like why king xyz 2 and not some other name
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In: 72
Because monarchs generally are known only by their first names, and there have been multiple monarchs with the same name, often because one with that name gave their eldest son the same name as them.
There’s definitely multiple names, but these royal families seem to like to stick to a few specific names. It’s just become tradition at this point.
It’s not just a monarch thing, everyday people do it too.
If my name Gorgle. My son could be Gorgle Jr., his son Gorgle the 3rd, his son Gorgle the 4th. etc.
I’ve known several 3rds etc and even a 5th or two in my life. It’s not suuuper common, but it’s totally a thing (at least in English/Western culture).
Why not just name the Glorgiete, in lieu of more Gorgles? It’s just a respect and familiar memory sort of tradition.
When a man and a woman love each other they can have a baby together.
When the baby is born the parents give it a name.
Other parents can give their baby the same name.
They reuse names for several reasons; it’s their given name, honor an ancestor or glom onto the legacy and cache of the name.
If Ruler II was popular and considered good, there could be incentive to become Ruler III and leverage the positives associated with it.
As for picking a new name, they could, but most tend to be based on characters from their respective religions and belief systems. For the UK, the ruler is also head of the Church of England, so it wouldn’t be popular for them to assume Ahmed I as a ruling title as it’d alienate them from their subjects.
In most monarchies in Europe, the new monarch can choose their regnal title- basically their name as the reigning monarch, and quite frequently that’s not their given name.
For tradition reasons, or because they want to evoke the image of a past and potentially revered ruler, they will frequently choose a name that’s been used previously.
The Pope of the Catholic Church does the same thing on ascending to the throne of Vatican City.
It’s mostly about tradition.
Often they do have informal names that keep them distinct. Here’s a long list of the nicknames given to French kings:
[https://www.theawl.com/2012/07/nicknames-for-french-kings-in-order/](https://www.theawl.com/2012/07/nicknames-for-french-kings-in-order/)
Many of these are not particularly flattering, like “Louis the Lazy,” “Louis the Fat,” or “Charles the Bald,” or “Charles the Mad.” But the French people gave them those names. This was particularly common in France because so many of their kings had the same names. 17 French kings were named Louis.
The numbers tend to be used by historians writing their histories. It’s more orderly and less judgmental.
But during their lifetimes there’s no need for numbers or nicknames. No one has any confusion about the present monarch. For most people Queen Elizabeth was just Queen Elizabeth, not Queen Elizabeth II. And King Charles is just King Charles, not King Charles III.
Mostly honorifics.
If you respected King Charles I, then it only makes sense to name the Prince “Charles”.
Patronymic naming conventions are actually pretty common across languages
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Wouldn’t you love to see a King Bob or a Queen Sue?
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