The Great Namesake Survey...How would YOU honor a family member with your child's name?

1) For me, NO. It is not enough to give your child the same initial as the namesake to consider it "honoring" them. A little bit more thought must be put into it than that. Again, that's just me personally. "Honoring" your Aunt Kathleen by calling your daughter Kylie is too much of a stretch.

2) I'm going to say SOMEWHAT. I feel the same way about this as I do the first answer, but there is an exception. For example, if the namesake/relative in question's name was James Robert but personally and professionally introduced himself as "JR", then I think it would be acceptable to honor him by naming a daughter Joelle Renee, but of course it would yield more "honor points" from me if her name was Jane Roberta or something of that nature.

3) Again, this is a stretch so I'm going to say SOMEWHAT. If the relative/honoree was from a completely different culture and it would be a burden to give the child a similar name, then I would expect that the parents use the meaning of the name to choose one for their child, especially if the honoree felt very connected to his/her name's meaning. (Of note, I've considered having Gianna Wren and Gianna Lark on my favorites list to honor my mother Robin Sue, but it didn't quite catch on.)

4) Absolutely! Honoring Aunt Eloise by naming your child Lola or Ellie works for me.

5) Again, absolutely. I plan on doing this with my children. My mother's name was Robin Sue. She doesn't care for either name but I think it's still important to pass at least part of it on. This is why Gianna Suzette is my #2 favorite girls' name.

6) NO! Too much of a stretch, unless you're an English teacher or the parents met in a library. :-)

7) I do like this idea, but I think some name choices would be better than others. I'd never use this method to honor a child, but I recognize that it's creative.

8) This is more like it! Naming Nelda after Uncle Alden is very creative. Again, not something I would choose, but it's subtle and classy, and it gives little Nelda a cool story to tell!

9) I've considered this as well! (You see I have a hard time finding a way to honor my mother, Robin Sue, who was born in June.) I've questioned if I could say that I'm honoring my mother by naming a daughter Alessandra, because the birthstones for June are alexandrite, and sometimes pearl. It's still a bit of a stretch and I ultimately chose in favor of Suzette because it's far more obvious.

10) I love this idea and hadn't thought of it! Though I'd have to disagree that this could be considered "honoring". If I let my mother choose her grandbaby's name, then she'd just be choosing his/her name... How would that necessarily honor her? I suppose I like more obvious ways to honor my relatives, so not a lot of questions are involved.

Bonus Question 1: Absolutely! I've created a list of names that have been in my top ten (on the left) and the names of the honorees/family members (on the right):

Alessandra Jeanie -- Adriana Jeanie (SO's late mother)

Carolina Jeanie -- Adriana Jeanie (SO's late mother)

Gianna Suzette -- John Phillip, Robin Sue (my step-father, my mother)

Milena Rowan -- James/Ashley Miller, Robin Sue (my father, my mother)

Natalia Elizabeth -- Elizabeth Lund (my paternal grandmother)

Carolina Adrienne -- Adriana Jeanie (SO's late mother)

Milena Josephine -- James/Ashley Miller, Joseph Louis (my father, my SO)

Eloisa Lauren -- Joseph Louis, Ashley Lauren (my SO, me)

Dominic James -- James Ivan (my late father)

Anthony Michael -- Thomas Michael (SO's father)

Roman Phillip -- John Phillip (my step-father)

Michael Phillip -- Thomas Michael, John Phillip (SO's father, my step-father)

Michael Joseph -- Thomas Michael, Joseph Louis (SO's father, my SO)

Bonus Question 2: This may sound a little silly and definitely not as obvious, but the reason that I love Roman for a boy's name is because I am completely enamored by Italy, and my boyfriend's family is Italian.

In general I agree with the first poster that it's all completely relative (sorry about the pun!)

1. I suppose, but it's a bit of a stretch.

2. Yes, though it's not obvious (not that that's a bad thing)

3. I never thought of this--I really like the idea and think it's a lovely way to honor someone.

4. Yes, this clearly honors them.

5. Yes, I think this works as well.

6. I like this idea as well, though depending on the name of the honoree the child could end up with a dreadful name (like the pair Hildegard and Bingen :)

7. Another nice idea, but I think it could lead to some dreadful names as well.

8. Like 7, a creative idea that might end very badly for the child.

9. Yes, this is a nice idea, though I don't think there are that many names with such associations that correspond to the whole range of activities that people might like.

