What's in a name...if it's the same?

I've been trying to sort out my Dad's side of the family research but I am now getting quite confused. I have just discovered that a lot of my late grandmothers paternal side have exactly the same name! Father and son...even uncles and cousins are named John Little. What on earth possessed them to not choose an alternative? Is it some sort of family tradition to see how many John Little's you can fit onto one family tree? The mystery deepens. A cousin of my fathers has tried to help me understand who belongs to what branch but my mind has gone all frazzled and I'm beginning to think it's best to maybe concentrate on the maternal side for the time being and hope that my Dad doesn't notice!