The Multiplicity of Theodore
The theme for Week 45 from Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is "Multiple".
We have several sets of twins throughout my family tree. Some ancestors were married two or three times (and at least two couples even remarried each other after divorcing!). But my first thought was something else...
Some families pass down secret recipes or heirlooms. Mine passed down a first name – eleven times. Think Aegon from the Game of Thrones series, except our family doesn’t have dragons – just a lot of confusion with the mail and incoming house phone calls.
It all began with my paternal great-grandfather, the original Theodore Stewart (or Ted, or Teddy – no middle name). When his son was born, he passed it on, beginning a tradition that would ripple through the generations. My grandfather became Theodore Jr. (also called "Teddy"), who in turn named his own son (my father) Theodore III.
My father kept the streak alive by naming my brother Theodore IV, and by then, the name had become more than a family favorite – it was practically a family requirement.
But this story doesn’t stop there.
After my grandfather remarried, he gave his first son from that marriage, my half-uncle, the name Theodore A. (his middle initial). Then my Uncle Ted passed it on to his son Theodore A. II, who passed it again to his grandson, Theodore A. III. (We’re up to seven Theodores now, if you’re keeping count.)
And then the plot takes a delightful turn. My maternal 2nd great-grandmother had a son named Theodore. One of my maternal great-aunts married not one, but two men named Theodore, and named her son with her first husband, Theodore Jr. That brings the total to eleven Theodores in my family tree – a true multiplicity of Theodores!
I may not continue the tradition myself, but I’ll always cherish the story behind it. In a way, each Theodore represents the same thing: the enduring power of a name to link the past to the present – one signature, one story, one generation at a time.
How about your family? Do you have a name that refuses to quit?
It all began with my paternal great-grandfather, the original Theodore Stewart (or Ted, or Teddy – no middle name). When his son was born, he passed it on, beginning a tradition that would ripple through the generations. My grandfather became Theodore Jr. (also called "Teddy"), who in turn named his own son (my father) Theodore III.
My father kept the streak alive by naming my brother Theodore IV, and by then, the name had become more than a family favorite – it was practically a family requirement.
But this story doesn’t stop there.
After my grandfather remarried, he gave his first son from that marriage, my half-uncle, the name Theodore A. (his middle initial). Then my Uncle Ted passed it on to his son Theodore A. II, who passed it again to his grandson, Theodore A. III. (We’re up to seven Theodores now, if you’re keeping count.)
And then the plot takes a delightful turn. My maternal 2nd great-grandmother had a son named Theodore. One of my maternal great-aunts married not one, but two men named Theodore, and named her son with her first husband, Theodore Jr. That brings the total to eleven Theodores in my family tree – a true multiplicity of Theodores!
The name Theodore (of Greek origin meaning "gift of God") has become a thread that ties generations together, a legacy of identity and connection that began with one man and grew into a family trademark.
My brother once joked that if he has a son, he will name him Theodore V, but will call him "Cinco". I thought that was so cute! But by the time he became a father, he had no desire to keep the name going. He ended up having a beautiful baby girl – and no, he did not name her Theodora, Teddi, or anything close to Theodore. My sister stated that if she has a boy, she's going to name him Theodore, but my brother was not happy with the thought of that. (She ended up having a girl as well!)I may not continue the tradition myself, but I’ll always cherish the story behind it. In a way, each Theodore represents the same thing: the enduring power of a name to link the past to the present – one signature, one story, one generation at a time.
How about your family? Do you have a name that refuses to quit?
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| My grandfather, Theodore Jr. was a musician who once had his own band. For several years, he was the drummer in jazz trumpeter, Dizzy Gillespie's band. |
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| The high school senior pic of my father Theodore III, whom everyone called "Big Teddy" after the birth of his son, Theodore IV ("Little Teddy"). |
I love your take on the prompt and enjoyed reading about your 11 Theodores! It's a bit sad the name will not survive another generation, maybe it will simply skip one. It seems like name popularity comes and goes, so who knows.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading, Barb! I'm glad you enjoyed it. There's still hope that the youngest Theodore (my little cousin) will carry on the name :)
DeleteGreat story!! Love the canva graphic :) Consider keeping the family tradition, I did with a middle name "Michael" and then influenced my son to do the same for his son!! My son also recently named his daughter "Lucy" after my great grandmother and "Page after his wife's mother's maiden name.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol! I do like that idea – I discovered several relatives in my family tree where given their mother's maiden name as their middle name.
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