Jason Michael Carroll Likes That Sons Carry His Name

UPI Photo/John Angelillo/Landov

Country singer Jason Michael Carroll is old-fashioned, not only in life and his songs, but in his children’s names too! When Jason’s oldest son Gavin Michael, 8, was born “my ex-wife wouldn’t let me give him [the name] Jason,” but he did get his dad’s middle name. So when the singer’s youngest son Jason ‘J.W.’ Weldon was born 3 ½-years ago, Jason became emotional “when my wife [Wendy] said, ‘What’s wrong with Jason?’ when we were pickin’ out names, I about got teary-eyed. I wanted a junior. I even said, ‘Are you sure?’ And she said, ‘Well, I was until I heard you say, ‘Are you sure?’” It turns out that Jason likes the way both his sons have part of his name because “it’s really cool to have my name spread out like that.”

As for J.W.’s middle name, it comes from his paternal great-grandfather Alfred Weldon, and “everybody called him A.W. My wife wouldn’t let me give him the name Alfred — I can’t blame her. (chuckles) But now he goes by J.W.” Carrying on the name tradition is something that Jason is proud of and finds it “very cool, because every now and then I’ll go out and visit my grandaddy’s grave, I’ll see my grandma and grandaddy’s grave. They’re buried right beside each other. And I have to explain to J. W. who this is.” That conversation has caused J.W. to amuse his father with his thoughts.

“I’ll say, ‘J. W., this is where you got your name. His name was Alfred Weldon. And you got the name Jason Weldon.’ And he gets so concerned every now and again because he’ll look at me and go, ‘But it’s my name now, right?’ [laughs] Like, he’s not takin’ it back, right? Kids say the most amazing things.”

Jason, 30, is also dad to daughters Savanna Nicole, 6, and Stori Page, 5, with his ex-wife.

Source: Country Weekly

– Angela

Comments

Nice that the names have meaning for him, but for us, esp my hubby, he didn’t want our son to have his name as middle name, feels it’s a bit ‘vain’ I guess, just us anyhow, I agree, nice to have an individual name for a new individual, but each to their own – some families I guess names are passed down so it means more, but to be honest the Jason I, II III’s etc are a pet hate of mine! Not a fan of their names either, especially Gavin, bit old fashioned but just my opinion…

- Sam & Freya's Mum on May 3rd, 2009

What a great story! I love Jason Michael Carroll, his fans don’t know much about him. He has been a busy guy though, with his rising careeer and four children quickly!

- Rachael on May 3rd, 2009

at first i thought that he is no older than 22, he looks so youg and already has a big family

- nimbusi on May 3rd, 2009

I think it is sad, when children are named ‘initials’ instead of actual names.

- Judith on May 3rd, 2009

I dislike his comment about “my exwife wouldn’t let me.” Really, there’s no need to drag her into that. I’m also weirded out by guys who are that hung up about having a junior.

- Megan on May 3rd, 2009

I named both of my boys after their daddy. I did NOT however want a junior. My husband’s name is Ross Angelo(he is of Italian descent). He wanted a son named Xander so we named our first Ross Alexander and the younger son is named Cole Angelo. We fought for months on Nicholas/Nicolai and we compromised on Cole. No juniors and still carried on the family names. Ross and Angelo are also my husband’s two grandfathers’ names.

- D. Sims on May 3rd, 2009

I hate the whole junior thing. It doesn’t make your son less yours because he has a different name – plus it gets confusing when you have two people in a house with the same name!

- girlJordan on May 3rd, 2009

Judith why is it sad that they have initials as nicknames? I’ve known several kids that had initials as their nicknames and have had no problem with it. My 12 year old cousin’s nick name is DJ short for Daniel Joseph and my 25 year old cousin’s nick name is RJ short for Richard James. Neither of them think their nickname is sad. They have actual names…just like Jason’s child but when they are kids there is no reason not to give them nicknames.

My nickname is TC and I’ve never seen anything wrong with it.

