Are you named after someone?
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (53486)
January 18, 2026 12:11pm CST
I was named after my special aunt, who played a key role in my life. It has always made me feel so good to be named after her. She always introduced me as ''her namesake'' and that meant a lot to her.
I poked around online and discovered that nearly 50% of Americans are named after someone, 30% are named for a family member. Middle names are often used to honor a family member. And supposedly 2 out of 5 children have middle names that are chosen because one or both parents liked a celebrity! Seriously, name your kids after a celebrity is kind of strange in my book, but whatever works, I guess.
My sister was named after another special aunt and one of our grandmothers. I named my own children names that meant something...my oldest girl has a middle name after my sister, my one son has his paternal grandfather's first name and a name from my family. The other son we adopted as a young boy and we did not change his name. My youngest was named after her two grandmothers.
I didn't want to fall into that ''trendy name trap'' that I saw so often. When I was growing up there were some popular names that were way overused. I remember one high school English class I was in, we had 6 girls named Susan!
Regardless of whether we are named after someone or just have our own name, we are all unique and special.
7 people like this
8 responses
@LooeyVille (52)
• United States
4h
My parents didn't even name me. The deadline for a name came so the nurse named me.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (53486)
•
3h
That’s extremely unusual. Could your parents just not decide?
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (110377)
• United States
5h
My sister and I are both named after two sisters that my mom and dad would pick up on their church bus route (my dad was the children’s pastor at that church although he worked full time too). My parents thought they were just the sweetest little girls. My middle name is Myree (pronounced like Marie) after my paternal grandmother’s middle name.
The most interesting naming in my family is my dad’s middle name. My grandmother gave my dad the middle name of Fray after a visiting preacher at their church. But he was the 8th boy, so she was probably in need of some new names.
In school, we had four girls named Jennifer. But, I’ve always really liked that name.
And, you already know I like your name, Marie.
In school, we had four girls named Jennifer. But, I’ve always really liked that name. And, you already know I like your name, Marie.2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (53486)
•
4h
That's a good sweet story, how your parents named you after those little girls. And your name is very unique, I love the spelling of Myree.
I remember your Dad came from a huge family. You are right, she may have been scrambling for names at that point! I recall a few Jennifers over the years, but not that many. I don't think it's a real popular name like it used to be, but I do like it.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (128108)
• Marion, Ohio
49m
I am named after my dad. My middle name is the same as my moms and grandmother's
@MarieCoyle (53486)
•
3h
I recall when my youngest daughter started school, it seemed crazy how many girls were named either Ashley or Nicole. In one grade school class she was in, there were three girls named Ashley Nicole!
Yes, that would be difficult for a teacher!
1 person likes this
@sallypup (67605)
• Centralia, Washington
2h
@MarieCoyle Someone in my family had to have all names starting with N. The three girls also had to have matching outfits. No they weren't triplets.
@Traceyjayne (6953)
• United Kingdom
4h
For many years there was a popular singer/entertainer here in the UK called Des O’Connor.Sadly no longer alive. He had several children, including one daughter called Tracy Jane. My Mom and Dad liked the name , however they changed the spelling ….which I much prefer ….to Tracey - Jayne.
Years later Des became a family friend and loved the way I’d got my name .
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (6953)
• United Kingdom
1h
@MarieCoyle thank you. Sadly there aren’t many of us Tracey’s around. Was a popular name in the 60’s and 70’s but not really now.
@MarieCoyle (53486)
•
3h
That’s a good story and then him becoming a family friend, it was surely meant to be. I like your name!
@NJChicaa (125989)
• United States
5h
I have no idea where my parents came up with my name. I think one of the names floated was Stephanie. I wound up with a first name that they NEVER used. EVER. The only people who call me by my legal name are strangers and telemarketers. They always called me by my middle name which also is odd to me because it isn't a common name.
As a teacher I see all sorts of names and it makes me wonder what people are thinking when they select them for their children. I see all of the popular ones and some really out-there ones.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (53486)
•
4h
When we named our son, his first name was his great grandfather's name and also an uncle's name, so we have always called him by his middle name. It suits him better. I wanted to reverse the names and put the grandfather/uncle name in the middle instead, but at the time the husband really wanted their name to be first, and I caved.
I bet you do hear some weird names. There was a young boy in one of my son's classes named Tresh. Everyone called him Trash instead. I felt so, so sorry for him. And one boy at a grade school I attended had the first name of Clay--which is a nice name. Unfortunately, his last name was House. He was teased constantly for being Clay House, poor kid.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (201533)
• United States
3h
I am not named for anyone but my son has his father's first name as his middle time
@RasmaSandra (93068)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
1h
Only my second name Sandra which my parents gave me because my mother's second name was Alexandra,
