I’m a “John Smith IV”. My son, due in September, will be a “John Smith V”. Personally, I’m a huge fan of this tradition.

    • Stabbitha@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      You guys ever do any genealogy? There are so many places and times in history where women’s names simply weren’t recorded. Census records from the 1800s in the US are like, “John Smith, wife, 6 children 3 male 3 female”.

    • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Sadly, yes. Or at least when they started doing it.

      The women were just supposed to marry into another family, so there was no point in trying to retain the name of Mary Smith, when she’s just going to get married and become Mary Johnson.