I agree. Why was there a John Paul the 23rd BEFORE there was a John Paul the 2nd?
There was John the XXIII, then Paul VI, and there was then the very brief (one month) reign of John Paul I, who had chosen the name John and Paul to honor his predecessors and probably to placate the liberals. He was quite conservative and it was known that he wanted to reverse some of the things rammed through at the Council, particularly those involving the liturgy. It is widely thought that he was poisoned.
JPII named himself John Paul to honor both the earlier popes John XXIII and Paul VI, and John Paul I.