10. It's a nice idea, but there is NO WAY that I would let some members of my family name my child, no matter how much I love them and want to honor them. (For example, my siblings and I were all named after Narnia characters, so my mother would never get the chance to name a grandchild, and my mother-in-law's favorite names are Kyleigh and Jayden, so again, no way! If we have another child and want to honor a loved one, my husband and I will retain full naming rights! :)

BQ 1: I honored both of my husband's late uncles who died when they were teenagers in a car crash. I gave my son two middle names because I didn't want to honor one over the other and I didn't want to use either as a first name. (His name is William Frederick Robert.) If I have another son I'll name him Samuel Vanderford, as Vanderford is a traditional male middle name in our family.

BQ 2: You seem to have done a very thorough job! The best that I can come up with is if the honoree was of a specific heritage (Irish, Italian etc.) and you chose a name from that tradition.

Agree with 1-5 and 9 & 10 do honor the namesake

6-8 is a stretch for me.

Yes, I would like to honor a girl if I ever have one.

My boys are honored, the middle name of boys 1 and 2 is the first name of Dad (#1) and boy 2 has Dad's middle name.

If I had a girl the middle name would be Raeann. My mother's mother was Rachel and went by Rae. My mother's name is Marianne and so the middle would combo the names.

1) Yes. This is a fairly subtle way to honour them as it gives you more freedom which I like.

2) Yes, so long as it didn't spell out something bad with their dad's surname. (eg. I wouldn't use the initials FA if my last name happened to be Taylors).

3) It all really depends on the meaning and whether I like the names that share the same one so I might but probably not...

4) Maybe although it's a bit of a stretch.

5) Probably not, like I said above it's a bit of a strech also.

6) NAh, I'm not one for historically chosen names.

7) Depends on the name and what you can gt out of it.

8) No. Most names that have anagrams I ones I don't like.

9) Maybe...

10) Uh..well I would prefer to choose the whole of my child's name alone, just with names I like so probably not.

BQ1: No, I don't.

BQ2: No, you have a lot, some I would never even think of!

1. Eh this seems like kind of a stretch to me. I mean. How would you even know if it was honoring it? It's just the first letter. Doesn't sound like the original name at all.

2. This one seems a little bit better. Yea I think it honors it.

3. It'd kinda be hard to tell unless you explained to people...this one kinda honors it though

4. This one honors. I can see that :)

5. This one honors it more then any of the ones so far to me

6. I don't like this one at all. I barely even see how it honors it. No offense

7. Oh yes this one and number 5 are the best so far

8. This one's ok. It honors, yes

9. Ummmm.....this one only works with certain names it seems, to me

10. This one works too. It honors

BQ: I sure do. That person's name will be the child's middle name

BQ2: Making their actual name the child's middle name? Or using something that rhymes with it?

I was named like #2, my initials are the same as a relative my mother was fond of. I think any of those are acceptable. It doesn't need to be very obvious, and it would be confusing if the first names were the same.

Then again, I think that honoring a family member's name must be thought of beforehand. If your mother's initials are A.L. then it's fine to name your daughter with those, but if you notice after you've named her that they have the same initials then it seems a bit obnoxious to claim that you're honoring her if you hadn't meant to.

BQ: Probably not. It's been a long tradition in the family that is fading away and it's very confusing. I like #2 though.

BQ: Maybe feminine forms of masculine names? Danielle for Daniel, Felicity for Felix, Anne for Andrew, Gabriella for Gabriel and vice versa.

1.) Same First Initial:

No. This is way to much of a stretch for me.

2.) Same Initials:

Yes, this could work. I didn't actually realize this until I literally started answering this part of the question, but my favorite girls name (Delilah Evangeline) honors my grandma who passed away in May (Doreen Elizabeth). I guess this ends my search to find a name that honors her! Lol.

3.) Same Meaning

Yes, this could work. I wouldn't use it myself, but it would work.

