If I have the same first, middle and last name as my grandpa, am I Jr or 2nd ?

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jeremiah1142@reddit

You can call yourself whatever you want.

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timdr18@reddit

Is that actually where that nickname comes from? That would make a lot of sense

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AlfredoAllenPoe@reddit

Sometimes.

It can refer to the name skipping a generation or a few other things.

"Chip" is sometimes a nickname for being named after their father and comes from the phrase "chip off the old block."

"Trip" is a nickname for someone who is named after their father and grandfather and comes from "the 3rd"

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Willing_Recording222@reddit

I knew a guy we all called Skippy because he had Tourette’s and would literally skip whenever he was walking like every 5th or 6th step. 🤣

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Sensitive_Event_5453@reddit

I was call Skippy as a young girl as i always skipping,never walk……..now an old lady and can’t do either. Skippy ended when we moved, or the neighbor who moved ?

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Hero_Of_Limes@reddit

TIL Will Smith's first name isn't William.

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WildMartin429@reddit

I knew a Trey growing up and for the longest time I didn't know that he was a third and that was not his name.

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melodypowers@reddit

Bill Gates goes by Trey amongst his family.

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Lothar_Ecklord@reddit

Wilhelm Warren III goes by Bill deBlasio

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AllKnowingFix@reddit

I know him,,, for he is me... I'm a third and people are really surprised to learn my legal name is not Trey.

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Majestic-Macaron6019@reddit

I had a great uncle Bud. I didn't learn his real name until I was an adult.

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ljb2x@reddit

Grandpa was Bud and dad is Buddy lol.

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Whole_Lifeguard_6046@reddit

Huh. Me too. I could never figure out why he was Uncle Bud. It makes so much more sense now!

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Suppafly@reddit

I have several uncles like that. I can never remember what their real names are.

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

I know a Kip, is that also a nickname?

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devilbunny@reddit

Knew one; his dad was Skip.

I can't recall their given names, but AFAIK it was just a family nickname that stuck in both cases.

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AlfredoAllenPoe@reddit

I don't think so. Most the time, Kip is short for Kipling or Kipland

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On_my_last_spoon@reddit

The Kip I know has the real first name Victor but I’m not sure why

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AdministrativeSky697@reddit

I have an Uncle Trip! I was probably 15 when I learned that wasn’t his actual name, he was named after his father and grandfather and was the “triplet/triple” so he was “Trip” :)

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Suppafly@reddit

Weirdly though, some people are just actually named Trey.

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allafaye98@reddit

I knew an "Ivy" that was a fourth, like the Roman numerals IV

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CrownLexicon@reddit

I had a friend in high school named Quinn. Or so I thought. He was the 5th.

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igotshadowbaned@reddit

and comes from "the 3rd." "Trey" and "Trace" also come from this.

I'm guessing it comes from the Spanish word for 3

"Tres"

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SubieGal9@reddit

I had no idea about any of these nickname meanings.

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My daughter and her husband named their baby the 3rd. When she was pregnant she was telling me about name choices and said it's going to be confusing. I said "We'll just call him Trey" and she was like "Why would we call him that?" Suffice it say he's now 3 years old and called Trey.

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Haunted-Chipmunk@reddit

I know a Trey who is a 3rd but Trey also happens to be his legal middle name (along with his father and grandfather)

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ftaok@reddit

I’m called Duece, but I don’t have the same name as my dad. It’s because I take massive dumps.

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Top-Assignment-6783@reddit

😂

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Food_gasser@reddit

Will Smith named his son Willard and his daughter Willow? Yikes

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JustAnotherAidWorker@reddit

And his other son Jaden after Jada

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Scarlet-Fire_77@reddit

I had no idea about the name Trey. So I just learned Trey Anastasio from Phish is Ernest Joseph Anastasio III

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

That's correct apparently

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Curmudgy@reddit

Did you notice the “citation needed” comment on that paragraph?

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dgmilo8085@reddit

I thought his dad would be Skip?

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Soonerpalmetto88@reddit

Neither.

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Rarewear_fan@reddit

If your dad also didn’t have the name it resets. It’s up to you to have a son and start a new chain.

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timdr18@reddit

I’ve seen some families have it so that if their grandfather is still alive they’re II but if not then it resets. I don’t think there’s a legal mandate they kind of let you do whatever you want.

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devilbunny@reddit

Informally, socially but not legally, you can go by "II" if you have grandpa's name without ever having it be an issue legally, since nobody is going to confuse two men with the same name who are at least 30 years apart in age.