- TC on May 3rd, 2009

I’m with Meghan on this one. His ex-wife or any woman shouldn’t be under any obligation to do the junior thing and the dads should just zip it if they’ve got a problem with that! By all means, if both parents are in agreement on a junior name more power to you. But if the mother is against it–I see that as an automatic veto. She’s the one doing the majority of the work during those nine months, literally growing the kid in her body, so IMO the mom should always get the final say.

- Erica on May 3rd, 2009

I also agree that it’s not only Vain but sexist. Why is it so common for baby boys to be named after fathers when it’s so rare to see little girls named after there mothers? I especially hate when people say things like, “we named him in HONOR of his father” because that REALLY demeans the mother. As if she hasn’t done enough or isn’t worthy enough of having someone named in her honor. I mean, she is only the one who carried that baby for 10 months and went through hell and the pain of childbirth to have it! I have absolutly no issues when I hear that parents honored BOTH parents (Although I think it’s a little unoriginal plus it gets confusing when there are so many people with the same name in one house!) but I am still not a fan at all of it. I think it’s really dated and sexist…and I’m a guy.

- Ryan on May 3rd, 2009

Ryan, it might be a cultural thing for guys in the US. I’m Brasilian, and all the women in my family share a name. When I became pregnant, it didn’t occur to my husband and me to name a son after my husband. We planned on giving our daughter my middle name as her middle name, which is also my mother and grandmother’s first name. We ended up having a son so we just picked a name both of us liked. I wouldn’t be opposed to using my husband’s name as a middle name, but that just didn’t occur to us.

- MZ on May 3rd, 2009

My boyfriend is named after his father and grandfather. Middle name, too! And my boyfriend’s father also had sons from previous relationships and they have the same name as well! Its crazy. And my brother is named after my father but my parents gave him a different middle name (my dad’s brother passed away in a car accident before my brother was born so they gave him my uncle’s name). Now that all the kids are grown up though (my bf & brother) and they still live at home you could imagine the CONFUSION when it comes to recieving mail! My dad is always opening my brother’s mail on accident when the envelope doesen’t have a middle initial on it. Same for my boyfriend. Its a nightmare during tax season! I’ll use “family” names only for middle names because using it for a first name can be confusing if the person also shares the same last name.

- danigirl on May 3rd, 2009

naming kids after yourself is so narcissistic. can’t stand it. seriously, why is it so exciting to have your kid have your first name? does that make your first name more special? no. So, what is it? So you can just have an ego boost/reminder of yourself? yuk.

- zeezee on May 3rd, 2009

Yeah, not so hot on the juniors or naming a boy after every male relative that has ever existed. I’d like all my children, regardless of sex, to not be so tied down by a name.

- Stella Bella on May 3rd, 2009

I don’t mind the initials-thing, but why would you give a newborn the same name as their father or mother?! Why? First, I think it’s not very creative and second, you kind of don’t allow your child their own identity. Imagine once grown, the father or mother they are named after turns out to be their worst enemy (anything can happen!) and you carry their name! Ugh!

My mother’s middle name is that of her mother and on my father’s side there are so many same first names it’s a nightmare. My parents decided to stop all that nonsense and gave my sister and me first names that where nowhere yet used in either family tree. New child, new beginning, new name, I say! It’s more fun too!

- j.U.d.E. on May 3rd, 2009

I’m from NC, his home state, and it is quite common for people to name their children after their fathers. Even when you don’t name your kids after you, they tend to get a family name of some sort. That doesn’t mean I agree with him (I personally don’t like children being a junior), but it is quite prevalent. Even my first and middle names are family names, and I’m a girl!

- Brittany on May 3rd, 2009

Ugh, I also don’t like the practice of passing down names like that, especially two people in the same household with the same first name. It also seems narcisstic to me. Oh well.

- Sarah on May 3rd, 2009

this is actually a very nice interview. i don’t see why everyone is taking it so seriously. its not about being vain or unoriginal – it’s about what feels right for you and your family. geez, lay off the poor guy. he sounds like a great, loving father to me.

- kate on May 3rd, 2009

Wow…..I guess Im narcissistic and vain…

My 2nd daughter has my 1st name as her middle name, oh and my name is actually my moms maiden name….the narcissism must run in our family.

