Comments on: your family is not a royal dynasty.

By: Aglifter

Aglifter — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:18:13 +0000

Ordination is a long family tradition in my family (at least since 1723) makes keeping the geneology straight much easier. The esq. thing is a bit silly — it’s actually some type of title of lower nobility, at one time. Some more recent lawyers have taken to just putting JD at the end, at least in states where law schools grant JDs. Barrister is an old term, and not entirely appropriate in the US legal system — it is specifically English. I have not heard it used in the US. IMO, I think many of the titles are silly, unless they actually still mean something to you/those around you (such as going by “Doctor X” is a useful way to make sure that, in an emergency, you could be relied on to provide medical assistance — or, if you have a JD behind your name, that you can provide emergency legal advice — sadly, there is such a thing in our society — mostly just various ways of saying “no comment”

By: jimbob86

jimbob86 — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:20:24 +0000

Pretentious? ……….. Nah. I am what I am, and if it’s not popular, well BFD.

I WAS teased mercilessly in school. About my squinty eyes. And my lengthy nose. Nobody cared that I was “the Fourth”. I was just Jimmy. I was given a load of crap in the military, for my rural roots, thus the “jimbob” in jimbob86….. It’s a “Walton’s reference….. maybe you wouldn’t understand.

Royalty? Hardly, but I AM the the King of Me.

I’m thinking it is this: I come from a long line of Natural Born Smartasses. They were horsetraders, dirt farmers, mechanics, industrial arts teachers…….. therein lies the joke!

By: Justthisguy

Justthisguy — Sat, 10 May 2008 03:38:44 +0000

P.s. Oh, to BilltheC., I think I detect a slight class envy, there. In my part of the country everybody was either white, and Anglo, (not Saxon so much) and protestant or West African Protestant. Both sides of my family ranged from quite poor, to upper middle through the years, but we kept up our onomastications.

(Sorta like Miss Florence King’s weird Grandma.)

By: Justthisguy

Justthisguy — Sat, 10 May 2008 02:47:27 +0000

I’m a III who really ought to be a IV, as my Grandpa had the same three names as his Great-Grandpa. My Dad went by “Jr” all his life even though my Mom pointed out he should really be “II” after his Dad died.

And yes, we’re from Georgia on my Dad’s side, at least since 1830 or so.

By: williamthecoroner

williamthecoroner — Sat, 10 May 2008 02:24:27 +0000

It’s a WASP thing. I went to high school and college with a load of Trips and IV’s. Hell, I went to school with a Missy Purdie, and two Buffys. No one said boo to them. Of course, one of the Buffy’s fathers was chairman of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

By: Chris Byrne

Chris Byrne — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:03:02 +0000

I’m the fourth and I fill in forms that way etc… because my father the third is a convicted felon.

By: El Capitan

El Capitan — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:39:49 +0000

I’m curious about the habit of lawyers adding “Esquire” after their names. From what I remember from perusing Emily Post, it’s a courtesy title you use when addressing formal correspondence, (Mr. John Doe IV, Esq.) but if memory serves, it’s not supposed to be used to refer to one’s self.

I suppose the ambulance chasers will never cease in their quest for respectability. “Lawyer” was too tradesmanlike, so they invented “Attorney At Law”, then Counselor, Barrister, Solicitor, etc. Tacking on Esq. just doesn’t distract one from noticing their giant penis-shaped heads, though.

You do know why they all wear neckties, right? It keeps the foreskin from sliding up over their ears…

By: The Freeholder

The Freeholder — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:10:59 +0000

I disagree. For my family, it’s about continuity. My Dad is “”, I’m a II, my son is a III. Neither of us “roman numerals” have ever been teased. A friend in high schools was a III–everyone called him “Trip”. Another was a IV, and everyone just called him by his name. Never heard anyone tease either one about it. It seems more common in the South, but I’ve seen it everywhere.

Aside from the fact that teasing someone about their name is pretty junior high school…

By: Rob K

Rob K — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:28:47 +0000

Perlhaqr, you should give them SQL names, like little Bobby Tables has.

By: perlhaqr

perlhaqr — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:18:35 +0000

I’m just gonna give my kids IPv6 addresses.