How to select only the first distinct value in a column, but have blanks in that column in the other rows otherwise
For mysql at least: 

SELECT 
(
    CASE WHEN child = (SELECT child FROM people AS inner_people WHERE inner_people.name = people.name ORDER BY people.name, people.child LIMIT 1)
    THEN name
    ELSE ''
    END
) AS name,
child
FROM people ORDER BY people.name, people.child;