Jon Snow named after Jon Connington?

[Magnar wants]

Makes sense for Rhaegar to name a son after his pal.  And there's precedent (e.g., Duncan the Small).

Apologies if the idea has been mentioned on the forum already.

 

[Siberia]

Nope, He's named after Jon Arryn, Ned's friend. I think George confirmed that

[Lord Wraith]

I am fairly certain that Martin has said that Ned named Jon so Arryn is far more likely.

[dornishdame]

Nope, He's named after Jon Arryn, Ned's friend. I think George confirmed that

I agree. There is an SSM in which GRRM states that Rhaella and Tywin named Daenerys and Tyrion respectively - and that Ned named Jon.  I do not see Ned naming Jon after JonCon.  In my mind. part of the reason Ned has been able to keep Jon's parentage a secret all these years is that the stories about Jon's parentage are all partly true - and the element of truth in the story about the Vale Fisherman's daughter is that Jon's mother died and he was named after Jon Arryn.  Ned's surrogate son named after his surrogate father.

[Mladen]

I am fairly certain that Martin has said that Ned named Jon so Arryn is far more likely.

Or is it?

AWESOME SPOILER ALERT

NedCon

[Lord Lannister]

Actually if Ned was stuck with the name Jon from Rhaegar instead of choosing it himself, I could see Robb, Bran and Rickon being a smokescreen by pushing the theme all his sons were named after prominent figures in the Rebellion.

[Pete Martell]

Actually if Ned was stuck with the name Jon from Rhaegar instead of choosing it himself, I could see Robb, Bran and Rickon being a smokescreen by pushing the theme all his sons were named after prominent figures in the Rebellion.

Is Rickon supposed to be sort of named after his grandfather?

[Lord Ravenstark]

Robb is named after Robert. Perhaps Robb is the Northern version of Robert, much like Brandon seems to be First Man version of Brynden. Edric may be Andalish version of Eddard, which would raise the question of why the Lord of Starfall would name his firstborn after the guy who killed his brother and banged his sister.

In any case, Jon was named after Jon Arryn, that is for sure.

[Lord Lannister]

Is Rickon supposed to be sort of named after his grandfather?

Robb is after Robert

Bran is after his brother Brandon

Rickon is after his father Rickard

Jon is after Jon Arryn(or Connington as this thread suggests)

The overall naming theme is in remembrance to his brother and father whose deaths sparked the rebellion and to Robert and Jon who led it. There's no getting around that one, all I was suggesting is Ned possibly chose the theme to cover up the Targaryen link since Jon could go towards Arryn as logically as Connington.

[Chebyshov]

Not to mention if Rhae-Rhae had the choice, it woulda been "Arthur."

[purple-eyes]

Not to mention if Rhae-Rhae had the choice, it woulda been "Arthur."

rhaegar had chance to name aegon arthur. Just like aegon named his first born son dunk. 

But rhaegar did not. I think he will follow Targ style. 

Arthur is his best friend, true, but for a sad and gloomy rhaegar, his best friend may not that "best" like egg and dunk. Maybe even less good than regular good friend of other people. 

[Chebyshov]

rhaegar had chance to name aegon arthur. Just like aegon named his first born son dunk. 

But rhaegar did not. I think he will follow Targ style. 

Arthur is his best friend, true, but for a sad and gloomy rhaegar, his best friend may not that "best" like egg and dunk. Maybe even less good than regular good friend of other people. 

Oh totes. I just meant like, over "Jon."

[All-Seeing Aye]

No way.  First of all, Rhaegar is dead when Jon is born.  Yes, they could have 'picked out' names but in that case Jon's Targaryen name would have been Aemon, in honor of Maester Aemon who corresponded with Rhaegar about prophecy and which is a historically appropriate name for a Targaryen second son.

Ned named Jon Snow after Jon Arryn.  Simple as that.

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

 Yes, they could have 'picked out' names but in that case Jon's Targaryen name would have been Aemon, in honor of Maester Aemon who corresponded with Rhaegar about prophecy and which is a historically appropriate name for a Targaryen second son.

 

I think you meant to say Viserys, after the Three Heads of the Dragon. Just like Aegon and Rhaenys

[All-Seeing Aye]

It seems to be a common assumption that Viserys is the male equivalent of Visenya, but I don't think it's supported by the linguistic conventions.  Going off of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valyrian_languages, which admittedly is for the TV adaption but was created with GRRM's permission, there are four, not two, grammatical genders.  Viserys and Visenya have different end roots of -erys and -eny; if anything, the 'male' form of Visenya is something like Visenyon, and the 'female' form of Viserys is probably Viserra (like Viserra Targaryen, one of the children of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne) or something similar.

But that's besides the point, because the fanon idea that 'the dragon has three heads'=recreating the generation of the Conquest is just an assumption, one that is taken for granted but is supported by nothing explicit within the text itself.  If Rhaegar wanted to do that, he would have named Rhaenys (his firstborn daughter), you know, Visenya, the eldest child of Aerion Targaryen and Valaena Velaryon.  But he didn't.

