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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask your thoughts on naming children after the parents/ grandparents

97 replies

Bearbehind · 26/02/2016 19:47

Just that really?

I have never really understood the desire to name a child David, after his father and grandfather David (a la Royle family) as there are so many names to choose from but lots of people seem to do it.

Isn't it confusing?

OP posts:
Katenka · 26/02/2016 19:48

My son got my dads name as a middle name.

I love my dads name, dad hates it and begged me not to name my son it. So we compromised and went in the middle.

Wouldn't have if I didn't like it though.

ArkyOptics · 26/02/2016 19:49

Taking names as middle names is traditional.

Original poster
Bearbehind · 26/02/2016 19:50

I totally understand it as a middle name but not a first name, ie the name you refer to them as on a daily basis.

OP posts:
gBean · 26/02/2016 19:50

My son has my dad's middle name as his middle name. He died a year before my son was born, I love the name and I wanted to include my dad somehow. My sis did the same with her first son. I think it's nice for middle names but possibly confusing for father and son to have same first name

Katenka · 26/02/2016 19:51

Oh and my dads middle name is his mums maiden name. I didn't carry on that tradition

curlycat · 26/02/2016 19:52

My 2 both have grandparents names as their middle names and their 'own' first names

Katenka · 26/02/2016 19:54

Yes but I would have given ds it as a first name, if dad hadn't have been so fussed.

But it was on the basis of liking the name, not naming him after dad iyswim

weegiemum · 26/02/2016 19:54

My dd2 has her great grannies names. Her first name is after dh's granny, it's her first name but granny was always known by her middle name. Granny died 3 weeks before dd2 was born and it meant a huge deal to dh and mil. Dd2s middle name is after my gran.

Dd2 is now12 and loves the fact that her names come from somewhere. Dd1 isn't named after anyone and is jealous!

lalalalyra · 26/02/2016 19:55

My DS is named after my Grandad. I loved him and loved his name and when he was young it was the "done thing" to honour a relative by naming the child after them.

Every father and son I know who have the same name use different variations like both are Robert, but they are Rob and Bobby. My Dad's cousin and his Dad were Big John and Wee John and I always found it hilarious as "Wee John" was at least a foot taller than Big John.

I think it's nice. It's also super helpful when you are doing the family tree if people follow traditional patterns.

magimedi · 26/02/2016 19:56

DS gave his PFB the opposite gender name of DH's as a middle name.

DS said he wanted my DH to feel a real part of things.

DH has been DS's father since DS was about 2 years old (biological father fucked off).

First time in 30+ years I have ever seen DH cry - can't tell you how much it meant to him (and me).

Still brings a tear to my eye.

Strokethefurrywall · 26/02/2016 19:57

DS1 has DH's middle name as one of his, my brother's name is the other.
DS2 has both my dad and DH"s dad's first names as is middle names.

The thing I find REALLY weird is having children and giving them your name, e.g. mum and dad called John and Elizabeth, have 2 children named John and Elizabeth. Sure, in days gone by it was the done thing but my word it's boring.

Very few things make me Hmm but that just screams of lack of imagination to me!

BeaufortBelle · 26/02/2016 19:58

My DD has my grandma's name. It's a name that is pretty and classic. My grandma meant a great deal to me.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/02/2016 19:59

My DSis has my Mums maiden name as a middle name
My DBro has my Dad's first name as a middle name.

I have the most ridiculous middle name (a relatives surname) . I refuse to use it. It has been removed from all my legal documents except my Birth Certificate (unfortunately I'm stuck with that)

My DC have no middle names.

I don't like the Tom/Tom Junior
Jim/Wee Jim
Alan Snr/Alan Jr

Notso · 26/02/2016 20:04

I wouldn't do it as a first name. Both my youngest children have a child known as Junior in their class at school though.

Notso · 26/02/2016 20:06

magimedi that is so lovely.

Itscurtainsforyou · 26/02/2016 20:08

I'm with stroke - just shows a complete lack of imagination.

mrsmugoo · 26/02/2016 20:09

My son has the first name as his father. But his father goes by an abbreviated version and DS is known as the full version. In my mind it's two different names, there's never any confusion.

I know some think it's narcissistic but it's nothing like that in our case. In fact he's not even technically named after his father, he's named after an ancestor of my husband's and carries the ancestor's surname as his middle name. It's a cool, unique name with its own history and we own some historical correspondence from his namesake to pass on to him one day.

I wish people would get off their high horse about sons named after fathers. It's a tradition that you either approve of or not. The same as any name choice - yet I would NEVER give an opinion on someone else's name as it would be incredibly rude.

Arkhamasylum · 26/02/2016 20:09

magimedi

How lovely and heartwarming.Flowers

LaundryFairy · 26/02/2016 20:09

DS has my father's first name. My father was terribly proud and honoured by the choice. Not at all confusing as they don't live together.

Clawdy · 26/02/2016 20:14

I briefly considered giving DS my dad's name as a middle name but decided it was far too old-fashioned. Many years later, my dad is dead, and DS who adored him says he would have loved that name! which,needless to say, now sounds quite trendy......Wish I could go back, Dad would have been so thrilled if I'd picked his name.

CMOTDibbler · 26/02/2016 20:15

My family alternate generations of first name/middle name with a particular name for the first boy and have done for a couple of hundred years. Its lovely, but no one lives for long enough to be more than a grandparent so not very confusing.

CPtart · 26/02/2016 20:18

FIL name is a family name (also DH name) which goes back five generations. It is quite unusual and rather awful. Despite being the last in the family line, we chose two 'normal' names for both our boys as DH didn't want them to be made fun of as he was.
Despite being extremely traditional and rather old fashioned, PIL have never commented. Someone along the line would break the tradition/not have sons/ choose differently etc. It might as well be us.

ElaineVintage · 26/02/2016 20:19

Middle name is a nice gesture.

My Son's one is after his great grandfather who past away just before he was born.

cardibach · 26/02/2016 20:20

DD has my name as her middle name. I think generations of people called by the same first name is a bit odd, but I find the desire some parents have to give all their children the same initial much more odd. The post alone must be impossible.

itispersonal · 26/02/2016 20:24

My dd has my dads middle name as her first name (it's gender neutral) and both mine and my dp's and grandmother's first as dd's middle names.

My dad died when dd was 18 months and he doted on her so I feel a bit of my dad lives on through dd.