Keeping the Family Name alive

Senna

Unusual situation in my family at the moment that I hadn't even realised until my wife mentioned it. My family name might end with the current generation, all my male family only have baby girls (myself included) and my only male cousin with my family name has girls also. So there is a strong possibility that our family name wont be continued.
Its nothing major and when the wife said it I dismissed it as unimportant, but the more I think about it, maybe I should be sad about my Fathers, Grandfathers, Great Grandfathers etc name (and maybe the connection to them) will no longer be.

How would you feel? Is your family name important to you?

hatrickpatrick

My family name is one of the most common in Ireland, so in the event that I have no male offspring I'm pretty sure I can count on others to carry the torch

Darkglasses

I wouldn't worry, my family name is common enough.

Menas

I have an unusual surname but have a son. So the name lives on.
My dad was the eldest son of an eldest son of an eldest son of an eldest son. But that chain broke.
All good things come to an end.

returnNull

Senna wrote: »

Unusual situation in my family at the moment that I hadn't even realised until my wife mentioned it. My family name might end with the current generation, all my male family only have baby girls (myself included) and my only male cousin with my family name has girls also. So there is a strong possibility that our family name wont be continued.
Its nothing major and when the wife said it I dismissed it as unimportant, but the more I think about it, maybe I should be sad about my Fathers, Grandfathers, Great Grandfathers etc name (and maybe the connection to them) will no longer be.

How would you feel? Is your family name important to you?

I hope you dont have a sissy mickey :pac:

If I had a common name I don't think I'd care but it's a very rare one I have and would like to continue it. There are others abroad though.

gizmo555

What's to stop your daughter(s) keeping your name, or both yours & your wife's?

Senna

There are other families with my name (wouldn't be a common name but wouldn't be too popular), none that I would know and I think there are some that would be distance relatives, but I suppose that's just not the same as they have no connection to my family.

Menas

Your name is popular in Brazil OP.

sawdoubters

about 1000 years ago no one had family names

lot of people would be then called by what trade they did,


as we are all part of Europe now we should all have one family name,it should be german of course

My name is URL

I couldn't care less. Names aren't what makes a person

herisson

My Grad dad had 3 boys, one had no children, my dad had 2 girls and my uncle had 3 girls and a boy. The boy had 3 girls. There is no one to continue our last name in our family but I have a fairly common last name so its all good.

Sulla Felix

Names not important, pity the y-chromosome dies out though.

darkpagandeath

Could always back it up to the Cloud ?

Son Of A Vidic

Senna wrote: »

How would you feel? Is your family name important to you?

I couldn't careless, which might originate in my total lack of interest in kids or in ever being a parent. Anyway, my brother has three lads so that's everything sorted.

gizmo555

sawdoubters wrote: »

about 1000 years ago no one had family names

lot of people would be then called by what trade they did,


as we are all part of Europe now we should all have one family name,it should be german of course

Sometime in the Middle Ages in what is now Germany, it was decreed that anyone who didn't have a surname would have to be allotted one. Those who had to get a new name were given it by a local official. Depending on how big a bribe you could afford, you might get a nice name or a nasty one. That's, I suppose, where names like Nussbaum (nut tree) or Mandelbrot (almond bread) came from.

My brother met a guy in Austria whose surname is Schweisseimer - literally, "sweat bucket". The brother commented that it was a somewhat awkward handle to be carrying. "Could've been worse" was the reply, "they could've left out the 'w' . . ."

gizmo555

My name is URL wrote: »

I couldn't care less. Names aren't what makes a person

Yes they are

http://www.kabalarians.com/

Legs.Eleven

My name is so common that it would actually do us good if we did our bit to kill it off.

stefan idiot jones

Wales, Australia and Patagonia are overflowing with mine.

mikom

gizmo555 wrote: »

What's to stop your daughter(s) keeping your name, or both yours & your wife's?

Yeah, she could double barrel it like Fidelma Healy Eames.........

Drakares

Is that you, Tywin Lannister?

returnNull

stefan idiot jones wrote: »

Wales, Australia and Patagonia are overflowing with mine.

idiots or jones? :pac:

Mariasofia

Sofia.....hmmm that one may die out. Better get working on that ;-).

Banjo String

My surname is not that common in the South, but common enough in and around the mid ulster area (south West Antrim, South Derry, and Tyrone areas) and though currently I've two daughters, my father is one of thirteen in his family, (8 lads, 5 girls) and with all the lads having son's, I think the names safe for another few generations

animum

My name is extremely rare, and I have only one brother, who has had two daughters..we are the only family in Ireland.

