(no subject)

[pleasure-past.livejournal.com]

Purely hypothetical: Should you ask a person's permission before naming your child after that person?

Does it change things if you're not necessarily naming the child after the person in question, but you just happen to like a name that someone close to you has? (e.g., You've always loved the name Matthew and want to name your son Matthew, but it has nothing to do with your brother named Matthew.)

Comments

[kjerlandsen.livejournal.com]

It never occurred to me to ask permission to use a name when I named my 3 younger children after people. I just assumed it would be ok. Granted, my son is named after his dad, so since he and I had to agree on the name, I guess I did get permission?

But my mom and grandma were both honored when we named our daughters after them. So I don't think you need permission to name your child after some one. I think if you are doing it as a namesake type of deal, you are obviously close to them and should have a good relationship with the person. I don't see how some one would say, "Don't name your kid after me." But I don't know...

As for naming some one the same name but not after them...well, I don't see why that should even get brought up. "Hey, I love your name, so I want to name my kid 'Matthew' but not after you." I mean, how would you even word that without being rude? And every one will most likely assume that your child is named after that person, especially if you are siblings with that person or very close.