--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would rather make my name then inherit…" description: "\"“I would rather make my name then inherit it. ”\" — William Makepeace Thackeray" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_quote_i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit_1523260.jpg" --- # I would rather make my name then inherit it. ![“I would rather make my name then inherit it.” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_quote_i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit_1523260.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_quote_i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit_1523260.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_quote_i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit_1523260.jpg) > ““I would rather make my name then inherit it. ”” [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prefers to earn his reputation through personal achievements rather than inheriting a family name. **In simple terms:** Earn your own reputation, don’t rely on inheritance. Key Takeaway Build a legacy through your actions. Themes ambition legacy individualism Mood inspirational determined Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - career building - family expectations - personal branding Key Concepts reputation self‑determination Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to shape your own identity? - How does family legacy affect your goals? A Different Perspective Inherited status can still influence perception despite personal effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I would rather make my name than inherit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/i-would-rather-make-my-name-than-inherit-it/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“Some kinds of crazy you make for yourself, others you inherit”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikki-wakefield/some-kinds-of-crazy-you-make-for-yourself-others-you-inherit/) [Vikki Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikki-wakefield/) > [“I stand to inherit a lot from my father, including high cholesterol and diabetes. Oh, and maybe a few Beatles records. Actually, the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-stand-to-inherit-a-lot-from-my-father-including-high-cholesterol/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“You gotta look backwards to go forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fennel-hudson/you-gotta-look-backwards-to-go-forwards/) [Fennel Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fennel-hudson/) > [We inherit nothing truly, but what our actions make us worthy of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-chapman/we-inherit-nothing-truly-but-what-our-actions-make-us-worthy-of/) [George Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-chapman/) > [“You've just inherited rudeness. We've had to work at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/you-ve-just-inherited-rudeness-we-ve-had-to-work-at-it/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [“The Geek shall inherit the world”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/the-geek-shall-inherit-the-world/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [When you dont inherit an identity you have to define it on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-webb/when-you-dont-inherit-an-identity-you-have-to-define-it-on-your-own/) [Marc Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-webb/) > [We are going to inherit the earth; there is not the slightest doubt about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buenaventura-durruti/we-are-going-to-inherit-the-earth-there-is-not-the-slightest-doubt/) [Buenaventura Durruti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buenaventura-durruti/) > [I did not inherit a single dime from my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/i-did-not-inherit-a-single-dime-from-my-father/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [You don't inherit cancer; you actually get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-soon-shiong/you-don-t-inherit-cancer-you-actually-get-it/) [Patrick Soon-Shiong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-soon-shiong/) > [It is good to preserve the name, wealth, and honors you inherit, but it is better in every way if you yourself create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-baldorioty-de-castro/it-is-good-to-preserve-the-name-wealth-and-honors-you-inherit-but-it/) Roman Baldorioty de Castro > [The geeks shall inherit the earth - I've always said that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-morgan/the-geeks-shall-inherit-the-earth-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Cindy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-morgan/) > [I am a child of God, and therefore I do not inherit sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myrtle-fillmore/i-am-a-child-of-god-and-therefore-i-do-not-inherit-sickness/) [Myrtle Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myrtle-fillmore/) > [“What a mess the world was in, Vimes reflected. 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We've had to work at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/you-ve-just-inherited-rudeness-we-ve-had-to-work-at-it/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [We inherit nothing truly, but what our actions make us worthy of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-chapman/we-inherit-nothing-truly-but-what-our-actions-make-us-worthy-of/) [George Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-chapman/) > [“You gotta look backwards to go forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fennel-hudson/you-gotta-look-backwards-to-go-forwards/) [Fennel Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fennel-hudson/) > [“I stand to inherit a lot from my father, including high cholesterol and diabetes. Oh, and maybe a few Beatles records. Actually, the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-stand-to-inherit-a-lot-from-my-father-including-high-cholesterol/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [You inherit real estate when you stay in line, can you even imagine living in my state of mind?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/you-inherit-real-estate-when-you-stay-in-line-can-you-even-imagine/) [Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/) > [Progress has never been a bargain. You have to pay for it. Sometimes I think there's a man who sits behind a counter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-lawrence/progress-has-never-been-a-bargain-you-have-to-pay-for-it-sometimes-i/) [Jerome Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-lawrence/) Browse all 94 Inherit quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I would rather make my name then inherit it. ”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Makepeace Thackeray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inherit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_quote_i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit_1523260.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_quote_i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit_1523260.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5eb/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_quote_i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit_1523260.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would rather make my name then inherit it.” — William Makepeace Thackeray", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Makepeace Thackeray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I would rather make my name...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/i-would-rather-make-my-name-then-inherit-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```