Are you named after someone?
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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.
17 people like this
16 responses
@AmbiePam (132839)
• United States
18 Jan
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.3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
•
18 Jan
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
@LadyDuck (505551)
• Italy
19 Jan
@MarieCoyle - When I was about 10 years ago I thought those were very common names and I asked who picked them up. When I knew it was my Dad, I told him I loved my names. From that day my names are precious to me.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
•
19 Jan
Maybe they are common Italian names, but they belong to a special lady. It's a beautiful name, and your Dad picked it out for you, so that makes it special.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (195840)
• Boise, Idaho
19 Jan
That's interesting. I didn't know so many were named after someone. I was named after a naval hero and the Queen of England. Yes, we are all individuals. I remember in the 3rd or 4th grade there was actually another girl with the name of Evelyn in the class. I thought that was odd. Never had another one by that name in any of my school classes.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (195840)
• Boise, Idaho
20 Jan
@MarieCoyle ........Yes, I was surprised to learn that a male Naval big wig had the name of Evelyn. Elizabeth is a nice name I enjoy having. Mom was a fan of the queen.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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19 Jan
I only know one person named Evelyn, a lady on the next street over from me who grows some incredibly beautiful flowers. But hey, named after a queen is pretty neat!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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20 Jan
@celticeagle
Sometimes, people have names that really don't suit them. Kind of like ''A Boy Named Sue'''...I went a year in grade school with a big hulky fellow named...Sharon. Yep. No it didn't suit him. He was smart and not feminine. His family moved away, I heard later he went by Lee, his middle name, and talked his parents into changing his name.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (142452)
• Marion, Ohio
18 Jan
I am named after my dad. My middle name is the same as my moms and grandmother's
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (142452)
• Marion, Ohio
19 Jan
@MarieCoyle After 15 years of trying Mom and Dad was naming me after him somehow
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
•
19 Jan
If I would have been a boy, I was to be named after my Dad and his Dad, but there was just me and my sister so Dad didn't get a namesake. I named my firstborn, the one who passed away, after both of his grandfathers.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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20 Jan
@wolfgirl569
Fifteen years is a long time! I can see why they were so determined.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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18 Jan
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 (70049)
• Centralia, Washington
18 Jan
@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.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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19 Jan
@sallypup
Yes, that is rather trendy, to name children names that all start with the same letter. I never even considered doing that.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (15222)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan
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 .
2 people like this
@Traceyjayne (15222)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan
@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.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
•
19 Jan
@Traceyjayne
I have two friends named Tracy, and another spells hers as Traci. But no Tracey in the list. I like your version the best.
@MarieCoyle (64908)
•
18 Jan
That’s a good story and then him becoming a family friend, it was surely meant to be. I like your name!
@snowy22315 (214834)
• United States
18 Jan
I am not named for anyone but my son has his father's first name as his middle time
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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19 Jan
It seems a lot of people choose a family middle name, I think mostly to avoid any confusion if the person is named after someone living.
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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20 Jan
It must have been a name that one or both of your parents liked. My aunt had a good friend named May-Ann, I always thought it was a pretty name, too.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (54703)
• United States
20 Jan
My first name is Linda after my mama and Marie after an actress that my mama loved.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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20 Jan
We also had a lot of Marie's in our family, on both sides.We have one Linda, my dearly loved special cousin. It's a good name.
@RasmaSandra (102206)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
18 Jan
Only my second name Sandra which my parents gave me because my mother's second name was Alexandra,
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (102206)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
19 Jan
@MarieCoyle my first name, Rasma, is a typical Latvian name and means "morning dew." I put both my first and second names together so I could easily be identified online since I write and post so much.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
•
20 Jan
Maybe you were so unique and special that you weren't named for anyone, as they knew you would blaze a good path in life, no matter what.
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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19 Jan
I have always loved the name Maureen. One of Dad's cousin was named that, after her grandmother who was also a Maureen. And I know I went to school with a lot of girls named Karen, Carol, and Judy. Lots of boys named Michael, John, James, Charles.
Hey, Vince is a good name, and of course there is only one like your Vince!
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (126597)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
19 Jan
Since my late mom did not want me to use the term junior, my middle name Bernard could be named after George Bernard Shaw. My older sisters were named after my late aunt and singer Peggy Lee though.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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19 Jan
Yes, a lot of parents seem to try to avoid using the ''junior'' thing. But George Bernard is a nice name.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222995)
• United States
19 Jan
I might have been named after a song that was popular at the time: Linda.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222995)
• United States
20 Jan
@MarieCoyle I don't care for it. I wanted to be named Lisa. lol
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (64908)
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20 Jan
@LindaOHio
So many people don't like their names. But we also often want what we don't have or didn't choose for ourselves, I think.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (128385)
• United States
18 Jan
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 (64908)
•
18 Jan
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