Oh and my youngest has my husbands first name as a middle name so he fits right in with us…

We must have been blinded by our vainess so much we were diluted enough to think we did it to honor our family, our heritiage and our love for each other.

My kids love that their name has importance rather than picking it out of a book because it sounded good that day…

LOVE JMC…he seems like a really nice guy and caring father.

- Courtney on May 3rd, 2009

It’s actually a cultural tradition in the South for boys (and even girls) to be named after one of their parents. I am over here LMAO because this is obviously just an attempt to find something ugly to say about a conservative family, and it takes grasping at straws because it was actually a very nice interview. You people are SO pathetic! Get a life that involves something SERIOUS to worry about!

- m on May 3rd, 2009

This whole thing make me think of Dale Jr. His real name is Ralph, which is also Dale Sr’s name, and Jr’s grandfather’s name, so i see nothing wrong with the passing on of the father’s name.
I, personally, would love to give my son his father’s name. My boyfriend’s name has been somewhat of a tradition (it’s his father’s middle name, his grandfathers name, his greatgrandfather’s middle name..) in his family and i would love to pass on the tradition.

- liz on May 3rd, 2009

In the Phillipines it is a common practice for ALL children in the family (both boys and girls) to have the mother’s maiden name for their middle name. For example some friends kids are named:
James Soriano
Jason Soriano
John Soriano
Sarah Soriano
Susan Soriano
It’s a cultural thing.

- deedee on May 4th, 2009

I can’t stand the passing of names either- my boyfriend and his brothers all have their fathers first name as their middle names and their dad wasn’t in their lives after age five. How painful for their mother all through them growing up without their dad to be reminded of what a jerk their dad is…For that fact alone I would never give kids names after their parents, what if they run off after a couple of months or years and want nothing to do with the kid? You would be stuck their whole lives calling them a name that only brings up bad memories of a person you hate…It happens all the time on Maury, even to kids that are named after guys who turn out not to be their fathers…You would think those women would get a clue in more ways than one!!

- Cortney on May 4th, 2009

Wow, everyone’s got an opinon on this huh? My mother is named after her mother (Her father came up with the idea), and it worked out well for them since the name is something that can be shorted, so it’s not confusing. Personally, I think it’s nice that he and his wife chose the names they chose, and it’s sweet that the kid will grow up with. I wouldn’t do it myself, but it’s up to mum and dad what names they give, not me.

- Jane on May 4th, 2009

I think it’s a nice interview as well. Why does naming a child need to be creative? Sometimes a family name – mother, father etc is nice. I also think that a child will have their own identity no matter what they’re named. He seems like a loving father.

- Loralee on May 4th, 2009

LOL, Courtney (#19)! I’m with you on your thoughts

I don’t have any children yet, but being the baby-lover that I am, I already have several of my future children’s names picked out! And ALL of them have a middle name that “honors” a family member. I’m not really a fan of having the same first name as mom or dad, but that’s just my opinion. I actually really want my husband’s first name as my future son’s middle name. And I would like to have a daughter with my first or middle name although I don’t think it sounds right…

- Lis on May 4th, 2009

“It’s actually a cultural tradition in the South for boys (and even girls) to be named after one of their parents. I am over here LMAO because this is obviously just an attempt to find something ugly to say about a conservative family, and it takes grasping at straws because it was actually a very nice interview. You people are SO pathetic! Get a life that involves something SERIOUS to worry about!”

M, is it a Southern tradition to derisively call people names that disagree with you? I don’t think so. There’s a way to disagree with people and not spew such vitriol.

You seem angry…Calling people pathetic is going too far.

- sinclair on May 4th, 2009

I think it’s nice that he was happy to share his name with his sons. And it sounds like J.W. appreciates it too.

In high school, I had a list of names for my future kids-none of them family names. “Family names, ugh! How lame!” And THEN I found out you are not legally required to give your kid a familial surname. I was so set on changing my own last name to something really unique, really *me.*

Then I met my future husband and he pointed out that was kind of dumb. Like it or not, they were family, and names- the same or otherwise- wouldn’t change that. I was *me* no matter what I was named. When we got married, I got a lot of flack from people for keeping my own last name. Was it vain of me to do that? Or is it narcissistic of US society to expect me to take my husband’s? My husband didn’t mind at all since he was the one that pointed out names don’t make you who you are.

