Two Middle Names

[towernick]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

Older folks? Fine by me. If it's someone naming their newborn in 2016, then I find it a little pretentious.

If someone tells me his name is "John Arthur Gerald Atherton IV" then I'd probably think his parents tried too hard to create an aura of pedigree. Unless the pedigree was really there, which is something I could figure out in the first 2 minutes (or 90 seconds?) of conversation

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Why do you find it pretentious? We gave our daughter two middle names, both grandmothers' first names. What is pretentious about that?

[Rootbeer]

Originally Posted by milwatch126

This is a tradition in Ireland (maybe other parts of Europe) usually used for the first son born (but one that is slowly dying out). The two names are usually the names of the Grandfathers of the boy. The first name of the boy is generally the father's same name.
This tradition I assume has been followed on by Irish immigrates throughout the world after the Irish famine caused a million or so Irish to leave Ireland around 1845. Most of which landed in the USA.
The two names given are generally never used except for legal matters or for initials.
This practise also helped identify a lot of Michael's, Patrick's, Sean,s etc within large Irish families and neighbourhoods.

M

Actually AIUI in the US the patronymic tradition derives from early settlers times when life and death were less certain. To avoid escheat (the crown seizing the land of a man who died intestate) the first born son would take the name of the father. In this way, should John Doe die, John Doe Jr would automatically inherit as his name was already registered against land and assets.