I was wondering if you American berries could shed some light on this. I noticed, especially in [name_u]America[/name_u]( but this could happen in other countries), that a family surname will more often than not, be used as a first or middle name for their child. Whilst I recognise that this naming agenda is self explanatory I wondered if it’s the maiden name which is passed on? [name_u]Or[/name_u] do you look at your family tree etc? Is this simply an honour thing or a tradition? I’ve never seen this in the UK ( in my experience)
Many common names used int he United States were/are common last names (i.e. [name_u]Jackson[/name_u], [name_u]Emerson[/name_u], [name_u]Ellison[/name_u] etc). I’m assuming many people who have these names have no family significance. Personally, my oldest has my maiden name as his middle name and my youngest has my MIL’s maiden name as his middle name. They flowed better with first names chosen rather than other family names. I almost considered my own maiden name as a first name, because I thought it could work, but DH wasn’t so sure. I love a lot of last name names as first names, my favorite as of now being [name_u]Callahan[/name_u] and [name_m]Jones[/name_m], which are family names for me. I like family heritage and looked through generations to find these, but again, I don’t think everyone does that. I think it is different for everyone.
Sometimes it’s a maiden name that is passed on and I know people who have seen it on their family tree so they use it. However, I know many people with surname names, and most of the time it’s just a name that has become more popular and trendy. Examples: [name_u]Hunter[/name_u], [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u], [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_u]Avery[/name_u], [name_u]Carter[/name_u], [name_u]Harper[/name_u]
American here. It’s definitely a not-unheard of occurrence here. Sometimes it is the maiden name (usually this iteration would happen as a middle name in my anecdotal experience), sometimes it’s on the family tree, sometimes it’s just a surname they like as a name. Personally I like it best when it has specific meaning, but that’s just me!
Really interesting thank you. I don’t speak for every British person lol but I’d say we would be more inclined to make the surname double barrel rather than use a maiden name as a name outright. Certainly interesting! For instance my mum’s maiden name before she married was White and my maiden name is Hoole. So I don’t think I’ll be passing them on as names in a hurry
I personally know a lot of people (10 or more) who have given surnames as first names that they have no familial connection to (as far as I know).
However I also know at least 2 people who used their maiden names as a given name for their son. For the one case, her maiden name is pretty common as a given name ([name_u]Hunter[/name_u]) so she used it as her son’s first name. For the other case, her maiden name is not a common given name (Mait1and) so she used it as her son’s middle name.
(This is in reference to my work at the hospital) I’ve seen a lot of surnames as middle names. A few times I checked mom’s maiden name, because I found the surname so unusual and interesting. But then discovered it wasn’t her maiden name… It could be just a name they liked or a surname somewhere along the family tree, I’ll never know
I intend to honor my mom’s side with the middle name spot. One of the options I’ll consider is her maiden name, but it will be up to her in the end. I don’t really care how she is honored, so it’s whatever is most important or appealing to her.
I love it when a meaningful surname is useable. I like surname type names in general but I also recognize that so many COMMON boy names are also surnames. I know people with the surnames, and also males with the first names, [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_u]Murray[/name_u], [name_m]Andrew[/name_m], [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]William[/name_m](s), etc., but they aren’t often thought of as using a surname.
Most people I know use a family surname to honor specific family members. Most do not go reaching for a surname from anywhere on their family tree.
I have a cousin whose oldest son was given his mother’s maiden name as there would be no one to pass on her maiden name.
The only other case I have is another cousin used the same middle name for each of her sons. The name (Ändërson), roughly translated, means son of Ändrëw, which was their dad’s name.
I have a few that would work but it doesn’t interest me to go that route. And it makes me giggle to imagine my MIL trying to do this with her maiden name, Butts
I know several people in the UK who have inherited a surname as a middle name. A have friends where this is the case but I can’t off the top of my head remember the surname to give you as an example. A great example is [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_m]Watson[/name_m] who has her grandmother’s maiden name as her second middle. She is [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] Duerre [name_m]Watson[/name_m]. It would however be unusual to make the surname a first. It is also often seen with the upper class, especially historically, where important noble surnames on the mother’s side were honoured in the middle of the sons who would not inherit their mother’s name.
I know quite a few kids with their mom’s maiden name as a middle. It’s not something I would personally do, but I do think it’s a sweet bit of family history.
I have seen some kids with surname middle names that I can’t link anywhere and I can’t really speak to why or what the connection is. If it’s a name that’s been heard a lot as a given name (which is very popular where I am) then that’s what I tend to assume it is, but I have heard some more unusual ones - especially Mc names - that seem to just be a name they found cool.
My mom made all her kids’ middle names her maiden name. It helps that her maiden name is a not super common but easy enough to spell&say first name. Not sure her exact reasoning but she’s said it “sounds presidential”. Shoot for the moon, I guess.
