It is very important for me to use family names for my children. My daughter’s first and middle names honor 4 women in my family.
My problem: I’m not sure if my family names are usable as first names. [name]Do[/name] you think they are cool and vintage or old and ugly?
The names:
[name]Glenn[/name]
[name]Victor[/name]
[name]Phillip[/name]
[name]Robert[/name]
[name]Harlen[/name] or [name]Harley[/name]
[name]Eugene[/name]
[name]Richard[/name]
[name]Wally[/name] (I would probably find a longer form for this one.)
I like [name]Victor[/name] and [name]Harlan[/name] a lot. [name]Victor[/name] I feel like is very underused.
[name]Philip[/name] I can never decide if I like or not.
[name]Glenn[/name] is a good one-syllable middle that doesn’t clash with much. I wouldn’t use it as a FN though and it feels a little bit androgynous.
[name]Richard[/name] and [name]Robert[/name] are classic but I just don’t like them, honestly. I don’t think they’re unusable though.
[Something] [name]Walton[/name] is what I would do with [name]Wally[/name] if I had to use it.
I don’t like [name]Harley[/name] or [name]Eugene[/name] at all. But I’ve seen [name]Harley[/name] used on both genders of little kids so obviously a lot of people like it, I just don’t. I do like [name]Harvey[/name] but I don’t know that that’s close enough.
The names on your list are great! [name]Glenn[/name] and [name]Harlen[/name] would be my favorites, and [name]Eugene[/name] and [name]Richard[/name] I would only consider for a mn. I like using names to honor family members; it gives children an important link to family history. You don’t have to use the exact name, though. You could use a variant, a name with a similar meaning, or even a name with the same initial.
I like [name]Harlen[/name], but it can easily sound like [name]Harlem[/name]. So he may have a lifetime of correcting. All others I think make great middle names if you’re not sure, they are cool vintage names.
I think [name]Glenn[/name], [name]Phillip[/name], [name]Robert[/name] (nn [name]Robbie[/name]), [name]Richard[/name] (nn [name]Ricky[/name]), [name]Harlen[/name], and [name]Wallace[/name] (nn [name]Wally[/name]) would be great first. I typically have very traditional taste, if that makes any difference. I don’t really care for [name]Victor[/name] (watched too many reruns of Despicable Me, haha), but it would work nicely as a first name, too. [name]Harley[/name] reminds me of motorcycle gangs and teen moms so it’s not a name I would ever use.
The only ones I would say no to are [name]Glenn[/name] and [name]Eugene[/name]. Those are really, really dated to me. I like [name]Wally[/name] as a nickname for [name]Walter[/name], [name]Walden[/name], or something of that sort.
[name]Robert[/name] and [name]Phillip[/name] are perfectly usable although nms. I like [name]Eugene[/name] ([name]Gene[/name]) but it does connote nerdiness and also I personally would be a little uncomfortable with the meaning and its etymological connections to concepts like eugenics.
If you choose [name]Wally[/name], definitely go with a longer name. In some places, ‘wally’ is slang for basically an idiot i.e “he’s a bit of a wally, isn’t he?” I like Wald names, like [name]Walden[/name].
[name]Victor[/name], [name]Philip[/name], and [name]Harlan[/name] ([name]Ellison[/name]!) are strong, masculine classics that will never go out of style. I personally [name]LOVE[/name] ‘W’ names. [name]Wallace[/name], [name]Walter[/name], [name]Waldo[/name], and [name]Walden[/name] are all fantastic choices.
[name]Glenn[/name] - not ready for a comeback, in my opinion, but I can see logic to the contrary. It feels at once stuffy and dorky.
[name]Victor[/name] - I know one that makes me dislike the name, but trying to be objective I can see the appeal. It’s fresh.
[name]Phillip[/name] - This one doesn’t even feel dated, just stodgy and trying-too-hard.
[name]Robert[/name] - not ready. Give it another 15 years.
[name]Harlen[/name] or [name]Harley[/name] - I like [name]Harlen[/name], but it would be confused with [name]Harlem[/name]. [name]Harley[/name] is cute, for a pet,
[name]Eugene[/name] - not ready, perhaps never ready.
[name]Richard[/name] - I don’t think it’s dated, just unappealing.
[name]Wally[/name] - I really like [name]Walter[/name] nn [name]Walt[/name]. LOST helped bring this one into the present for me. I know a 20-something [name]Wally[/name] and I honestly feel like the name is too cartoonish for an adult to wear.
[name]Love[/name] [name]Phillip[/name] nn [name]Pip[/name]! I also really like [name]Victor[/name] and [name]Walter[/name] nn [name]Wally[/name]. I’m not really a fan of the others.
[name]Victor[/name] and [name]Phillip[/name] are great for a first name. [name]Harlen[/name], [name]Eugene[/name] and [name]Richard[/name] are great for middle names.
My 18 month
Old son is a [name]Victor[/name]. We get plenty of compliments and it’s not only classic, but super international, which was important to us!
My feelings aside on whether I like the name or not all are usable. The only ones I would have be hesitant about are [name]Glenn[/name] and [name]Eugene[/name]. [name]Glenn[/name] I’m starting to really like but some may feel is too dated for use. [name]Eugene[/name] is almost ready for a comeback though, I mean others are already talking about [name]Eugenia[/name] & [name]Eugenie[/name], why not [name]Eugene[/name]? The only other pause I would have is [name]Eugene[/name] Crabs from Spongebob (I don’t know if kids will even connect the two but just a thought)
[name]Glenn[/name] - I actually disagree with most of the others on this one. I don’t think it’s stodgy at all. I think it sounds breezy, classy, and gentlemanly. It makes me think of [name]Glenn[/name] [name]Miller[/name].
[name]Victor[/name] - I also think this is an underused gem.
[name]Phillip[/name] - I usually think of older, potbellied men nicknamed “[name]Phil[/name]” when I hear this one. However, I know one young 18 year old with this name. It works for him because it’s so classic.
[name]Robert[/name] - another classic, older gentleman name. It’s not my taste but it’s definitely usable.
[name]Harlen[/name] or [name]Harley[/name] - [name]Harlen[/name] has a Southern vibe to it. [name]Harley[/name] is probably the most modern out of this list. It goes with all the current, popular “cool guy” names for boys, like [name]Sawyer[/name] and [name]Jax[/name].
[name]Eugene[/name] - probably the only one here I would call unusable. It just seems dorky and nerdy.
[name]Richard[/name] - Yeah it’s dated, but not in a bad way. It sounds like a nice older gentleman. It’s classic. Not dated in the way “fad” names are, like for example, [name]Shannon[/name] and [name]Jason[/name] from the 80s
[name]Wally[/name] - Personally I just don’t like the “[name]Wal[/name]” names like [name]Walton[/name], so I don’t know what to think about this one.
[name]Eugene[/name] is the only one that feels too dated for me too (and I think of eugenics). Blerg.
I don’t love [name]Richard[/name] or [name]Glenn[/name]; i think they’re ok.
The rest are fab. [name]Love[/name] [name]Walter[/name] and [name]Walden[/name], [name]Victor[/name] and [name]Harlen[/name] (nn [name]Harley[/name], [name]Lennie[/name], [name]Arlo[/name]), [name]Phillip[/name] (nn [name]Pip[/name]!) and [name]Robert[/name] (nn [name]Rob[/name], [name]Bertie[/name]).
I don’t really care for [name]Victor[/name] (watched too many reruns of Despicable Me, haha), but it would work nicely as a first name, too. [name]Harley[/name] reminds me of motorcycle gangs and teen moms so it’s not a name I would ever use.