"We Named Him Brad"

StrawberryAlarmClock · September 2011

My second cousin, Amos Alexander XI (yes, the eleventh!!!) waited until the birth certificate paperwork was filed to break it to his mother that they named their first-born son Brad. Our family is split down the center: some say "finally!" and others are appalled by the blatant slap-in-the-face to his family's proud genealogy. It must be that wife of his! Lynch her! I guess you could say we're a pretty happy and drama-free family if little Brad's name is what gets us into a snit. What are your thoughts? Of course it's Abie (his NN pronounced A.B. from "Amos Baby") and Jetta's decision (his wife, she's Danish) but what would be your gut reaction if, for a fleeting moment, you allowed yourself the right to an opinion? Disappointment? Pride?

babymaker32 · September 2011

I don't like Brad. But I think it's awesome that they did what they wanted!

StrawberryAlarmClock · September 2011

mj.reilly:
The name is NMS (I actually really like Amos, though).
I don't like Jrs I II III ... so I say yay for a new name! I kind feel bad for the wife getting the bad rap for it (as it usually is).

Oh I know. The poor girl can't do anything right: she's named after a car; she doesn't think pastry & wooden shoe jokes are funny, she has an accent; she only married Abie to get a green card; she hates hot dogs; she eats fruit with a knife and fork; she's insanely tall... She married into a long line of old school farmers and they don't take kindly to watering down the gene pool with foreign blood. (can you hear my eyes rolling) I always hang out with her so she knows that not everyone in our clan is clannish.

HannahO28 · September 2011

Definitely pride. That tradition has gone on long enough and shame on anyone who would pressure a couple to name a baby anything other than what they desire.

MaybeMore · September 2011

Brad instead of Amos?

But Amos is the better name...

If you're gonna rebel, at least trade UP.

SharonWantsABaby · September 2011

I agree, I like Amos more than Brad, BUT that's not the point. It can't go on forever, someone has to break the cycle.

TripMomma · September 2011

I am not a fan of Jr., or I, II, III and so on....so I say good for them!

kmv68 · September 2011

"proud genealogy"? If they aren't royalty they need to grow the heck up!

kelle017 · September 2011

babymaker32:
I don't like Brad. But I think it's awesome that they did what they wanted!

This. I think each person should have their own identity.

newportbride715 · September 2011

Not a fan of Brad but good for them. I am not into Jr's etc. at all. Enough is enough!

gisa886 · September 2011

Eleven is a long time, but good for them for doing their own thing. I don't mind Brad at all.

alohamora · September 2011

to them. I'm not a fan of Brad either, but I dislike Jrs and so on more.

elisbu · September 2011

I'm gonna be the odd man out. I think a tradition like that is amazing and I wouldn't be the one to break it.

brooklynesque · September 2011

Good for them. Though they probably should have broken it gently to the grandparents ahead of time. ;-)

BlindysWife · September 2011

I'm not a huge fan of juniors, etc. either, so I say good for them!

although I think Amos is an adorable name and might have to jot it down...

BFab11 · September 2011

I'm not a fan of Jrs and thirds, etc. so I say good for him for basically standing up to his family because of course he had to know that it would create drama.

sagoon · September 2011

Good for them. Unless he was King Amos XI there's no need for that nonsense.

FMIL&MOB · September 2011

I'm surprised the dislike of the name Brad, I like it and Amos is NMS at all. I hope he stands up and says he wanted to end the line.

indiana101 · September 2011

Leah&Jack:
I can't believe it went 11 generations! What a terrible position for your cousin to be in. He saved his son from that stress.

Hadn't thought about it that way ut agree 100%

westrose · September 2011

That is a tough spot. I am sure that the father grew up wanting a different name, but I love family names. That is a sticky family situation.

kellyrn9956 · September 2011

kmv68:
"proud genealogy"? If they aren't royalty they need to grow the heck up!

Yes

sweetpealee · September 2011

Good for them!

jenreally · September 2011

elisbu:
I'm gonna be the odd man out. I think a tradition like that is amazing and I wouldn't be the one to break it.

