# Could you date someone who had the same name as a parent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132 "2005-11-21T20:10:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132/41 "2005-11-24T19:54:41Z")
According to her IMDB bio, actress Marcia Gay Harden has a husband, father, and brother all named Thaddaeus. She must have been very picky in choosing a suitor. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132/42 "2005-11-24T21:53:54Z")
> [@Roland Orzabal](#): > > Ditto, to the letter, and for the same reason. Odd. I don’t think so. I think if we took a poll, a lot of people would have Mom issues such as that. But are Mom issues more common than Dad issues? Perhaps you’re thinking of a different odd thing, though. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132/43 "2005-11-24T22:25:07Z")
Well, I figure I wouldn’t date a guy who looked like my Dad. I have simply never found the type attractive. But heck, if I ever meet me a nice available nerd, it would sure be nice if his worst defect would be having “James” for a firstname! ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132/44 "2005-11-24T22:38:01Z")
Not many men (if _any_) in my age bracket have my Dad’s name, so I’m not in much danger. I’m dating a guy now who has the same name as an evil ex, but he goes by a shortened version. But it’s never really been an issue for me. He’s pretty much perfect - why would I let a name keep me away? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@wolf\_in\_second\_hand\_clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_in_second_hand_clothing)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132/45 "2005-11-28T20:25:06Z")
I dated a girl who has the same name as my cousin. My aunt married a man who has the same name as my dad (her younger brother). Luckily, both my sisters have Hawai’ian names, and I’ve never met anyone who share them in Iowa. I have never met anyone my age who has my mother’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132/46 "2005-11-28T22:27:50Z")
If I have to cut all men named Mike out of the dating pool, that’s going to sting a bit, I think. My mother seems to think that I don’t know my father’s name, because she’ll start a story saying “Mike and I …” and then stop and change to “Dad and I.” But then, she married a man with almost the same name _she_ had. (My parents’ names are Michael and Michele. Isn’t that so cute you want to vomit? 🙂 ) However, I don’t think I could manage to date a guy with the same name as my brother, mostly because I spent my entire childhood screaming “Mooooom, Danny _hit_ me!” ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132/47 "2005-11-29T03:38:04Z")
I have to admit I’d be less disturbed dating a guy named Mark than a guy named Barbara. That aside, I don’t know/have never met a single person my age named Mark or Marcus or anything like Mark. The same name as one of my brothers would be weirder, just because, well, I too spent most of my childhood screaming, “Mooooom, Danny _hit_ me!” Or Brad, depending on the brother. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-date-someone-who-had-the-same-name-as-a-parent/332132.md?page=2)