4.) Historically related name/ nickname or same name in different language.

Yes. This definitely works! Basically if a name is similar, it can honor someone. I have a friend named Aleea, after her dad, Lee.

5.) Has a lot of similar sounds

Yes. In my opinion, if they COULD share a nickname (whether it be a commonly used nickname or "out on a limb" nickname; ie Gabriella could honor an Abigail because both could have the nickname Abbey)

6.) Literary connection etc

Yes. Obviously they have put a lot of thought into it if they come up with something like that, so It could work.

7.) Repeats same letters.

Yes, as long as it sounds similar

8.) Anagrams

Yes.

9.) After something they like, where they grew up etc

Yes, I plan on honoring my father this way.

10.) Choosing a name honoree likes

Yes.

BQ1: Yes. A lot of my favorite names honor someone.

Delilah Evangeline - Grandma Doreen Elizabeth (same initials) and Grandpa who has -EV- in his First name, and Delilah contains all the letters in his middle name

Katrina Lily Jean - I have a lot of friends named Katherine or variations of Katherine. Katrina is also a variation of Katherine. Jean is after my softball coach, Gene.

Cailyn, Alexandra, Samantha, Adrienne, Tara, Courtney, Kristin, Adam, and Jacob are all the exact names of family/friends (although I changed the spelling from Kaelin to Cailyn)

Noah Jackson Riley - Riley is after my dad. It's complicated how I choose Riley, lol. Jackson is a combination of Jason (dads middle name) and Jacqueline (moms name).

Alexander Ryan - Ryan is after my softball coach, Bryan.

*I have a lot more on my list, but those are the ones I thought of off the top of my head.

BQ2: Other than using the same name, I can't at the moment. I tend to go for the obvious ways, lol.

My first daughter has my deceased mother's middle name as her middle name. My grandma (her mom) is upset that we spelled it different but that's it. She is also the sulky type. Our baby girl is named after her father, kinda. You could do it in a non obvious way like we did with the baby. My husband is Brian Lee and our daughter is Brigitte Leeann. Nobody is jealous and they all get it. Do what you want. If your grandparents are all sulky then they can just deal with it. It's obvious ,that no matter what they think, you are and probably always will be closer to your parents and sister.

It doesn't really matter if anyone else knows or understands. If it makes you happy to honor someone in any of those or other ways then feel free.

We are having our second baby in Oct and my Mom just passed away 3 weeks ago and I lost a very special aunt just 18 months before that. So to honor both of them and my mother in law whom I love our daughters middle name will be Jo-ann which was my aunts name and a combo of my mother in law's middle name Jo and my mothers middle name Ann. For us it's a beautiful way to honor some wonderful woman in my life that I lost and the one I still have.

with our first born, our son. He actually has 2 middle names Lee Douglas my husbands middle name and one of my brothers name

1. I'm gonna honor my cousin (twice removed) named Cecilia.

I'd named my daughter Celia.

2. Honor my mom, Stephenie Anneliese.

Selena Annabelle

3. Great-Grandmother on father's side is Ellen. So I'd name her Ella, both mean beautiful.

4. My great-grandfather's name is Leonardo. So name my son Liam.

6. Ella for Elizabeth.

7. Alice for Alison.

8. Kate for Kaitlyn.

9. My neice loves faires. So Belle (as in Tinkerbelle)

10. My mom always wanted to name her first daughter Kristy Jo. So I'll change that to Christina Josephine.

BQ 1 - Yes hopefully my mother with the middle name "Annaliese"

BQ 2 - Naming them the exact name of the honoree.

1. Alyssa. A for my dad. Just using the same first initial, doesn't feel like honoring them to me. Maybe if I used both initials. Andrew Scott- Alyssa Skye.

2. How funny, I just said that on number one. I like this one.

3. nope.

4. no.

5. no.

6. no.

7. no.

8. no.

9. no.

10. no.

BQ1- Yes. My children's middle names will be family names. Most of them will be exact names of someone we're related too. One will be changed a little. Jason- Jace. It's hard for me to make Jason a middle name and actually like it, however I can make Jace work and I always call him Jace anyways.