I see a lot of posts about honor names here and I love the idea of honoring someone important to you through a child’s name.
Of course, the traditional way to honor someone is giving their name to your child (first or middle). Now, I wonder if it would be possible to honor someone by using the name of a character or an author they like a lot? For example, if someone close to me is a fan of [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m], could naming a son [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] be a honor name for that person?
For me, any name that makes you think of the person works as a honour name. Any person who doesn’t know of the honouree’s interest in [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] obviously wouldn’t make the connection, but as long as you associate [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] with them and feel like it’s a nod to them, it works. I’m actually a fan of indirect honour names – personally I’d love a name that connects me to the honoured person in another way than “just” having their name.
For me, a link like that is a bit too subtle to call it a honor name. However, it’s still wonderful and meaningful if a name somehow has a connection to that person.
Thanks everyone for your insight! I’m considering this option because I’m close to both my brothers and I like the idea of honoring them. However, both their names are taken, either in my husband’s family or among my friends who have children.
To me, it would depend on how the family member feels about it. I like [name_f]Angelina[/name_f] [name_f]Jolie[/name_f], but I probably wouldn’t feel honoured if a family member named her daughter [name_f]Angelina[/name_f] because that isn’t my name. Personally, I would prefer to just use a name that I love over a name I’m “so-so” about that has a tenuous connection to a family member. (Just my personal opinion - I’m not telling anyone else what they should do.)
I agree with you that it is better to use a name that we love, even if it doesn’t have any connection, than a name we don’t like as much, just for a distant connection. The [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] example was just an example. The name I have in mind is significant for one of my brothers and he would understand the connection to himself.