# Alliteration Issues? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Name Discussion\ **Created:** [August 6, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060 "2014-08-06T16:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![shalexis](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/shalexis/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@shalexis](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/shalexis)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/1 "2014-08-06T16:42:21Z")
[name\_m]How[/name\_m] much of an turn off is having a first name that starts with the same letter as the last name? I’ve been thinking about this a lot, because there are a lot of M names that I love ([name\_u]Marian[/name\_u], [name\_f]Miriam[/name\_f], [name\_u]Marlow[/name\_u], [name\_m]Malcolm[/name\_m], a few others), but my last name is also an M name (common Mc\_\_\_\_ name). I can see where it would be a definite no (for example, using a Mc name like [name\_f]McKenna[/name\_f] with my last name), but other times it’s ok? Also, my brother-in-law’s name starts with an M, and it has never really seemed odd to me. I also think part of it depends on the emphasis in the name. The second syllable of my last name is emphasized, and all the names that I feel like sound ok have emphasis on the first syllable. So [name\_u]MAL[/name\_u]-colm MC-\_\_\_\_ or [name\_f]MAR[/name\_f]-ian Mc\_\_\_ would be fine, but Mi-[name\_f]SHELLE[/name\_f] Mc-\_\_\_\_ sounds odd to me. Anyway, just wondering about other people’s thoughts? Specifically from people who actually have alliterated names? ---
**Author:** ![bookworm26](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/bookworm26/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@bookworm26](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/bookworm26)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/2 "2014-08-06T21:22:39Z")
I don’t have an alliterative name, but I do think it’s ok for the first and last name to start with the same letter as long as the sounds aren’t almost identical. Like you said, [name\_f]McKenna[/name\_f] Mc\_\_\_ wouldn’t work, but [name\_u]Marian[/name\_u] Mc\_\_\_ would. ---
**Author:** ![privacyplease](https://forum.nameberry.com/user_avatar/forum.nameberry.com/privacyplease/32/5484_2.png) [@privacyplease](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/privacyplease)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/3 "2014-08-06T21:43:23Z")
[name\_f]Marilyn[/name\_f] [name\_u]Monroe[/name\_u] [name\_u]Michael[/name\_u] [name\_m]Moore[/name\_m] [name\_m]Mads[/name\_m] Mikkelson [name\_m]Robert[/name\_m] [name\_m]Redford[/name\_m] [name\_u]Danny[/name\_u] Devito [name\_f]Susan[/name\_f] Sarandon [name\_u]Ryan[/name\_u] [name\_m]Reynolds[/name\_m] I really, really love alliterative names. To me they sound absolutely lovely & enjoyable. I don’t accept the rule of thumb that says ‘no alliteration’ - what a rigid way to block the flow. Go ahead, it will probably sound poetic and pleasant, and possibly more memorable. ---
**Author:** ![Schickler](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/schickler/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@Schickler](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/Schickler)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 8:52am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/4 "2014-08-07T08:52:28Z")
Funny that you mentioned [name\_f]McKenna[/name\_f], because my BFF named her daughter that with an M-surname (but it’s not a Mc/[name\_m]Mac[/name\_m]) and I didn’t even blink. It sounds great actually. [name\_f]My[/name\_f] DH has an alliterated name, an SS and again, I never even realized / recognized it until well into our relationship. It’s all about flow. [name\_f]Non[/name\_f]-alliterated names can be super awkward with the wrong flow and alliterated names can be pretty awesome. I think it helps to give the fn a different syllable length so that the alliteration is less obvious. [name\_m]Don[/name\_m]'t throw out those M names quite yet 😉 ---
**Author:** ![badgerbadger](https://forum.nameberry.com/user_avatar/forum.nameberry.com/badgerbadger/32/5237_2.png) [@badgerbadger](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/badgerbadger)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 9:18am UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/5 "2014-08-07T09:18:08Z")
[name\_f]Do[/name\_f] you like [name\_u]Marlow[/name\_u] for a boy or for a girl? I absolutely adore it on a little girl, and I think it works beautifull with a Mc- name. [name\_u]Marlow[/name\_u] [name\_f]McKenna[/name\_f], [name\_u]Marlow[/name\_u] [name\_m]McDonald[/name\_m]…I think it’s beautiful! Most of your names seem they would work fine. With [name\_f]Miriam[/name\_f], I think the fact that it ends with M is more problematic than it starting with M. ---
**Author:** ![emsky](https://forum.nameberry.com/user_avatar/forum.nameberry.com/emsky/32/2990_2.png) [@emsky](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/emsky)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/6 "2014-08-07T12:26:48Z")
I think alliteration can be great, as long as it’s the right balance/flow. I wouldn’t let it limit you. ---
**Author:** ![shalexis](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/shalexis/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@shalexis](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/shalexis)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 2:27pm UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/7 "2014-08-07T14:27:29Z")
Oh good. I just saw four or five different posts about how people absolutely WOULD NOT consider a name that had the name starting letter as their last name, so I was concerned! Thanks everyone who replied. ---
**Author:** ![shalexis](https://forum.nameberry.com/letter_avatar/shalexis/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@shalexis](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/shalexis)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/8 "2014-08-07T14:32:30Z")
> [@radbadger](#): > > [name\_f]Do[/name\_f] you like [name\_u]Marlow[/name\_u] for a boy or for a girl? I absolutely adore it on a little girl, and I think it works beautifull with a Mc- name. [name\_u]Marlow[/name\_u] [name\_f]McKenna[/name\_f], [name\_u]Marlow[/name\_u] [name\_m]McDonald[/name\_m]…I think it’s beautiful! > Most of your names seem they would work fine. With [name\_f]Miriam[/name\_f], I think the fact that it ends with M is more problematic than it starting with M. I love [name\_u]Marlow[/name\_u] for a girl, but my husband didn’t seem to love it when I pitched it to him. We’re not actually trying to name anyone right now though, so maybe when it comes to that he’ll come around? I just recently started liking [name\_f]Miriam[/name\_f], and I agree that it is a little too much M. I just like the sound of it a lot, which is why I was also thinking about [name\_u]Marian[/name\_u]. I don’t know that I would every actually use either of them, it’s just been a thought lately. ---
**Author:** ![labelo](https://forum.nameberry.com/user_avatar/forum.nameberry.com/labelo/32/2804_2.png) [@labelo](https://forum.nameberry.com/u/labelo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.nameberry.com/t/alliteration-issues/233060/9 "2014-08-07T16:09:08Z")
[name\_f]My[/name\_f] first and maiden names both started with “L” and I thought it was pretty cool. What I think is a bigger issue is names that rhyme or otherwise sound similar, like [name\_m]Harvey[/name\_m] [name\_u]Harper[/name\_u] or [name\_f]Arwen[/name\_f] [name\_m]Arlington[/name\_m]–those start to sound a little comic-book character-ish.