I mentioned in my earlier post that my opinion was my own, and that other opinions were just as valid... I meant that sincerely.
While I've always taken pride in my ability to change my opinion on matters when I get new information, I admit that I'm not likely to do so in this case since I've been impacted personally; I also readily admit that many people who feel differently will likely not be changing their opinion, either... and that's OK, too. (I tend to have close friends who have different views from me on many issues, and while we might disagree on some things I appreciate their POV just as they appreciate mine).
Even after seeing first-hand the numerous issues I've had, my own brother chose to make his only son a 'Jr.', and while I thought it was a mistake (and I reminded him of my issues) he still chose to move forward, and I respect his decision. I even gave him some pointers to hopefully make things easier for both of them in the coming years.
I can't pretend to know anybody's motivation for how they choose to name their children, and perhaps I was a bit harsh in my generalization - no disrespect was intended.
I'll only add that nobody knows what the future holds, and nobody sets out to purposely make life hard on their children; in fairness to my own parents, neither of them had any idea their decision could have such negative consequences. Nobody plans on having credit problems (or any legal problems, for that matter...), but sometimes "stuff" happens that is simply out of our control. I'm not saying anybody should be shamed for the "stuff" that happens, or even for their naming choices, just that perhaps in some cases a little more thought should be put into the issue. Too often people tend to overlook the importance of a name; it literally is part of your identity and can have a substantial impact on your life, starting with the formative years and going well into adulthood. Basically, it's "a big deal", and should be treated as such, but too often it isn't.
I'll also add that my generalization (unpolished as it is) of course doesn't apply to everyone... it's really one of those 'shoe fits' kind of things. Of course there will be exceptions - probably many - but in my own circle of friends those of us in this situation have a near-universal agreement on how we feel about it. I'll also reiterate that it does, indeed, go beyond an Equifax report (as I touched on earlier), but since this is a credit forum I chose to concentrate on that facet.
The purpose of my post was to share my experience to give a 'heads-up' to people who otherwise might never think of the consequences of their choice, not to shame or disrespect. I'm pleased the OP started this thread since it points out the pitfalls that can come up specific to credit files (which I've dealt with as well), and hopefully the data points we've provided will be helpful regardless of one's final decision. Like I mentioned above, one of my own brothers chose to move forward with making his son a 'Jr.' and I was able to provide some 'helpful hints' to hopefully help him navigate away from some of the more common issues. (Hint: If you make your child a 'Jr.', start using 'Sr.' yourself as soon as possible.) 