Furthermore, if he was trying to be a purist Rhaegar already broke with history because the original three heads of the dragon were all full siblings; Jon is half-brother to Rhaenys and Aegon, thereby breaking the pattern.

 

[King Viserys Targaryen IV]

It seems to be a common assumption that Viserys is the male equivalent of Visenya, but I don't think it's supported by the linguistic conventions.  Going off of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valyrian_languages, which admittedly is for the TV adaption but was created with GRRM's permission, there are four, not two, grammatical genders.  Viserys and Visenya have different end roots of -erys and -eny; if anything, the 'male' form of Visenya is something like Visenyon, and the 'female' form of Viserys is probably Viserra (like Viserra Targaryen, one of the children of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne) or something similar.

But that's besides the point, because the fanon idea that 'the dragon has three heads'=recreating the generation of the Conquest is just an assumption, one that is taken for granted but is supported by nothing explicit within the text itself.  If Rhaegar wanted to do that, he would have named Rhaenys (his firstborn daughter), you know, Visenya, the eldest child of Aerion Targaryen and Valaena Velaryon.  But he didn't.

Furthermore, if he was trying to be a purist Rhaegar already broke with history because the original three heads of the dragon were all full siblings; Jon is half-brother to Rhaenys and Aegon, thereby breaking the pattern.

 

First, I can agree that it is possible that it would be another version of Visenya instead of Viserys. Other than Viserion the dragon, we have yet to another version of it.

 

As far as naming his children in correct order, why would that matter? What if he had a boy first? Would he scrap the idea of having the Three Heads altogether? What if Jon was a boy (which he was), would he just stop trying to recreate them?

There could be reason why he went with Rhaenys first, like both he and his mother were named after Rhaenys so that nmae meant more to him then Visenya's did.

"supported by nothing explicit within the text itself" He says the Dragon must have three heads, and he named two of his three children after the original three heads. That is nothing?

[purple-eyes]

 

First, I can agree that it is possible that it would be another version of Visenya instead of Viserys. Other than Viserion the dragon, we have yet to another version of it.

 

As far as naming his children in correct order, why would that matter? What if he had a boy first? Would he scrap the idea of having the Three Heads altogether? What if Jon was a boy (which he was), would he just stop trying to recreate them?

There could be reason why he went with Rhaenys first, like both he and his mother were named after Rhaenys so that nmae meant more to him then Visenya's did.

"supported by nothing explicit within the text itself" He says the Dragon must have three heads, and he named two of his three children after the original three heads. That is nothing?

Agree. Even Dany noticed this pattern. 

 

[All-Seeing Aye]

First, I can agree that it is possible that it would be another version of Visenya instead of Viserys. Other than Viserion the dragon, we have yet to another version of it.

 

As far as naming his children in correct order, why would that matter? What if he had a boy first? Would he scrap the idea of having the Three Heads altogether? What if Jon was a boy (which he was), would he just stop trying to recreate them?

There could be reason why he went with Rhaenys first, like both he and his mother were named after Rhaenys so that nmae meant more to him then Visenya's did.

"supported by nothing explicit within the text itself" He says the Dragon must have three heads, and he named two of his three children after the original three heads. That is nothing?

Perhaps 'nothing' is the wrong word.  It simply seems strange that he would try to recreate the original three heads of the dragon only to not follow the pattern of naming.  Why wouldn't the name order matter?  Is it really that hard to name your first of three planned children Visenya? 

The name Rhaenys meaning more to him isn't very compelling of a reason to me to deviate from history, especially when he's trying to recreate history in a prophetic way (and again, we don't know the specifics of what prompted Rhaegar in his reading to take up a martial life and start looking at prophecy in the first place, beyond that it involved the prince that was promised).

What if his first child was a boy?  Would he have stopped?  I don't know, but since his first child was a girl I am indeed puzzled that he didn't name her Visenya.

And like I mentioned earlier, if he wanted to really follow history he would have tried to have a second daughter with Elia (even though it would have killed her), since the original three heads were all full siblings.

What if his child with Lyanna wasn't a girl (which it turns out ended up being the case)?  Well, we don't yet know the full story of Rhaegar and Lyanna and I'm hopeful that further insight into his prophetic thinking is revealed eventually, possibly through Howland Reed or Bran/Bloodraven.  Perhaps he eventually thought that 'ice and fire' referred to a union of Stark and Targaryen and acted accordingly.  Or perhaps he needed a generic third child.  We can't say it definitively at this point because there's simply not enough specific information about his inner motivations and thoughts.

[Arrow of the Morning]

Any name Rhaegar wanted to give to Jon, it could not be used, whether a Targaryen name or a name like Arthur, (Jon after JonCon could work, but just because it would be confused with Jon Arryn). And probably Eddard named Jon, after Jon Arryn, the one who fostered him and was practically a second father. It also would outwit any evidence about his Targaryen ancestry. 

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Or is it?

AWESOME SPOILER ALERT

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This is a con I'd totally go.