would draw us to or put us off a child, DH and I had a loooong discussion about what we would do if an otherwise perfect match came up, but with our surname as their first name...

QuicheConverter · 09/10/2014 22:27

I thought an acquaintance was jesting when she named her baby like this. I've met a Thomas Thomas and a Harry Harris.

PillForgettingIdiot · 09/10/2014 22:17

Neville Neville is Gary and Phil's dad. Bloody stupid.

Littlebluebutterflies · 09/10/2014 21:50

I know a few Donald McDonalds. It's nice, there's lots of tradition behind it.

Compared to some of the deeply awful names proposed on MN, really quite refreshing.

thatstoast · 09/10/2014 21:47

My grandad was William Williams. It's very common in Wales in older generations due to historic naming conventions. I think these days there are enough names to chose from to avoid it.

SunshineAndShadows · 09/10/2014 21:36

I knew a Richard Richardson. Even as a child I thought it was ridiculously unimaginitive!

AmITwirly · 09/10/2014 19:13

Well it didn't do Magnus Magnusson any harm....but I wouldn't actually choose that sort of name myself.

However, I do know a "John" Johnson and a "Harry" Harrison, who aren't actually called John or Harry. They are just nicknames which have stuck. So perhaps this happens a lot, and it wasn't their parents' choice at all?

Alisvolatpropiis · 09/10/2014 19:04

I think the parents are stupid.

Mouldypineapple · 09/10/2014 00:06

Hasn't done MP Jo Johnson any harm (yes I know, pronounced differently but same sort of thing!)

Badvoc123 · 09/10/2014 00:04

Nancy mitfords husband was called Peter Rodd.
Yep.
PRod.

Didactylos · 09/10/2014 00:00

I once met a Findlay Findlay
but never a Major Major Major Major

MsCoconut · 08/10/2014 23:57

It's like an extreme form of alliteration. I think it can sometimes have a stately ring to it when a middle name is inserted e.x. Ford Madox Ford, William Carlos Williams (or is just fun to say: Boutros Boutros-Ghali).

Wikipedia has a page on reduplicate names to get lost in:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_reduplicated_names

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 08/10/2014 19:57

I think they smack of a deep and desperate lack of imagination, and probably a smattering of evil too, on behalf of the parents. Really silly.

StetsonsAreCool · 08/10/2014 19:48

I met a Huw Huw once. He said his mum had an evil sense of humour, but it was character building Grin

I suppose it must be really!

maggiethemagpie · 08/10/2014 18:47

I knew a Donald McDonald once.

AhoyMcCoy · 08/10/2014 16:49

I know a Connor O'Connor and I always want to ask him mum "but WHY?!" Grin

JabberJabberJay · 08/10/2014 16:32

I think they show a lack of imagination. DC goes to nursery with a Jack Jackson. No family tradition or anything according to his mum. They just liked the name and wanted to use it. Which is fair enough I suppose.

ChippyMinton · 08/10/2014 16:18

I know a teen with one of these names, and he is known by his double initials eg JJ, DD, TT.