Question for Americans - dynastic post-nominals

I wonder if the Americans who use this Board can answer a question that has been bugging me for some time.

I noticed (on another thread) that plain old "Roscoe" has become "Roscoe Barnes III". This use of "the third" after one's name is, correct me if I'm wrong, almost exclusively an American thing to do.

I've got no problems with the notion, it is just that I have never seen anyone use "II" or "IV" or any other number, other than "III" after their name. I must admit that the only other person, other than Roscoe 3, I can think of is David Love 3, but something tells me there are plenty of others.

Am I off beam and do people use II and IV as well? Any examples?

If "III" is the prevalent form, why?

Kind regards

 

It's not exclusively American.

In the German princely house of Reuss, every male child is named Heinrich and then given a postnominal number. The numbers revert to I each century.

Thus constructions such as Heinrich XXVIII Reuss are quite possible.

American use:

Grandfather: Henry Ford
Father: Henry Ford, Jr
Grandson: Henry Ford, III
Great-grandson: Henry Ford IV

In theory, everyone moves up one rung on the death of the senior member, but in practice people are often too well-known as Jr etc to want to change, hence the growth of increasingly high postnominal numbers.

 

West Virginia Senator John Davison Rockefeller IV.

 

In my experience, people use Jr. (junior) more often than "II"
I think that the primary reason the others (III, IV, etc.) are not used more is that people rarely are happy to keep the same name running through that many generations. Also, my casual workplace survey suggests that some people find the practice to be a bit pretentious a la Thurston Howell III. (not a dig at Roscoe)
Jack

 

Dr Marianus! The princely numerical house of Reuss! I thought no one else cared...

Here is the distinction between II and Jr, illustrated with actual Fords:
Pater antisemiticus: Henry Ford mayhisnameandmemorybeblottedout
Filius maecenaticus: Edsel Ford
Nepos magnificus: Henry Ford II

It seems to be the case that Sr and Jr are in direct father-son sequence, while II is not (grandson, perhaps nephew).

 

Yes. Good distinction.
Jack

 

Thank you all for the contibutions. Very interesting.

Doctor Marianus tells us, "It's not exclusively American.

In the German princely house of Reuss ..."

OK, Americans and European royalty. Anyone else in the club?

Kind regards