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ArchivesRe: given names
in reply to a message by William George Juby
Can a parent give two living sons the same first given name?
As long as a parent obeys the naming laws of his or her country they're free to name their child whatever they want. I knew a Jeremy who had a half-brother named Jeremie. Both went by their first names. George Foreman had no qualms about giving his sons the same names. In the past many Catholics would give their daughters Mary as a first name and then call them by their middle names.
Some cultures and religions put restrictions on living relatives sharing the same names or how a child is named. Most people I know would frown upon the practice of giving multiple living siblings the same name, simply because it does not conform with what the majority views as "normal" nomenclature practices. Apart from any culturally imposed restrictions, there are no legal restrictions in the U.S. against the practice.
As long as a parent obeys the naming laws of his or her country they're free to name their child whatever they want. I knew a Jeremy who had a half-brother named Jeremie. Both went by their first names. George Foreman had no qualms about giving his sons the same names. In the past many Catholics would give their daughters Mary as a first name and then call them by their middle names.
Some cultures and religions put restrictions on living relatives sharing the same names or how a child is named. Most people I know would frown upon the practice of giving multiple living siblings the same name, simply because it does not conform with what the majority views as "normal" nomenclature practices. Apart from any culturally imposed restrictions, there are no legal restrictions in the U.S. against the practice.
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