DEAR ABBY: My husband, "Jerry Jr.," was named after his father. He had two sons, "Jerry III" and "Bobby." When Jerry III had a son, he decided not to carry on the tradition and named his son "Stephen." Now Bobby is expecting a son and would like to name him Jerry to honor his father. Our question is, would this child be Jerry IV, since he's part of the same immediate family? Or would he just be Jerry, since his father has a different name? -- ALL IN THE FAMILY
DEAR ALL IN THE FAMILY: That should be up to Bobby to decide. From where I sit, the baby would be just plain Jerry, unless your clan is planning on starting a dynasty.