Can a girl or woman be a "junior"?

That question arose recently with the passing of Frank Sinatra's first wife, Nancy Sinatra. During the 1960s, when her daughter, Nancy Sinatra, began rising to prominence as a singer, media outlets needed to distinguish between the two.

So they began referring to the mother and daughter as "Nancy Sinatra Sr." and "Nancy Sinatra Jr." on first reference, and as "Sinatra Sr." or "Sinatra Jr." (or "Nancy Sr." or "Nancy Jr.") on second reference, and these are the terms they used in stories about Sinatra Sr.'s death.

Traditionally, of course, the terms "Sr." and "Jr." have been reserved for sons bearing their father's names, with Roman numerals (I, II, III) used to designate boys sharing the name of a male relative other than their father.

But despite this patriarchal practice, names derived from a mother or a maternal ancestor, called "matronymics," have existed throughout history and still do (think Elizabeth II). Women who have used the designation "Jr." include:

—Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Jr. (1906-1975), daughter of Franklin and Anna Eleanor Roosevelt

—Winifred Sackville Stoner Jr. (1902-1983), the poet who wrote the couplet "In 1492/Columbus sailed the ocean blue"

—Dorothy Fuldheim Jr. (1920-1980), professor at Case Western Reserve University and daughter of Cleveland TV newscaster Dorothy Fuldheim

—Carolina Herrera Jr. (1973-), fragrance designer and daughter of Venezuelan fashion designer Carolina Herrera

—J. J. Caucus, the Doonesbury character named for her mother, Joanie Caucus; "J. J." stands for "Joan Junior."

But matronymics flourish among less prominent women as well. A post on the ask.metafilter website notes that it was once common for African-American families in the South to name a daughter after her mom and precede the name with "Tee," short for, "Petite." So the daughter of Ester would be "Tee Ester."

Last year, tennis star Serena Williams put a whole new spin on this phenomenon when she named her baby girl Alexis Olympian Ohanian Jr. for her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Kerry Ohanian, even though the middle names of dad and daughter are different. Similarly, the animated Nickelodeon series "The Loud House" features the feisty character Lynn Loud, Jr., named for her father.

As challenges to patriarchy and male privilege continue to grow, it's likely we'll see more matrilineal names for daughters. Who knows? Some day the Junior League might be composed entirely of actual "juniors."

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Photo credit: at Pixabay