I think my parents were of the mind to give us kids our own unique first names, but the middle names are in honor of other relatives. My middle name is after an uncle on my father’s side.
Our last name is supposedly not what would have been our original last name. The original was a very popular one in Sweden, so, as the story goes– and I hope it’s true– our last name was changed when one of our ancestors entered his compulsory year of military service. This likely means that if we run into anyone with our last name, chances are we’re related.
3 Cents' 