Duplicate Names in Families

[The Curt Jester]

This is a spin-off of the other thread I began regarding Catholic names.  If you haven't read that one yet, head on over to General Catholic Discussion and check it out.  It's the hottest topic on the forum in the past ten minutes.

Anyway...

Some families have a tradition of using certain names.  You might find a bunch of cousins, aunts, etc., who all have the same first name.  In my own family, I can only think of two duplicate names (father/son and mother/daughter), though there are a couple who have names which are both shortened to the same thing.  I find it frustrating to have multiple people in the same room or gathering who go by the same name.  Because I'm quirky in that way, I'm entirely opposed to having children who are named after relatives , although I have no problem using the middle name for that purpose.

Does anyone else share my opinion on this, or am I the odd man out?

[diaduit]

I've used uncles and grandfathers names for my boys and even more so to buck the trend of trendy names.  I went for strong while plain, older names which don't date when they get older. 

As per other thread, Linton or Dylan which is a big one here, on a 35 year old mechanic, Poppy or Daisy for a lady of 45 just doesn't sound right.

My Grandfather was a rigid conservative and aggressively blunt when he said something, whenever my Mum had any of us baptised, he'd remind through gritted teeth.....'no need for Hollywood names here, pick a saint' .

Side note on Grandfather: Feminists came to his door once in 70's to canvass for a vote for their candidate in an election.  He roared at them, 'devils from hell, ye'r good for nothing, get outta here or I'll throw a bucket of shxxe at ye'.....they ran  .

[Melkor]

Its not quirky, I think Catholic children shouldn't be named after relatives but Saints. But if the name in question happens to be a Saint's name as well as a relative's, I think it's pretty cool actually.

[MundaCorMeum]

We've given some of our children namesakes as middle names.  Aside from my oldest, whose middle name is after my mother and my husband's grandmother, all their namesakes are also saint names.  One of my boys shares a middle name with his grandfather and his godfather (grandfather and godfather both have the same middle name). 

[Prayerful]

It was a custom that if a boy or girl died young, the next boy or girl would be given that name. Generally Martin was a common one. A father or uncle to me was 'big Marty' and his son 'small Marty' although he was in no way small.

[Bernadette]

My brother was named for my father, including a family name that goes back generations; my sister was named for my grandmother and I was named for my aunt (middle names). My little niece is named for my sister and my grandmother. I don't have an aversion to it.