In the case of someone named "II" after an uncle, there might be very little age difference, so plausibly stealing an identity could happen.

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WhatABeautifulMess@reddit

Pretty sure most states don’t do any vetting about use of suffixes.

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devilbunny@reddit

They do not.

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WhatABeautifulMess@reddit

Right but that can happen whether there’s II on their birth certificate or not. I could name my kid with II even if there’s never been anyone with that name before. I could also give them their full father or uncles or great uncle Schmeckle’s exact full name with no suffix. Ok the flip side I could also give them a last name neither of us have ever had. Unless you’re trying to name your kid an algebra equation there’s no legal issue in many states.

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Rarewear_fan@reddit

True. I can legally name my son Otto Von Bismarck IV even though none of those names are remotely close to anywhere in my family.

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No_Cellist8937@reddit

Agreed. Definitely not a junior but I know some people will tack on a II if it is a grandfather

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Express-Stop7830@reddit

Or an uncle.

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No_Cellist8937@reddit

I’ve only seen it he used with direct descent but in practice you can add any Roman numerals to the birth certificate and no one is going to stop you

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Express-Stop7830@reddit

I saw it for a nephew who was named after an uncle that passed before having kids.

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Anustart15@reddit

Kinda has to be a "II" if you want to avoid a lot of headaches in life. Constant identity swapping issues would get really old really fast.

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_violetlightning_@reddit

My grandparents made one of their kids a Jr, then dealt with various headaches when my uncle went through a rebellious phase. He’d wind up in the local paper without the Jr and my grandfather would be like “I can’t have my name in the paper for this! I’m a public school teacher! I can’t have people think I crashed my car while speeding!”

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WerewolfCalm5178@reddit

Resetting is optional. OPis not a Junior or II unless that is on their birth certificate.

My father was a Junior and I could give a son the same name and use III.

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Ana_Na_Moose@reddit

Unless you are nobility or royalty, in which case you would be OP the second

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timdr18@reddit

Royals don’t get the suffix until they take the throne either. Like King Charles III was just Prince Charles until Liz died.

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ymchang001@reddit

Technically, he didn't have to be a King Charles. He could have chosen any of his given names. He could have decided to be a King George if he wanted to.

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xRVAx@reddit

Pretty much any of us could go by King George if we wanted to. The trick is getting other people to comply with your wishes

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Suppafly@reddit

The trick is getting other people to comply with your wishes

Which is easy if you're actually the king.

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xRVAx@reddit

I'm from the United States. There are no kings here! 🇺🇸🦅⛓️‍💥

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Ana_Na_Moose@reddit

Weren’t there German nobility that did it this way though? Like the dukes of Bavaria and Wurttemburg and the thousand other ones I can’t remember off the top of my head

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smcl2k@reddit

For nobility, isn't it normally the title which carries the number (e.g. Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer)?

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vt2022cam@reddit

No, he’d be the second, and so would a nephew potentially.

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thatrightwinger@reddit

Not necessarily true. I know of cases where a man names his own son after his father and the grandson becomes "II."

Numbered suffixes are supported as long as there is an older descendant with the same name.

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billwoodcock@reddit

Nope. My family had a fairly long series of alternating Christopher Christiansens and Christian Christophersons, back when theism was still a hip thing.

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SubstantialPressure3@reddit

You're the second. You're only a Jr if its from your dad.

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continuousBaBa@reddit

Dammit dad. Broke our streak.

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starjammer69@reddit

My brother actually has the same first, middle and last name as my grandfather. No difference than if he didn’t.

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Sowf_Paw@reddit

If your dad has a different first or middle name, you are II. If your dad's name is also the same, you are III.

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Lshubin@reddit

Junior. And if you have a kid and name him the same thing he is III

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SirFelsenAxt@reddit

You'd be a 2nd

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Hippopotamidaes@reddit

Traditionally Jr. is reserved for the son named after their father, and II is used when a given boy is named after another relative that’s not the father (say, their grandfather, uncle, cousin, etc.).

But it’s not as uncommon nowadays for people to disregard (or not be aware) of the traditional convention.

When a Jr. comes into play, their namesake then becomes Sr. but there’s no legal refinement that they go and add “Sr.” to their name originally.

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johnnypalace@reddit

Henry Ford's son was named Edsel, whose first son was named Henry II, whose first son is Edsel II, whose first son is Henry III. That family really likes reusing names.

