Question re Jewish naming tradition

[greyingrey]

My gggg grandfather was an East European Jew who emigrated to Britain (first record there with baptism of his son in 1820) I can't say how close he felt to his religion, but the family made the formal  break in his grandchildren's generation (although they continued to  follow some customs) He gave his first child (1820) his wife's "maiden surname" as a middle name. How would this have been viewed in the Jewish community (if you can generalise about such a thing ) ?

Thank you

[greyingrey]

And, if it comes to that (as this also appears to have happened), how would he have reacted if his friend had named a son after him ?

[aghadowey]

"Ashkenazi Jews have the custom of naming a child after a relative who has passed away." Much more here-
http://www.aish.com/jl/l/b/48961326.html

Just google "jewish naming tradition" to see lots more along the same lines

[loo]

It would be a negative to name someone after someone who is living.  However, that applies to forenames.  I think it would be seen as odd to use the mother's surname.

However, the forenames of the deceased often undergo creative rewrites when applied to newborns, so it's possible that the mother's surname was reinterpreted to resemble the forename of someone deceased.  Male children can be named after female ancestors by rewriting the name in English.  Miriam might become Myron, etc.

Was the mother Jewish?  This is a big question. If she was not, then the child would not be jewish anyway, so the naming practice would not even apply.

If I were researching this person, I would want to know if he was ever given a Hebrew name.  That would show what was intended by the name he was given in English.