When we had kids, I opted for family names. My husband would have gone either way, but respected my wishes. I knew it would thrill our families to be sharing these names with the next generation, and when the kids were older I wanted to share with them the stories of the people they shared a name with. So far, the kids love that. They know they are individuals, but they like sharing in the history. If we had just gone with a name from a baby book, what kind of story is that for a kid? And who’s to say you’ll pick out a name your kid will like?

All that aside, the kids know they can change their names in the future if they feel strongly about it, just like their own mom thought of doing before she met their dad. And Mom and Dad will still love them for being *them.* Names don’t change- or dictate- who you are.

- nah on May 4th, 2009

M, I don’t think you seem angry

- Lis on May 4th, 2009

i personally don’t like the naming your kid after yourself thing but ppl saying that giving a kid the name of their parent will take away their individuality is ridiculous. i’ve had friends (male and female) that were named after a parent and they were definitely individuals and most weren’t even called by that name so it wasn’t a constant reminder that they were named after their parent. alot of them actually liked the connection to the family. i wouldn’t want my mothers name but if it worked for them i don’t see the problem

- Liese on May 4th, 2009

I also think it’s about honoring your family – My son’s middle name is my Grandfather’s first name. I chose it because I adore my grandfather and wanted to pass on his name and honor the great man he is. It’s not vanity necessarily, some of us are just sentimental and traditional (This coming from an unwed mother with a nose ring… )

We also have the Junior/Senior thing in my family (My grandpa on my dad’s side, my uncle and my cousin all share the same name) I remember not understanding it when I was little – Just seemed confusing. But now I see it as a way to honor family and those you love. My family isn’t narcissistic – Quite the opposite. We’re all a bit odd and very open-minded (And from the Pacific Northwest). For those being rude and judgmental, maybe you could try to be more open-minded about people and things you don’t really know much about.

- Amandamay on May 4th, 2009

For those women who feel naming a child after a family member of loved one is vain, old-fashioned or narcissistic: Have you all chosen to keep your original surname after marriage then? Or those of you not yet married, do you intend to keep your own surname? Nobody has the right to accuse someone who named a child after a mother, father, family member as vain if you believe it’s “right” to take the man’s name after marriage.

Saying naming a child after a loved one for any of the reasons above is incomprehensibly hypocritical if you have or intend to take your husbands name. Before you say something along the lines of “family unity” etc etc, what do you think naming a child after a family member is.

And FYI, to the woman who feels the name gavin is “old-fashioned”, God give me strength!

- Ellen on May 4th, 2009

Ellen: I’m married and go by maiden name, in response to your comments. Also, I’m entitled to an opinion on one of his son’s names. You have your opinion you’ve expressed!

- Sam & Freya's Mum on May 4th, 2009

I’m jumping in on this kinda late, but I have mixed feelings about this. While I do like family names as middle names (like grandparents, aunts, etc.) I personally would not name my children after myself or my husband because I would feel like I’m being narcissistic. But at the same time, I usually don’t feel that way about other people doing it. I don’t recall ever thinking some naming their child Jr. or III is vain (except for George Foreman who has a bunch of kids named after him ).

- Sarah K. on May 4th, 2009

There is a real drought of female cousins in my family and it is crazy how many of us share either the name Mary as a middle name or a variation of it. Although it is nice to have that link it is also a real joke between us. And in a family of 44 cousins we have managed not to double up on names once, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to find an original name.
Personally I wouldn’t go in for naming in honor of or having juniors, it doesn’t sit well with me. From experience I have seen as well as learnt through studying pyshcology at uni that a number of people who are named after a relative do feel pressure to be like that relative or live up to some sort of expectation.

- Daisy on May 4th, 2009

To each his own, right? Jason sounds like a great dad, an overall WONDERFUL person, and an amazing artist and performer. What he wants to name his kids is his business – why take this so seriously?

- MelanieB on July 17th, 2009