Order of names

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

Edit: I re-read my original post and realised it made very little sense. What I was trying to ask is: how important is it for a child's given name (the one you plan on calling them every day) to be their FIRST name?

For example, if you wanted to call your daughter Anne, but also wanted to give her the name Margaret, which is a family name (i.e. all the woman in your family on your mother's side have it), would you call her Anne Margaret or Margaret Anne? If you chose the latter, would you still feel comfortable calling her Anne instead of Margaret?

Hope that makes more sense!!

Comments

[sing4th.livejournal.com]

To solve your own problem from re-occuring, I would place the given name first in order. After that, I don't think it really matters, except that "Olivia Marie Ginette" seems to flow best together to me.

Where are you from, my I ask? Is the tradition of "given name, family name, godmother's name" a regional tradition, or a family tradition? I am unfamiliar with it... till now, that is.

My family has our own little tradition, at least going for 3, almost 4 generations now... My grandmother is Betty Jean, my mom is Brenda Jean, I am Heather Jean, and my one-day-daughter will be Amelia Jean. Our middle names are obviously the family name we are passing down, but it has always come second to our given name.

Nicely enough, this tradition has been in place on my husband's side of the family for 5 generations now. My son is Matthew Milton, my husband is Anthony Milton, then Michael Milton, Owen Milton, and the one who started it all, Milton Rueben.
*shrug* Ordinarily, I would not find anything to love about the names Jean or Milton, but the family history makes it special to me, so we gladly choose to keep it going.

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

I'm from a French Canadian family where it's a tradition to give children the name Marie or Joseph (we're Catholic), the name of their godnmother/father, and a given name, so that I'm Marie Aline Laurie, and my mother is Marie Alma Ginette. My best friend in elementary school was Marie Louise Marcelle Emmanuelle - she had the names of both her godmothers. My grandfather was Joseph Roger Yvon; his given name was Roger. I don't know if this is common for all French-Canadian families or just some.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

maybe it's a Catholic thing... a lady i worked with was Wendra Jean something something Lastname. the one middle name she took on when she had communion.

[bornto-fly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, when Catholics take their first communion they pick a... Is it a Confirmation name? I can't remember, but it's always a saint's name. My friends who are Catholic all made a big deal about picking out their names when they were did it.

[eleanorgrace.livejournal.com]

Confirmation and first communion are actually different ceremonies at different times (unless you do them as an adult), and you're thinking of confirmation. The confirmation name isn't a big deal at a lot of churches anymore--mine didn't have us take them.
Apparently when my mom was confirmed she had to research her chosen saint (and you were supposed to pick a saint more than just a name). It's supposed to be an exercise in finding a saint whose calling speaks to you I think--so like the patron saint of children or education if that's your interest. I can't swear to that, though, as we didn't do it.
I just told my grandmother I wanted her name, to endear myself, and then lucked out that I didn't actually have to take it (her name is Gertrude).

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

Yes, by family name I mean a name that is passed down in the family. Last name would be my surname.

And I think I explained it better in another reply.

[bornto-fly.livejournal.com]

Your given name should go first, unless there's some weird reason why you can't. It just makes it confusing. I guess I'm just confused as to what you're asking - maybe we're from different cultures and so I'm just not familiar with naming traditions, but most people give the given name as a FIRST name and any names in honor of family/friends as middle names. I'm also confused about the "family name." Do you mean that Marie is your LAST name (or the name your family shares) or a name that you were given in honor of a family member?

I guess I'm just confused as to what you're asking, since "given" names are generally considered the first name. Your parents and everyone else might CALL YOU by a middle name, but it's still your middle name.

That said, I prefer the order of Olivia Marie Ginette. It flows better and it gets rid of all that confusion of which name is the "given name", since I would assume that you mean the child would be called Olivia.

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

I think it might be a culture thing as I said in a reply to the previous comment. By given name I mean the one you're called every day, regardless of its placement. I go by Laurie, but it's not my first name. I probably didn't word it well, but I just wanted to know if people prefered to have the name they plan to give their child for every day use as their first name.

[bornto-fly.livejournal.com]

Okay, I understand a little bit better now. I actually know a few Catholic families where they all give their daughters names that are Mary _______ and they go by the second name. A friend of mine in high school was Mary Bridget, and her mother was Mary Ellen, but they both went by their second names.

I prefer the name that they will use in everyday life to be first. One exception to that is with one of my favorite names, which is Scout (from the book To Kill a Mockingbird). I will use it as a middle name, but I'll call my daughter that, and she'll have a more traditional first name.

Generally, though, having the given name first is just much simpler.

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

As an aside, I love Scout as well.

[in_excelsis_dea.livejournal.com]

I'd always put the given name first. Other than that, I'd just go with what sounds better. IIRC, though, I think the godmother's name is supposed to come after the family name. Because it was added on after the child was baptized. But I'm not sure.

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

Neither am I. (:

[xxmyfearsmylies.livejournal.com]

I like having the giving name first, because it makes the most sense [since it's your first name usually]. As for the rest, see what flows. It's just easier to have the given name first.

[And by the way, my first/middle name is Olivia Marie. This is a coincidence... xD]

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I like the given name first as well, but to me what matters most when ordering the names is the flow. I like it when it sounds good =)

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

I like Olivia Marie Ginette in this order, anyway, and this is the version that solves any doubts.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

You could just introduce yourself as Laurie, and use Marie Aline Laurie in formal writing. Or you could change your name. My dad changed his name from Joseph Gerald to just Gerald, because to practice law he would've had to have gone by Joseph Gerald or J. Gerald, and he didn't want to.

Then again, my grandpa and my best friend's dad were both named Joseph Marc, and they never seemed to have any trouble getting people to just call them Marc, so I don't know. :-\

[jordle.livejournal.com]

I'd say Olivia Maria Ginette. I think it flows best and if you're going to refer to her as Olivia then I'd make that her first name so she doesn't have have to correct people.

[jordle.livejournal.com]

I meant Marie - not Maria!