June 16, 2019: Namesake

“Oh no, don’t name him John!”  When my brother John was born on August 21, 1959 my dad’s sister Stella was very upset.  She told my mom how unlucky the name John was.  They had a brother John who died as a two-year-old.  Their dad Frank had a brother John who died as a four-year-old, and their cousin John had died in WWII. Her outcry was too late.  My parents had already named him at that time.

On September 6, 1959 my baby brother John died.

I don’t believe in lucky or unlucky names.  But I always wondered what my parents thought after their sweet little baby died.  Did the chastise themselves for using the name?  Did Aunt Stella regret putting that thought in their heads?  I know my parents never had any grandsons named after Johnny.

I used family names for my children.  Lena Clare after my two Grandmother Lenas, Clare after my mom. My Lena was born after all three women had died.  David Joseph was named for his paternal uncle David who had died as a teenager, and his other paternal uncle Joseph, and my dad, Allie Joseph.  Lena named her daughter Lila Mae-Clare after her grandmother and her husband’s late grandmother.  Her son is Gabriel Joseph after her brother and her husband’s uncle.  So, no, I don’t believe names are cursed.  But then I never even considered the name John.