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Baby names

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

Original poster

Naming child after dead father

36 replies

Conundrum12345 · 05/05/2023 16:36

My dad died 10 years ago. My partner never met him but suggested his name for our son. My dad was know as Ed but his legal name was Edward so we have the option of our son been know as any of those names or Eddie.

Is it too much pressure for our child to have the same name? It took us a long time to get to this point and while I'm not religious I spoke to my dad a lot about our struggles.

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caringcarer · 05/05/2023 17:29

My Dad died a year before my youngest DS was born. I named my son Dad's name for middle name and dead favourite Uncles name as a second middle name. Son is nothing like the two relatives he was named for but I wanted a link to my Dad for my youngest son as my older two children loved my Dad very much and as they were older they still remembers him.

Capitulatingpanda · 05/05/2023 17:23

I went for middle name as a tribute with mine. although all my maternal cousins who are the first born are named for my grandfather, female variation for me.

RustyBear · 05/05/2023 17:14

DD’s mother-in-law died the year before DD’s daughter was born; they weren’t keen on her name as a first name, so they used it as a middle name. It’s a nice tribute.

mdh2020 · 05/05/2023 17:04

In the Jewish religion children are always named after deceased relatives. GD1 is named after her maternal grandmother and paternal great grandfather; GS is named for paternal great grandfather and great great grandfather.

TheIsleOfTheLost · 05/05/2023 17:03

It's fine. Tons of people name their kids after family members. It's not like everyone gets a unique name, so lots of other people will have had that name throughout history too.

seven201 · 05/05/2023 16:57

My dd has my DMs name as a middle name. She died a couple of years before dd was born. I love it personally. I personally wouldn't want it as a first name.

toastofthetown · 05/05/2023 16:49

Personally I’m not a fan of using names of family members in the first name spot. I think it’s nicer for the child to have their own identity without always being ‘little Ed’, and some other family members might find hearing the name in use on a new person painful. I’d use the name in the middle spot.

Lindy2 · 05/05/2023 16:43

We used late grandparents' names as middle names.

If your DH's father was known as Ed but you call your son Eddie, then I think it takes a bit of the similarity away. You also have the option of Ted or Teddy.

gentlemum · 05/05/2023 16:40

My husband initially wanted to name our son after his dad who died when he was a child. I wasn't keen because it does feel a lot of pressure to be named after someone and to live up to the name. I wanted my son to be his own person rather than named after someone else. I also asked my husband to consider how his other family (especially mum) would feel saying the name regularly. We agreed in the end to use the name as a middle name.

MissBPotter · 05/05/2023 16:40

I think it’s a really nice thing to do. With Edward there are a ton of nicknames and Edward itself is just nice on its own. I know a Ned and a Woody who are actually Edwards. I don’t think it’s pressure, just a nice gesture.

FayCarew · 05/05/2023 16:39

It's a nice gesture and a nice name. Your son will have his own personality. Go for it.

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