What’s in a name?  Some of us choose the name of our offspring carefully.  Some, it seems, less so.  Many want to carry on the family name – that is, the actual family, rather than the Borgata.  Which is more important?  If I were to have a child, would I wish this life for him?  Maybe he could tend bar and keep his head down.  Or maybe he’d want the limelight, to be a high-roller, to make him mark.  His name could influence these decisions.  Sometimes, our children inherit a legacy from their fathers (or mothers), a legacy that can be seem from afar, as the entourage of many bodyguards shields them.  Is it their inherited wealth they are displaying?  Or is it the family name they are having to protect against?  Me?  My children will be named depending on my whimsical nature at that point in my life.  Who knows?

Who are you named after?  And do you know why?

I was named after my paternal great-grandfather.

When i was a waiter, Before i got involved in this thing of ours, I would get on stage and Sing to the people who were eating. I wasnt named Singer by my dad or mom. It was by people at the resturaunt who couldnt remember my name, They would yell out hey Singer boy. Yeah it kinda just stuck i guess.

I am named after no one. I will continue my last name and live long and hard.

Harmony ponders a bit and flips through her mother's notebook.

I was named because my mothers dying wish was that her next of kin would stop hating. I suppose Harmony was her way of waving a white flag.  

I was named after the Great Giuseppe Genco Russo, who was a Man of Honor.

My name is simply a carry on of my family's "mark." Simply my last name. Even though some family members may not put Stracci on their label, such as my father, it is what we carry. M? Well, that's short for Michael.

Sam looks over the family oak, not many notable branches he decides.

My name just seemed right for the city I chose. I have a splintered family tree, each incarnation seems to follow their own path without worry of the past, good or bad. Nor is my heir likely to bear my name, but you never know.

Saul thinks back to why he got his name and struggles. He is standing there for a long time as people pass him by then he forget what he was thinking about then light up another joint and walks down the streets singing to himself.

 "name is important. It is hard to build a reputation and it is so easy to lose it. So to build a family name with good standing and respect it is of course essential to keep the family going. Those that have had made mistakes and those that had gone before had brought shame on a family name, it is sometimes better to start out alone and put the past behind". With that Kip stands to one side after his little speach.

I am not named for anyone....but i will keep my bloodline alive

My line has a long history in this thing of ours and every few generations a son is born that shows such promise that he is bestowed the name of TheKing after a great man who lived long ago.

Hickey is the old name for healer. Brought over by the normans. Hickey now based in Clare and Tipperary is 100% Irish in my mind.

Meh.... its my family's trade mark. From the first ancestor that was brought up here. But no matter what is your name, what matters is what you do while you are still alive. Your ancestors might be tough, but you might choose a different path. 

If the name of your ancestor is great, you would like to continue it. But if that name mess up, you will likely make up for the blemish name.

I was named after my Grandfather.
My Grand Father was in this life, but he kept his head down and just got the work done. John Gotti Smiles

Now my father on the other hand, well he loved the 'limelight'. Why I wasn't named after my father? I could only guess. To save me from his past coming to haunt me? Or maybe because that was his name and his name only? I'm not too sure.

It's all about limelight whether people agree or not. If their ancestors was a big icon in this life, then of course they could possibly take their name and start off with a better life than their family did.

I lost count to how many times I have seen this sort of thread...

Well I'm Christopher after Saint Christopher, patron saint of travellers in recognition that he looked after my parents on their trip from the old country. Vaughn is just my family name, handed down from father to son.

I get the Great One because I am so much better than the norm. The Rock is just my street name, it symbolizes my strong and steadfast nature and helps maintain the legacy of Mafioso with nick names. I'm the people's champ because I am loved by all, and the scourge of jabroni's everywhere. I speak up for the little man and lay the smackdown on those in the wrong. Finally, I am The most electryfing man in all of Mafiadom because quite literally there is no one better at what I do, pure and simple.

I hope that shines a light on the many guises of The Rock.

Grins and tips his hat, dislodging a few ambiguous metal objects.

"Dunno, I think my dad chose my name out of a hat."

I have lost count to how many times I have seen this sort of speech called a thread...