- My family is somewhat traditional, and baby names are handed down through the generations.
- I love naming someone for a close relative to pay tribute to them.
- My mother-in-law said one of the names we liked had been overused, but we went ahead anyway.
I recently met a grandfather, son, and grandson who shared the same name. They were called William Senior, William Junior, and William III.
While I'm not a fan of the Roman numerals, my family does much the same thing with the names we hand down.
It's not for everyone. My husband and I have been criticized for the "boring" manner in which we've named our kids after relatives — many of whom are deceased.
"Couldn't you have been more imaginative?" a friend once remarked.
I told her that we had some incredible role models in our family. And what better way for a child to honor their legacy than to share their name?
My mother-in-law initially disapproved of the name we planned for her grandson
Our 15-year-old daughter, Daisy Grace, is named for her paternal and maternal great-grandmothers. Both were wise, formidable women — but also kind.
Meanwhile, our son, Robert, 13, shares the name of his late, charismatic paternal great-grandfather, late paternal grandfather, and eldest uncle. Robert is also my father's middle name.
When I was pregnant in 2010, my mother-in-law said she disapproved of our naming strategy at that particular time. "Robert is over-used in our family," she said.
We ignored her, thinking it was more important to pay tribute to our relatives. She has since come around to the idea.
She also understands why our son's middle name is Ridley, my maiden name. I didn't change my last name when I got married for professional reasons — and, more importantly, personal ones.
Without my son sharing at least one part of my name, Ridley would have died out with me. My dad is an only child, and my sister took her husband's last name when they got married.
My son is proud of his name because he admires his late granddad
I recently asked the kids if they liked their names. They said they did.
Daisy said she enjoyed learning about her late great-grandmothers. She looks at their photos and remarks on her resemblance to them.
Meanwhile, my son worships the memory of his paternal granddad, despite being a one-year-old when he died. He fought in World War II. Robert, a history buff, thinks he's hero because he survived the Battle of Arnhem while serving in a parachute division.
It would be nice if our children continued our naming tradition when they began to have families of their own. But there's no pressure. I've promised them that my nose won't be put out of joint if they don't.