I'm with you. I love history and genealogy and would never have broken that (since it's a good name to begin with. I mean, if the name was something like Harry Balsax then YEAH break THAT tradition, for sure.)

danlexi04 · September 2011

I may be biased because my son's name is Bradley but I clearly love the name. I'm not a fan of Amos at all and if I was his wife I would have fought hard to name my son what I wanted.

karencz · September 2011

babymaker32:
I don't like Brad. But I think it's awesome that they did what they wanted!

This!

SailorGray · September 2011

StrawberryAlarmClock:
mj.reilly:
The name is NMS (I actually really like Amos, though).
I don't like Jrs I II III ... so I say yay for a new name! I kind feel bad for the wife getting the bad rap for it (as it usually is).
Oh I know. The poor girl can't do anything right: she's named after a car; she doesn't think pastry & wooden shoe jokes are funny, she has an accent; she only married Abie to get a green card; she hates hot dogs; she eats fruit with a knife and fork; she's insanely tall... She married into a long line of old school farmers and they don't take kindly to watering down the gene pool with foreign blood. (can you hear my eyes rolling) I always hang out with her so she knows that not everyone in our clan is clannish.

Oh! This made me LOL!! Poor girl!

tct1219 · September 2011

Even though I am opposed to the whole Jr., III, etc. thing, the OCD part of me kind of hates that they 'ruined' the tradition. That said, it's nice that their son will have his own identity, even if I have a difficult time picturing an infant with the name Brad.

Keri Marie · September 2011

I love family traditions but they have to end sometime. Good for Amos and Jetta for naming their child what they want to name him.

MrsP7309 · September 2011

Good for them!!

StrawberryAlarmClock · September 2011

sagoon:
Good for them. Unless he was King Amos XI there's no need for that nonsense.

LOL

StrawberryAlarmClock · September 2011

BlindysWife:
I'm not a huge fan of juniors, etc. either, so I say good for them! although I think Amos is an adorable name and might have to jot it down...

I think it goes great with Linus

StrawberryAlarmClock · September 2011

jenreally:
elisbu:
I'm gonna be the odd man out. I think a tradition like that is amazing and I wouldn't be the one to break it.
I'm with you. I love history and genealogy and would never have broken that (since it's a good name to begin with. I mean, if the name was something like Harry Balsax then YEAH break THAT tradition, for sure.)

Bwahaha

Liz1485 · September 2011

jenreally:

elisbu:
I'm gonna be the odd man out. I think a tradition like that is amazing and I wouldn't be the one to break it.

I'm with you. I love history and genealogy and would never have broken that (since it's a good name to begin with. I mean, if the name was something like Harry Balsax then YEAH break THAT tradition, for sure.)

I agree.

pawstech09 · September 2011

elisbu:
I'm gonna be the odd man out. I think a tradition like that is amazing and I wouldn't be the one to break it.

I completely agree with you. My initial reaction was disappointment... how neat would it be for that name to continue into the XX's and even XXX's?

I personally don't like Jr's, but 11 is something to be proud of. I like the name Brad though...

lelekay · September 2011

I want to say good for them, but my first gut reaction when reading this was disappointment. It's kind of cool to have such a long-standing family tradition. I certainly don't have anything like that. It's a little sad to have it end.

kerribear1717 · September 2011

Good for them!!!!!!!! DH and I had lots of Jr.s and 3rds on both sides of the family and pretty much knew from the very beginning we wanted DS to have his own original name.

Plus to me Amos sounds like a child from 1802 straight off the farm.

Love Brad!

ObLaDi · September 2011

I think it's great that they stood up for their right to name their own child, rather than let his father/grandfather/greatgrandfather etc dictate what he name his child.

And if Brad wants to name his son Amos Alexander, no one's stopping him.

ames71 · September 2011

I really love Amos (it's on my long list), so it gets a Sad

from me. I'm all for breaking tradition to kill a crappy name, but Amos is kinda awesome and Brad is... just Brad.

Jenny952 · September 2011

They probably went with something different because after 11 generations, they ran out of nicknames... Abie? really??

Good for them for picking something they actually like instead of caving to family pressures. And I do feel bad for the wife because she'll always get blamed for ruining the family tradition.