Sr., jr., and the roman numerials in names?

Question

i know how someone earns getting a "senior", or a "junior", behind their names, but how does someone earns " the roman numerials " behind their name? is that something that has to start generations before???

Answer 1

Used chiefly in the United States, the Roman numerals in addition to the Sr. and Jr. distinguish different generations with the same given name.  Usually, the first-born son is named after the father. For example, my brother is a III because his dad was a Jr. while his granddad was the first family member with his given name.  

Upon the death of the first member in this sequence, say John Smith (Sr.), the son (formerly known as John Smith, Jr.*) may choose to call himself John Smith, Sr., and if he, in turn, has named a son after himself, the son (and grandson) may also move up a notch in the sequence, becoming John Smith, Jr. ; or else, each surviving son and grandson in the naming sequence may decide to keep his original name suffix for the rest of his life particularly if the late father was well-known enough for this name change to cause confusion.  Thus, President John Francis Kennedy's son always went by the name of John Francis Kennedy, Jr.  

Of course, one advantage of moving up in this sequence is it  eliminates the extension of Roman numerals over generations.  For example, according to Wikipedia, Tom Cruise's given name is Thomas Cruise Mapother, IV.

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*A parenthetical comma ordinarily separates the suffix from the last name: witness the names of Hank Williams, III or Sammy Davis, Jr.

Answer 2

I've heard it said that by many others that  if one dies, the others move up. (i.e Jr becomes Sr., II becomes Jr, etc.)  I don't believe this to be always true. My brother is a III, my dad is a Jr. and my grandfather is a Sr.  My grandfather is deceased and was deceased before the birth of my brother .  My dad "adopted" the Jr. suffix  as it doesn't appear on his birth certificate; however, ALL other official records such as his college degree, military records, Social Security all have his name with the Jr. suffix and My brothers suffix is part of his legal name, so changing it would REQUIRE a legal name change.   If my brother had a son, he would logically be the IV. However, say my brother with the suffix never had a son, but my other brother had one and wanted to carry on the  name line.  That would be allowed and the child would logically carry the IV suffix.  

My point is that there are no hard and steadfast rules on the numbering system.  Using a numeral though generally suggests that the baby is the next one in a succession of men by the same name.  My friend actually named her baby Nathan IX!  Nathan  Sr was born in the  1700's!!  Poor kid.

Answer 3

That's every generation with the same name after the junior.

(i.e; Joseph Hanson Sr., Joseph Hanson Jr., Joseph Hanson III, Joseph Hanson IX).

Answer 4

Father: would be Senior

Son: would be Junior

Grandson: (with exact same name) would be III.

Great-grandson: would be IV, etc. on through the generations.

Then, there is George Foreman--he has 5 or 6 sons and ALL are named George (I, II, III, IV, V, and VI)--so they wouldn't forget who their father was (or some such story).  :)

PS To Evelyn S: President Kennedy's middle name was FITZGERALD, not Francis.