I gave my son a doublebarreled name, so we have started our own clan.

efb

My brothers have sons, and I'm an iron (I learned that one this eve) so I'm grand.

cena

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

My family name is one of the most common in Ireland, so in the event that I have no male offspring I'm pretty sure I can count on others to carry the torch

May I ask what is the common name

Artful_Badger

Wouldnt bother me. I'd imagine too OP when all those girls are grown up some of them probably wont change their names.

Senna

gizmo555 wrote: »

What's to stop your daughter(s) keeping your name, or both yours & your wife's?

Nothing and nothing to stop another baby boy coming along in someone's family, but its just a possibility at the moment.

Capt'n Midnight

In some cultures the children take the name of the mother, because you can be sure of things

josip

My Grandfather's son was named after him, as was his grandson, as was his great-grandson.
From family tree research, I've found that my grandfather's father had the same name, as did his grandfather, as did his great-grandfather.
Not a lot of imagination in our family and tremendous subtle pressure from the elders not to break the chain on the birth of the first son

Senna

josip wrote: »

My Grandfather's son was named after him, as was his grandson, as was his great-grandson.
From family tree research, I've found that my grandfather's father had the same name, as did his grandfather, as did his great-grandfather.
Not a lot of imagination in our family and tremendous subtle pressure from the elders not to break the chain on the birth of the first son

If they were in merica it would be Paddy Kelly IV

SkullRose

It's the same with my family. My dad was an only child and had three daughters, but I hope to have a double barrel name when I'm married in the future. Plus my surname isn't very common at all.

candy-gal1

Well im an only child so if i do have kids theyll be well appreciated by the family for carrying on the family name , if i do!

Miss Mayhem

My family is in the same situation as the OP - my dad has 4 brothers and 3 sisters. My dad and his brothers all had daughters only. My aunts all got married and had all sons.

Push Pop

Senna wrote: »

Unusual situation in my family at the moment that I hadn't even realised until my wife mentioned it. My family name might end with the current generation, all my male family only have baby girls (myself included) and my only male cousin with my family name has girls also. So there is a strong possibility that our family name wont be continued.
Its nothing major and when the wife said it I dismissed it as unimportant, but the more I think about it, maybe I should be sad about my Fathers, Grandfathers, Great Grandfathers etc name (and maybe the connection to them) will no longer be.

How would you feel? Is your family name important to you?

My family name is very important. Also if I was in your situation I'd hope your daughters marry well and keep a good blood line. Ya can't beat good breeding.

jamesbondings

While my family name is very common in Ireland it does mean a great deal for me to carry it on.
My grandfather had 6 children. 5 girls 1 boy. My father has 5 children 3 boys2 girls. Weird as it may seem and really unimportant I do think I would be upset in 20 odd years if I didn't have a son..... Don't get me wrong a healthy kid boy or girl is all that's important but want the name and my link to it continued....

The Pheasant2

I'm the last male of my line (rare name) - no pressure!

jamesbondings

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

I'm the last male of my line (rare name) - no pressure!

Quick..... You must reproduce..... NOW....

Cee-Jay-Cee

Senna wrote: »

Unusual situation in my family at the moment that I hadn't even realised until my wife mentioned it. My family name might end with the current generation, all my male family only have baby girls (myself included) and my only male cousin with my family name has girls also. So there is a strong possibility that our family name wont be continued.
Its nothing major and when the wife said it I dismissed it as unimportant, but the more I think about it, maybe I should be sad about my Fathers, Grandfathers, Great Grandfathers etc name (and maybe the connection to them) will no longer be.

How would you feel? Is your family name important to you?

I'm sort of in the same situation. Myself and my brother and one cousin are the only three males among all my cousins (on my dad's side naturally) and I've two daughters and my brother has one, my cousin has a son however the thing is my cousin is adopted so the family name will continue but the blood line won't.

It's been on my mind for some time now, I don't really care to be honest but I do think about it now and then. If my cousins son has children of his own then technically they're not related to me and even though they will have the same name it's not actually my family. Am I right in thinking that?

lynski

My mothers maiden name is nearly gone, very few left. Her grandmothers name also - and it is cool Handiboe. It is sad that names die out.
I think that times change and there is a tiny percentage of families where the wife's name becomes the surname, this is an option?

meoklmrk91

My father only had girls and while I have make cousins I still would feel very protective of my name. If I got married I wouldn't change it and if I had children I would feel fairly strongly about going the double barrel route.

jank

gizmo555 wrote: »

What's to stop your daughter(s) keeping your name, or both yours & your wife's?

