# Too many Daves - legality? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499 "2001-09-03T08:01:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/1 "2001-09-03T08:01:45Z")
> [@](#): > > _By Dr Seuss_ > \*\*Did I ever tell you that Mrs. M[sup]c[/sup]Cave > Had twenty-three sons and she named them all Dave? > Well, she did. And that wasn’t a smart thing to do. > You see, when she wants one and calls out, “Yoo-Hoo! > Come into the house, Dave!” she doesn’t get ONE. > All twenty-three Daves of hers come on the run! > > This makes things quite difficult at the M[sup]c[/sup]Caves’ > As you can imagine, with so many Daves. > And often she wishes that, when they were born, > She had named one of them Bodkin Van Horn > And one of them Hoos-Foos. And one of them Snimm. > And one of them Hot-Shot. And one Sunny Jim. > And one of them Shadrack. And one of them Blinkey. > And one of them Stuffy. And one of them Stinkey. > Another one Putt-Putt. Another one Moon Face. > Another one Marvin O’Gravel Balloon Face. > And one of them Ziggy. And one Soggy Muff. > One Buffalo Bill. And one Biffalo Buff. > And one of them Sneepy. And one Weepy Weed. > And one Paris Garters. And one Harris Tweed. > And one of them Sir Michael Carmichael Zutt > And one of them Oliver Boliver Butt > And one of them Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate… > But she didn’t do it. And now it’s too late. > \*\* What is the legality of using the same name for more than one of your children? ---
**Author:** ![jaimest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@jaimest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaimest)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/2 "2001-09-03T08:06:06Z")
George Foreman’s 5 sons are all named “George”. And who could forget “Larry, Darrel, and Darrel” of _Newhart_ fame? I don’t know if there is a law on that at all. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/3 "2001-09-03T08:27:08Z")
Yes, George Foreman did not have a problem: [http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20010110003/tscript.htm](http://cgi1.usatoday.com/mchat/20010110003/tscript.htm) > [@](#): > > [USATODAY.com](http://USATODAY.com): Why did you name all of your sons GEORGE? > > George Foreman: In boxing, you have to save money and you have to prepare for memory loss. I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget anybody’s name. > > . . . . . . > > Laurel, MD: Hi, George. Have any of your sons ever had a hard time with being one of many George Foremans in the household? > > George Foreman: Yes, for a long time, I had to explain to them that they are unique individuals, and teach them not to fight just because we have the same name. Especially with fighting in school, I had to get on them, but kids would always challenge them. They behave really well now. So five of his sons and even a grilling machine got his name. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/4 "2001-09-03T09:05:00Z")
I dunno, I think everyone should be named Dave. It’s such a perfect name. ---
**Author:** ![Commander\_Fortune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Commander\_Fortune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Commander_Fortune)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/5 "2001-09-03T11:21:19Z")
I know six siblings all with the same first name. They are all named after their father, male and female alike, and go by their middle names. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/6 "2001-09-03T11:47:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > **…And one Soggy Muff…** Just out of interest, does this bit cause red faces over there in the US? (It means something [sup]cough, splutter[/sup] quite, errr… well, you know, over here in the UK) ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/7 "2001-09-03T12:29:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Weirddave \* > \*\*I dunno, I think everyone should be named Dave. It’s such a perfect name. \*\* Hmmmm… ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/8 "2001-09-03T14:26:03Z")
**Mangetout** , we’re usually able to set that aside when reading aloud to our kids. 😉 (Thank heavens he didn’t have any character dive into it.) Of course, we also call our belted hip purses “fanny packs,” but that does _not_ have the same connotation, here. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/9 "2001-09-03T15:42:43Z")
I’ve often wanted to rewrite it (i.e. change the name, not just skip over it, otherwise my daughter will notice the missing names), but I don’t feel it would be right. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/10 "2001-09-03T15:45:49Z")
I went to school with the last 3 daughters of a family of 9 that did that. All of the daughters (7) were named Mary, all of the sons (2) were named Joseph. The first daughter was called Mary, the rest used their middle names. The ones I was friendly with were M. Kathleen and M. Theresa. We thought it was a bit odd, but we were used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/11 "2001-09-03T16:03:35Z")