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Mistyam@reddit

Neither

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Rough-Riderr@reddit

There is an odd case with the Rooney family, owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Art Rooney Sr named his eldest son Dan. His second son was Art Rooney Jr. That was a little unusual, but not unheard of.

Here's where it gets weird; Dan named his son Art Rooney II. They had both Jr and a II in the same family.

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jackfaire@reddit

Jr. is essentially only about the first and last name. So yes I'd say you're junior. My dad gave me the same middle name as him but my first name's different so no one's ever considered me junior.

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QuentinEichenauer@reddit

If your grandpa was still alive when you were born you could be the II, but not Jr AFAIK.

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os2mac@reddit

it's honestly familial preference, there is no rule. I'm named after my father who gave me II because he didn't want me being called junior as we already had a person in our generation that was nicknamed that.

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Steerider@reddit

You're the second ("II"). Jr is the son. Skip a generation and you're a II.

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Crazy-Squash9008@reddit

2nd if your dad doesn't have the same name. 3rd if he does. It doesn't reset unless he was dead before you were born.

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

That's the case

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Remarkable_Table_279@reddit

I’d say how but then Remember IVF exists

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Crazy-Squash9008@reddit

He died before you were born? No suffix then.

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

Yes, I was named after him as a tribute

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Crazy-Squash9008@reddit

That's lovely. I'm named after my mom's grandmother and have always been proud of it.

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

I'm also proud of it, and my grandma was so happy about me being named after her husband.

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State_Of_Franklin@reddit

I don't think death is relevant to the use of the 2nd. Only with Junior.

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Remarkable_Table_279@reddit

If your dad had different name (or you’re named after mom’s dad) a 2nd or nothing)…not junior

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Techaissance@reddit

Well if you’re really famous, and your grandfather was also really famous, then you’re “[name] the Younger” but otherwise there isn’t a term for this that I’m aware of.

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MattieShoes@reddit

Nothing, unless your dad also has the same name.

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dehydratedrain@reddit

You'd be (grandpa's name) the 3rd, though my old boss (say, John Smith) would sign as JSIII.

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Alarming_Long2677@reddit

you would be the second not a junior. you have to have some sort of variation so people dont think you and Grampa are the same person

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wickedpixel1221@reddit

Deuce

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sgtm7@reddit

It depends on what is put on the birth certificate. My son is named after me. My ex wife insisted she didn't want him named junior, so he was named My Name II, instead of My Name Jr. Ironically, although she didn't like the idea of a "junior", she always calls him the abbreviation for My Name Junior---MJ.

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Brilliant_Towel2727@reddit

2nd, unless your dad has the same name, in which case you're III

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Whose_my_daddy@reddit

Nothing. You’re only a jr or 2nd, etc if there’s an unbroken chain of people above you with the exact name. If your dad was skipped, it’s starts over

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NorwegianSteam@reddit

II.

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Exciting_Vast7739@reddit

I think this makes sense because King James II's father was Charles.

You can be the second in a line without it being a direct father-to-son line.

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IWasBorn2DoGoBe@reddit

Regnal numeration is different though. It’s the sovereign of that name, not always their actual names. George VI was the sixth king George in England, but his name was Albert. Elizabeth II just decided to keep her given name, and was the second sovereign queen with that name. A Queen consort doesn’t get a numeral, and there are no king consorts… so it doesn’t matter.

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KR1735@reddit

Queen Elizabeth Junior would've been... interesting.

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IWasBorn2DoGoBe@reddit

She was Elizabeth Jr. her mother was Elizabeth and that’s why she’s called “Lilibet” - Little Beth

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Exciting_Vast7739@reddit

Ahhh.

But we live in a post-aristocratic society, so we could adopt those conventions for anyone!

Dan

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NorwegianSteam@reddit

It being indirect is what makes it II instead of Jr.

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KR1735@reddit

II

Jr. is if you're named after your father. If you're named after another male relative, then you're II.

I learned this from a guy who went by II. I initially thought he was pretentious until I asked him why II and not Jr. He explained it and it made perfect sense.

If you're the son of a Jr. or II, you're III.

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Zealousideal_Draw_94@reddit

If your father had a different name, I general you are neither. But 2nd or skip could be used. Jr. would not work.

If your father also had same name, you’d be a 3rd, or Trip.

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Rabbit-Kobold@reddit

By technicality, you would be the 2nd. Source: I am named after my great-grandfather.

Tooltip - Junior and Senior suffices are used to identify between a father and his son because typically, both individuals would can be alive at the same time and many traditions would have a father name their son after themselves.

