Do people do it? If you name one kid after a grandparent, do all subsequent ones then have to politely follow on taking grandparental names?
For various reasons we would quite like to pass down the names of our fathers, in male or female forms: Michael(a), Charles/Caroline; John/Johanna/Jan/Jana/Ivan (though not Ivana).
DH would also probably be very happy to name a daughter after his Mum, (though her name is not one that can be lengthened or shortened or left the same, to be anything i actually like as a name. No offence to her, she's a bit self-centred and unempathetic, but generally fine and loves kids; she just has a crap name)
But if we did any of that, the shit would hit the fan and my bloody mother would be hurt for ever more and we and our child would never hear the last of how the poor child WASN"T named after my mother, and therefore has defective nasty parents. My mother is not someone I'd want to name a child after, and her name isn't one I'd want to use anyway.
Thus... any suggestions for names similar to the ones given above, or suggestions on how to brazen it out and go with the ones we like?