As they say, 'She took the ring, she takes the name'

brinty

Yea I'm in this boat
Grandfather (not a very common surname) had two sons --> my dad had two and other brother none
My brother 1 daughter and no sons (unlikely now to have more)
Me no kids yet so its been well flagged and I'm feeling the pressure to have male only swimmers..

Have a cousin on the other side and he's the only male that can keep that family name going (tis fairly common name though)

So could witness two family lines ceasing in a generation!!!

WilyCoyote

If I could just catch that bloody bird and give her one

No seriously ......... just hyphenate the name FFS. No sweat

Ericaa

Nope, I actually want to change my name to something that I've picked out.

josip

brinty wrote: »

Yea I'm in this boat
Grandfather (not a very common surname) had two sons --> my dad had two and other brother none
My brother 1 daughter and no sons (unlikely now to have more)
Me no kids yet so its been well flagged and I'm feeling the pressure to have male only swimmers..

Have a cousin on the other side and he's the only male that can keep that family name going (tis fairly common name though)

So could witness two family lines ceasing in a generation!!!

Have you researched your family tree back before your grandfather? It's almost a certainty that as you go back up, you will find more and more male siblings on your paternal line. It would be something interesting to do, especially if you are concerned about a paternal line finishing.

CJC999 wrote: »

I'm sort of in the same situation. Myself and my brother and one cousin are the only three males among all my cousins (on my dad's side naturally) and I've two daughters and my brother has one, my cousin has a son however the thing is my cousin is adopted so the family name will continue but the blood line won't.

It's been on my mind for some time now, I don't really care to be honest but I do think about it now and then. If my cousins son has children of his own then technically they're not related to me and even though they will have the same name it's not actually my family. Am I right in thinking that?

It's one way of looking at it and it has a certain validity. It does however ignore the fact that historically approximately 1-3% of children have a biological father other than the one it is presumed to be. It depends on ethnicity, parents age, religion and nationality. In the UK it's 1-2% among the current generation.

I have researched my family tree pretty much as far back as I can. Some branches go back as far as the late 1700s identifying 127 ancestors. However statistically, at least 1 or even 2 of those have a different father than officially recorded. But which ones? So it's futile to attach too much importance to blood lines and genetics; ultimately at some stage all lines will experience a break.

Similarly family names. A hundred years or more ago, names and their spelling were much more fluid because most people couldn't read or write and so relied on the local official/priest to record the spelling accurately. One branch of my ancestors went from Kough to Keogh to Kehoe in 3 generations. A name is just the label you currently have.

And finally to paternal names, and family names dying out. Why do people think that fathers surnames are more important than mother's surnames? Does anyone lament when a woman gets married and changes her surname?

The only valid thing to care about is the family tree of the family units in which your forebears were raised. Learn a bit about the family environment where your grandparents grew up. Talk to the old people while they're still around. And if you have kids help them to understand the family history that influenced who they are today.

blaze1

I've a rare surname and am the only son, dads brother had 2 girls and I've one sister.

I had a daughter 1st and a son 2 years ago so the name will live on. Would've been upset if it didn't live on tbh.

foxy farmer

This is something I get quite a bit from older married people. As a single man with no desire for marriage or kids they harp on about continuing the family name. Anyone having kids so to continue family names has the wrong priorities. Your name is only as good as your reputation and how you behave while on this earth. Actions speak louder than words.

caustic 1

I am not permitted to have the shrub Rhododendron growing in the garden because of the belief the family name will die out if it is. When I said it was utter claptrap himself proceeds to tell me of all the family names that have died out and have fine gardens full of Rhododendron.

Dravokivich

Senna wrote: »

How would you feel? Is your family name important to you?

It's happened with my mothers family. Her folks only had daughters. Her Da also only had sisters.

My son is getting my girlfriends surname. Most people don't greet each other by Mr/Miss/Misses *Surname* any more. So it's less of an issue for me from that standpoint. I don't throw any major sentiment into it. Heck, I only use my surname when I sign for stuff. Most of the time when introducing myself I drop the Mahon from Mc Mahon.