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Pale-While-9783@reddit

Didn't see it - apologies if someone already wrote this.

It is: 1. Senior 2. Junior 3. III 4. IV

Source: My great grandfather was a Senior (after he gave his son the same name). His son, my grandfather, was Junior. My father was III. I was going to be IV but my mother was not having it.

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SkylineFTW97@reddit

Didn't know there was a title for that. I share a first and last name with my paternal grandfather (my maternal grandfather also shares the same first name. Suffice it to say, there will be no more James's if I have a son, it's already ran it's course in my family)

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CODMAN627@reddit

2nd in this case since it’s not directly from the father

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Fire_Mission@reddit

Nothing

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JaiBoltage@reddit

I'm a "jr." on my birth certificate, drivers license, and passport. Legally, I'm still a "jr." even though my father has passed away.

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thatrightwinger@reddit

Informally Sr. and Jr. Can be about the older and younger. Usually the older one isn't appended at all, so being called Sr. Isn't necessary. My son is XYZ II. But I don't have a Roman number or suffix.

You only are only really 2nd or II if it's on your birth certificate. If not, you can talk with your family if you should informally be referred to as Jr., but it is by no means required.

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5footfilly@reddit

2nd

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LiberalTomBradyLover@reddit

I suppose you could use II as a suffix since “junior” is used for a child exactly named after their parent. Since you’re named after your grandfather “II” is the appropriate suffix if used at all.

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AdInevitable2695@reddit

Does your dad have the same name?

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

No

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AlfredoAllenPoe@reddit

Traditionally, you are only a Junior if you are named after your father. If not, you are a II.

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jigokubi@reddit

Unless your dad was named after your grandfather, in which case you're III.

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AdInevitable2695@reddit

Then, nothing. If your dad had the same name, you would be the third, written Firstname Lastname III. I actually know a guy whos a fourth.

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Used_Emotion_1386@reddit

Not nothing. You’re “II” if you have the exact same name but it’s not your father so you’re not a junior. My dad has this exact situation.

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DvlMan3969@reddit

There’s a surprising amount of us IV’s out there… I was lucky enough to have a son and he’s the 5th. Now the pressure is on him if he ever wants to continue it 😆.

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AdInevitable2695@reddit

That's crazy lol. This guy had a really old-timey name, I don't think he'd pass it down.

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NeverRarelySometimes@reddit

I knew an VIII (a VIII?). I think there were some cousin involved in the numbering scheme, because his grandfather was only the V. VIII was known as Buddy or Ocho. He passed young, so that line may end with him.

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fasterthanfood@reddit

That’s so close to the 10th, which means they gave up on naming someone Malcolm X.

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

I know that Tom Cruise is a IV

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xczechr@reddit

Then you are not a junior.

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Chaosdrunk@reddit

Youre II. I know this because I have the same name as my father, but I am erroneously a II instead of a Jr.

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ChickyBoys@reddit

You’re your own grandpa.

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sleepygrumpydoc@reddit

Technically you can do whatever you want but you would be the 2nd. Jr is reserved for the son of the OG with the name. The traditional difference between Jr and 2nd is if you are named after your dad or a different family member. after 2nd its the 3rd regardless if its again the dad or grandpa or even uncle.

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hdatontodo@reddit

Nothing

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xRVAx@reddit

Here's a real humdinger: within the Burwell family of Virginia, there were so many men named Lewis Burwell in different families that you could have had multiple people going by Lewis Burwell II at the same time.

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SabresBills69@reddit

you would be JR/ 2nd if you continue on to your child then they are 3rd

what is your nickname skip?

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

For my grandma, it was Little "my first name"

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oro12345@reddit

My oldest son's first name is my dad's middle. No one calls him Jr

My youngest son's first name is my middle name. No one calls him Jr

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IanDOsmond@reddit

The United States has a lot of regional and family customs, but no overall universal rules.

My brother-in-law is called "Tony", which is short for "George."

His great-grandfather was George. His grandfather, George Jr, was Junior. His father, George III, was Sonny. And they ran out of sensible nicknames by the time he, George IV came around, so he is Tony.

My nephew is not George.

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andropogon09@reddit

I believe you're a Second. As I understand it, if you have your father's name, you're a junior. If you, your father, and grandfather all have the same name, you're a Third.

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-RedRocket-@reddit

"Junior" is a Latin adjective which means "younger". It applies while you and your grandfather are both alive, regardless of a generation gap.

