I’ve always been of the opinion that I’d want any future kids I have to have their own unique name, but since my mother died 20 years ago, I’ve become very close to my father, [name]Alfred[/name], who goes by ‘[name]Al[/name]’. I’ve been thinking that if I had a daughter, I might use the name [name]Alena[/name], which would honor my grandmother, [name]Magdalena[/name], and let me use the nickname [name]Ally[/name] in honor of my Dad. I think that he would love this, but it breaks my rule of giving a kid their own unique identity. I was very nearly named [name]Magdalena[/name] myself, and when I was a kid, I was very happy to have escaped that name, but now that I’m older, I think I would feel a special connection to my grandmother had I been named for her.
So my question is for people who have names that honor other family members… [name]Do[/name] you like the fact that you’re named for someone, or would you have preferred to have your own name?
I have names that give each child their own identity. [name]Clay[/name] is a family name in DH’s family. There’s several Clays, his brother is [name]Clayton[/name] “[name]Clay[/name]”, a cousin [name]Barclay[/name] “[name]Clay[/name]”. He wants to use Claymore nn [name]Clay[/name]. DH also wants to honor both his grandfather, [name]Anthony[/name], my grandfather who’s middle name is [name]Anthony[/name] and DH’s middle name is [name]Anthony[/name]. We like [name]Anton[/name]. Same for [name]William[/name], we like [name]Wilhelm[/name].
In your situation the names are different enough that she has her own identity, her own name. She doesn’t always have to go by [name]Ally[/name] and no one will know her great grandmother’s name was [name]Magdalena[/name].
I very much like your idea of [name]Alena[/name]. It’s a pretty name on its own; it has enough individuality to decrease the likelihood that there’ll be a dozen of them in her class; and its meaning is lovely.
The name I want to use as a middle name for a boy is [name]Garrett[/name], as a back-door means of honoring my father, who died in 2008. My father’s given name is a very heavily and very obviously religious name, and from a religion I no longer practice at that, so I wouldn’t feel comfortable bestowing that upon a child. But in the 1960s, my father was a jazz radio DJ in [name]Philadelphia[/name], and used [name]Garrett[/name] as his last name during his radio career. Our last name, while not difficult to pronounce, is consonant-heavy and not particularly radio friendly; [name]Garrett[/name] is a tweaking of our last name that’s close enough, but not overtly connected.
My middle name is the name of my nanna, her mother, her great grandmother and her great great grandmother. I love that I’m named after them all and will definitely be passing Rose on to my daughter. I think I like it in particular because, in general, I look more like my mums side of the family (my great great auntie Eva (whose photo is my avatar) and my great granny Edith in particular) so the name Rose makes me feel more connected to my dad’s side too.
I was named after both my grandmothers. It’s nice, I guess, but, honestly, I never felt any special connection with them because of my name. I sometimes wish that I got at least one name that was chosen just for me, not to honor somebody else.
In your case, I think [name]Alena[/name] is lovely. That’s the kind of honoring name I prefer – one that still has a connection, but still feels different enough to be the child’s own.
I was named for great-aunts on both sides. We went by different variations of the name though–my aunt always used a nickname and I used the full name. I did like having those connections, but I lucked out that they were also two lovely names that sounded right together.
The plan for my own children is that they will have a first name that is “their own” and a middle name that honors a family member (#1’s middle name will be for DH’s great-grandmother, if she had been a boy, it would have been for my grandfather)
Well, my situation is a bit different from yours, but here’s my experience. I was named after my mother’s two grandmothers in a way. My mother was jewish, so she followed the tradition of naming me after someone who had died. She named me using the first initials of her grandmothers’ English names (and combined both of their exact Hebrew names to make my Hebrew name). So, grandma [name]Sara[/name] and grandma [name]Edith[/name] turned into [name]Simone[/name] and [name]Emily[/name]. I think my mother thought about using [name]Sara[/name], but my dad didn’t like it. I really love that I have these namesakes! I do feel an odd symbolic connection to these great grandmothers more that my other great grandparents and I that’s kind of cool. I know you didn’t mention anything about naming a child after your mother, but both of my parents are deceased and I plan on naming my children after them (maybe exact names, maybe not) since they will never be able to have a tangible connection. Indeed, I may give my children more than one middle name in order to give them them even more of these connections. That said, naming after living people may be different. I have no idea how I would feel having the same name as someone else in my family.
I think [name]Alena[/name] is fabulous! By giving a variation of your grandmother’s name you are both commemorating her and giving your daughter her “own” name.
My middle name is my grandmother’s name, and I adore it! I think [name]Alena[/name] would be perfect for you - you’re able to honor your father and your grandmother as well as give your daughter her very own name.
No, I do not have a name that honors family in the sense that “I was named after my Grandmother” etc…
BUT, my mom loves diamonds and roses, hence she wanted to name me Diamond Rose, but my dad said no to Diamond, and they compromised and I became Diana Rose. So in a way I am connected to my mom since I’m named after her favorite things.
All in all, I prefer having my own name. I like it and I feel it’s more special because it wasn’t an already “used” name.
It’s just personal preference really. I know people who hate their names because they don’t like that it’s just a family name, and then I know others who love the connection. It’s 50/50 and you can’t predict what your child will end up wanting later on.
[name]One[/name] of my middle names is after my mother, although I like the connection I’m not keen on the name itself. Me and OH have agreed that if we ever have a little girl her middle name will be the same as his grandmother’s middle name (her middle name is [name]Rose[/name]) as he is very close to her! I think [name]Alena[/name] is a lovely name without the connection to your family but the connection makes it sound even better
Not exactly. My middle name is a family name, but it isn’t after any particular person. Basically, it was a name my parents were considering for a boy and my mom suggested it last minute to talk my dad out of [name]Felecia[/name].
