Michael Jackson named all three of his children "Michael" (including his daughter).  He comes in second in this area: former heavyweight champion and current huckster George Foremen named all of his five sons "George Edward," after himself.  Why do men give their sons their own names?  What impact does it have on a child?

Michael Jackson combined grandiosity with self reference in naming his two sons Michael Joseph Jr. (but referring to him as Prince Michael, now age 12) and Prince Michael II (age 7). His daughter is Paris Michael Katherine (age 11). George Foreman's first George is George Junior, followed by Georges III through VI. Nicknames are obligatory in such situations.  (Thank goodness, he only named two of his five girls "Freeda George" and "Georgetta.")

Traditionally, men name their sons after themselves by adding "Junior" (e.g., John Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Martin Luther King Jr.), and the sons then add the appellation "II" to their namesake sons.  Lately, however, fathers have been jumping directly to "II" in naming their own sons, since "junior" seems so diminutive (many juniors, like the second Frank Sinatra, eschew that tag).