Sometimes when people are given the same name as their father or grandfather, they get a number added on at the end of their name. Like you'd now say their name as John Smith "The Second," or John Smith "The Third." ...Do you think the people who do this ever accidentally lose count? Maybe they name someone John Smith "The 4th" when they are really only up to "The 3rd." This must happen all the time. You'd go your whole life with the wrong name because your parents messed up the math.
I think this "The Third" stuff is just a little lazy anyway. The mom and dad are sitting around one day thinking of baby names, and then the father just goes, "Ya know what? I can't think of names anymore... how about the second me? Ya know... me....... again." If you ever meet someone who has "The Third" at the end of their name, you know that they come from 3 generations of lazy people.
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Tell this to George Foreman - who has named all of his boys (five of them!) George Foreman.
2 - mike hollihan
"The Second" is only used when the name skips a generation (ie. grandfather and grandson) or it's a lateral relation (uncle or great uncle). Otherwise, it's "junior."
Also, at least here in the South, when someone is "The Third," they are often referred to as "Trip." (ie. triple) One example is the engineer on Enterprise, Charles "Trip" Tucker III.
3 - Phillip Winn
"The Second" is sometimes also used when someone simply doesn't like being called "junior". I know a guy... ;-)
4 - Phillip Winn
He's very vain.
5 - Eric Olsen
I had a friend in college who was a "third" and he was called "Trey," which is a fairly common derivation of "the third." I thought this was going to be about him.
6 - tj2010
Well, I'm a junior and I'm always wondering, if I had a son, should I continue and name him the third. It's not because I'm lazy, it's because I've spent my whole life thinking about it :)