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Baby names

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

Original poster

Jonathan Jack as middle names

35 replies

Mottledgrey · 21/12/2023 14:51

Does it sound a bit much? We are set on a first name which is short 4 letters long but my DH wants to recognise his Grandad and I want to recognise my dad and neither of us want to back down. Can we have both middle names or is it too much of a mouthful? Our surname is also short!

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AmyandPhilipfan · 21/12/2023 15:21

A man of an adult's grandparent's age is unlikely to have been Jack on his birth certificate. He almost certainly will have been John 'officially.' So you could have just Jonathan to honour them both. Or you could have Jonathan Jacob - technically Jacob comes from James but it and Jack do start with the same 3 letters!

toastofthetown · 21/12/2023 15:16

John (which Jack is a diminutive for) and Jonathan are different names with separate etymologies. I don’t think it’s too long, though I do have a preference for two middle names.

I wouldn’t group them together as one name saying John/Jack/Jonathan covers both. My grandfather was a John and I wouldn’t feel like I’d named a son after him by giving him the middle name Jack or Jonathan. They weren’t his name.

Original poster
Mottledgrey · 21/12/2023 15:12

Thanks all! I didn’t know that about Jonathan and Jack I always thought they were completely different names. My dad has never gone by Jack so I don’t think I’d feel like I was recognising him if we went with Jack to be honest

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idontlikealdi · 21/12/2023 15:10

My grandad was Jonathan, went by jack his whole life so it's a bit like you're naming him the same name twice

WashItTomorrow · 21/12/2023 15:07

They’re middle names for family members. It doesn’t matter if they don’t go - though I think they do go.

dontcallmelen · 21/12/2023 15:01

TheBirdintheCave · 21/12/2023 14:58

I just see Jonathan John as I know that Jack is a diminutive of John. It's not something I'd do to be honest.

My first thought as well, does seem a bit much tbh.

TheBirdintheCave · 21/12/2023 14:58

I just see Jonathan John as I know that Jack is a diminutive of John. It's not something I'd do to be honest.

pinkdelight · 21/12/2023 14:55

I had it in my head that John and Jack are both from same name ie some Johns get called Jack. Just looked it up and seems I didn't dream it:

"The name Jack is a derivative of John, which originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to, you guessed it, Jack."

So you could well make the case that John covers both. Or that Jack does. So you're sorted on the honouring parents side of things and can choose the one that goes best with your other names. I do think both is a bit much personally, but people call their kids all sorts of mad stuff so it's not the biggest mouthful out there if you can't come to a better compromise.

plusjamais · 21/12/2023 14:53

It's lovely.

WashItTomorrow · 21/12/2023 14:52

It’s fine.