Wouldn’t it be worse if you changed the name, though? I mean, if you leave it intact, unless your daughter has heard the term elsewhere, it’ll just be that much more Seussian nonsense. If, on the other hand, you change it, she’ll catch on eventually, and start wondering why. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/12 "2001-09-03T16:09:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*Wouldn’t it be worse if you changed the name, though? I mean, if you leave it intact, unless your daughter has heard the term elsewhere, it’ll just be that much more Seussian nonsense. If, on the other hand, you change it, she’ll catch on eventually, and start wondering why. \*\* This is my dilemma; unchanged, she will someday recite it to a group of adults and wonder why their stronges reaction (be it mirth or shock) occurs halfway through. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/13 "2001-09-03T16:12:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Like anyone, I knew a Dave. - The Tragically Hip, _Everytime You Go_ > [@](#): > > These are the Daves I know, I know > These are the Daves I know > These are the Daves I know, I know > These are the Daves I know - Bruce McColluch, (The Kids in the Hall,) _These are the Daves I Know_ ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/14 "2001-09-03T16:25:30Z")
You can never have too many Daves. This was one of my favorite Suess stories when I was a kid, for obvious reasons. I was just delighted that my name caused such a brouhaha. FTR, my parents named all their kids in alphabetical order – Alan, Barbara, Craig, David, Edward. Sorta like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. It was sometimes an ordeal meeting one of my parents friends, because they’d always go, “Well, which one are you? ABCD…” Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/15 "2001-09-03T16:52:01Z")
For too long the John and Peters of the world have been the foremost male names, it’s time to break out the Daves. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/16 "2001-09-03T17:37:44Z")
As a youngster, I always passed up the “Soggy Muff” line and giggled instead at “Oliver Boliver Butt.” ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/17 "2001-09-04T03:41:43Z")
My middle name is Peter and my last name is Johnson. I could kill my parents sometimes. (seriously, I thought I was the only one who remembered this story - mainly because it’s bundled with my favorite Seuss, the Sneetches) ---
**Author:** ![Monster104](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Monster104](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monster104)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/18 "2001-09-04T04:42:24Z")
I’m glad I’m one of those damn cool Daves. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DaveW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DaveW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveW)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/19 "2001-09-04T05:18:20Z")
**RickJay** wrote: > [@](#): > > - Bruce McColluch, (The Kids in the Hall,) These are the Daves I Know Great song - “Some of us are Davids/but most of us are Daves…” **DAVEW0071** wrote: > [@](#): > > You can never have too many Daves. But apparently, you _can_ have too many Dave W’s. I was quite amazed to find that “DaveW” hadn’t already been taken when I registered here. I’ve usually got to resort to adding numbers or coming up with something more original. **Mangetout** wrote: > [@](#): > > What is the legality of using the same name for more than one of your children? IANAL, but I believe you can call yourself (and by extension your children) anything you want. John and Jane Doe can name their child “Poopoohead Widebottom” (or worse) if they really wanted to. It sets them up for all sorts of problems later on in life, such as “If this is your kid, why’s he named Widebottom instead of Doe?” or “Poopoohead’s therapy will cost you seventy bazillion dollars, Mr. Doe.” But, [according to Cecil](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a980828.html), some places _do_ have legal authority to ‘reject’ a chosen name. Perhaps they do enough research to refuse to let two kids in the same family have the same name, also? Dunno. - Dave W. [http://members.aol.com/psorsite/](http://members.aol.com/psorsite/) “My dream is of a day where every SDMB poster will have a quote of mine in their sig.” - Arnold Winkelried ---
**Author:** ![fecal\_nugget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@fecal\_nugget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fecal_nugget)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2001, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499/20 "2001-09-04T06:27:20Z")
[hijack]judt thought i’d throw out my relitive’s funny name: Fellatio Cunnilingus Matthews. no joke.[/hijack] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-many-daves-legality/79499.md?page=2)