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Original poster

Junior... First or Middle Name?

41 replies

TokenGinger · 07/01/2019 07:32

I'm not sure if it makes a difference to mention, but my DP is of Nigerian heritage and the custom is that you usually have a Nigerian first name, English middle name. Then often, the child or person chooses to use their English name for school, day to day use etc. (Or at least this in the case in his family and circle of friends.)

However, it's not essential and we've been wavering between an English or Nigerian name, mainly because we're struggling to find a Nigerian name we both like.

We both like Junior, however, his thoughts are that we can't call him Junior unless baby's first name is the same as dad's, whereas I feel it's okay to call him Junior AnyNigerianName Surname. DP doesn't feel this way because of the tradition of his heritage, but that he feels the name Junior is in tribute to one's father and therefore the father's name should be used.

I don't have any strong feelings on whether I'm right or wrong, I'm just more interested on what is the general consensus of using the name Junior? Can it be as a first name without a link to the father's name or is it more traditional to have it linked to the father's name?

If there's anybody of Nigerian heritage that can comment from that perspective, too, I'd welcome it :)

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EdtheBear · 07/01/2019 13:06

Well done. Taking the comments om board. Joseph is lovely and also gives him the option of Joe if that's what he prefers.

ZebraKid71 · 07/01/2019 12:57

I wouldn't choose it, but I know a 40 year old lawyer named Junior, he goes by Ju mainly. I think it's fine as a name.

YouSetTheTone · 07/01/2019 10:25

(Cross posted but was also thinking what ApolloandDaphne said first too - should have said it!)

Racecardriver · 07/01/2019 10:24

Could you ever imagine a priminister called junior? Please reconsider it.

ThanksItHasPockets · 07/01/2019 10:23

Love Joseph!

YouSetTheTone · 07/01/2019 10:22

Joseph is a lovely name OP!

ApolloandDaphne · 07/01/2019 10:21

Well done TokenGinger for taking this on the chin and listening to what people have said. Joseph is a lovely name

Original poster
TokenGinger · 07/01/2019 10:04

Why would you saddle your future adult child with an infantile and meaningless name? Genuine question, I don’t understand your thought process.

It's just a name we both liked. We know of two people whose given names are Junior and it suits them well, even in adulthood. But I do get that it's quite infantile and it's something I raised with him, as in, imagine him being 40 at work being called Junior. He said that's where he'd used his Nigerian name.

I think we'll switch back to Joseph as a middle name which we both liked, too.

The thought behind Junior was sweet to begin with but after musing with the idea and listening to you ladies say some of what I was thinking, I do think it's a non-starter.

Thank you for your feedback Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
TokenGinger · 07/01/2019 10:01

Just to confirm, my DP likes Junior as a name but thinks it should be a middle name. I appreciate it's not to everybody's taste, just like lots of names.

I did think about Junior when he's older, but that's when his Nigerian name would come in to play.

I do take points raised though, and maybe it's a name to drop. It's just that it's the first name we've managed to agree we both like, so think we'd got it in to our heads that it was a goer.

He's Yoruba xx

OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 07/01/2019 09:58

I agree with pp. Junior is not an actual name it is a signifier. It says my dad is e.g. John senior and i am John Junior. From that angle your DH is absolutely right.

User323676890 · 07/01/2019 09:54

Your husband is right. Junior isn’t a name. It’s a differentiator, where you have two generations with same first name.

So father is George Smith senior.
Child is George Smith junior.

Junior would only be otherwised used as a nickname meaning ‘young one’

Why would you saddle your future adult child with an infantile and meaningless name? Genuine question, I don’t understand your thought process.

EdtheBear · 07/01/2019 09:53

Sorry but Junior sounds like a nickname for a small child, or a way of distinguishing between a father and son of the same name ie John Smith snr and John Smith jnr.
Can you imagine an old man in a nursing home called Junior Hmm?

Give the child proper names he can use throughout his lifetime without feeling daft and use junior as a nickname if he really wants to use it.

Marcipex · 07/01/2019 09:45

I think Junior works better in places where they don't say Junior School, so at secondary school the child seems be named after a primary school . Iyswim.
So depending where you live.

Astronica · 07/01/2019 09:04

I don't think Junior works as a name, irrespective of whether the father's name follows it or not.

ThanksItHasPockets · 07/01/2019 08:54

I’m afraid I don’t like Junior as a given name either.

Is your husband’s heritage Igbo or Yoruba?

daisypond · 07/01/2019 08:37

You can't call a child Junior, either as a first name or a middle name, IMO. It's not a name.

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