If a relative not descended from your grandfather nonetheless shares the same name, he is John Doe Smith II, not Junior. He would drop the II, and you the Junior, when your grandfather, John Doe Smith, Senior, dies.

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husky_whisperer@reddit

Jr^nt

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Cinisajoy2@reddit

Actually if dad shares the name, you are 3rd. If not you were just named after grandpa.

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Jonathon_G@reddit

Literally there aren’t rules. You could be the18th if that is what you are named

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tcrhs@reddit

It depends if your dad has the same name also. If he does, you’re X Name, III (the third).

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ThePickleConnoisseur@reddit

I feel like 2nd since it’s already a naw in your family

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InterviewLeast882@reddit

II

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MrsTurnPage@reddit

Either. Depends on tax bracket. Could also be Little [name].

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davidm2232@reddit

If your father's name is also the same, you are a III (third). If your father is something different, then you aren't anything.

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Niro5@reddit

Fun Fact: the department of Vital Statistics, the people who register births, don't care. At the hospital, i asked if i could put XIV in the suffix, and they said go for it! By the time i got back to our room, however, they had already called my wife to confirm. Unfortunately, my wife did care. :(

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StupidLemonEater@reddit

By convention you would be the second, like Henry Ford II.

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the_real_JFK_killer@reddit

It's your name, you decide.

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Rbkelley1@reddit

You are the second. In line would be junior. If it skips a generation it’s second.

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GreenTravelBadger@reddit

You are Firstname Lastname the Second.

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Juiceman23@reddit

I have the exact same name as my father, he didn’t want to name me Jr so he gave me the Roman numeral 2 (II). Works for me, in my opinion being a JR would be annoying

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r2k398@reddit

II

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DOMSdeluise@reddit

You are just that name

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jessek@reddit

Junior is when you’re named after your father, II is when it’s another family member like a grandpa or uncle.

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Tommy_Wisseau_burner@reddit

Neither

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Head_Razzmatazz7174@reddit

My cousin was a junior, as he had the same name as his father. We called my uncle by his middle name and the cousin by the first name.

One of my other cousins growing up said it was hilarious when my aunt got mad at one of them and used the full name without the Jr, or Sr. Both of them would respond, as they weren't sure which one was in trouble.

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swake3@reddit

You are a II, a second.

I am a third, a III, but I am a son of a second. My father and I are named for my great grandfather. My grandfather had another name. My III is on my birth certificate.

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Willing-Book-4188@reddit

You’re the second.

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I_Am_Mandark_Hahaha@reddit

I would prefer the title First of hid name and you may add King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the first men

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PoetAny6521@reddit

Neither, you’re now your grandpa and teleport to where/when he was at your age. Hope he had a good life. Good luck

Serious answer: I think you’re either a II or don’t have a suffix.

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

Well, I am in 1963 and I've got a wife and three kids. I work in an office. My father passed away in 1939 and I was adopted by my step father.

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Shadow_Lass38@reddit

You would be "II."

However, my husband was a "II" and he WAS named after his dad. This is because my father-in-law had a brother (don't know his name, he was only known as "Junior") who committed suicide, and he didn't want his son to have the "Junior" on his name as he thought it would be bad luck.

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scruffye@reddit

Well, nobody in America goes by titles like "the 2nd", at least unless they want to sound extra snobby, so it wouldn't apply here, but if we were following royal naming conventions you would be able to use that even with a gap between names.

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Crazy-Squash9008@reddit

Lots of people do. I mean, Trey and Tripp are common nicknames for 3rds.

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ChutneyRiggins@reddit

Frank Edwin Wright III, better known by his stage name Tré Cool

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Wolves_gizzard@reddit

2nd

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Spiritual_Being5845@reddit

My great grandfather, grandfather, and father all had the same name. Great grandfather was Sr and grandfather was Jr.

When my great grandfather passed my grandfather dropped the Jr.

When my dad was born my grandfather started using Sr and my dad became Jr

Unless you’re part of the aristocracy, or the pope, there aren’t any real hard and fast rules and you can use what suits you as far as Jr, Sr, XIII, etc.

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pcook1979@reddit

Your dad has to have the same exact name

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Relevant-Ad4156@reddit

I believe that you'd be a "2nd".

The Junior title is reserved for a son that is named directly after the father.

But if one or more generations have been skipped, then the kid is the "2nd" of that name.

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SuperPomegranate7933@reddit

Does your dad also have the same name? Cuz if not, I don't think you're a Jr or a 2nd, you're just a tribute

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Picchen@reddit (OP)

Ok, tribute is fine 😄