There has been a huge trend in the US with using Irish/Scottish last names as first names and I’ve seen both my maiden name and my married last name mentioned on the forms today as babies first name suggestions. I’m just wondering why there aren’t many Italian last names being used as babies first names in the US. There are so many great Italian last names that would work very well as first names. I’m just curious. Maybe I’m missing them but I don’t see much. Anyone know why or can name a few?
I think [name_u]Irish[/name_u] and Scottish surnames fit in with the general trends - surnames as first names, boyish names for girls, Mc- names, short and snappy names (Blair, [name_u]Quinn[/name_u] etc) - plus there might be people wanting to honour Irish/Scottish ancestry.
Italian surnames are lovely, but they are also sometimes longer and more frilly? than names that are trending atm?
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Oh that’s so interesting!
I have an Irish/Scottish (can be both—in my family’s case, it’s Irish) surname that’s recently gotten wayyyy more popular that ever before as a given name. It’s cool!! A little jarring, but cool. 
Yes same here. My last name is originally Irish but the clan moved to Scotland so history connects it to both countries. I saw my mother’s maiden name mentioned here as a babies first name today too (Sullivan) lol. If I met a person with a sir name as a first name, my first thought would be that their name was chosen because it was their mother’s maiden name and they will get asked this repeatedly if it is a common Irish sir name. It would be strange if they didn’t have any Irish or Scottish roots but I guess trends are trends. It is jarring for me also but as long as they know the meaning of the name and its history, it’s all good.
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I think this trend is mainly popular among American people with Irish/Scottish ancestry. At least initially, then these pick up and become popular as firsts.
Or maybe it’s a Latin thing that we don’t really mix last names and first names, unless it happens that your last name is initially a first.
You don’t see it with Spanish or Portuguese either (that I know of), I’ve seen a couple of French last names used as first but only by people who have no real connection to the language or culture, and I don’t think they even knew these were last names to begin with.
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I agree with @Eirime.
The surnames-as-first-names phenomenon is something rather specific to Anglo cultures and it doesn’t really exist in most European countries (including Italy). The main exception I can think of is names that are derived from the surnames of Catholic saints, such as [name_f]Chantal[/name_f] and [name_m]Xavier[/name_m] (Saverio in Italian). But choosing a random surname and using it as a first name just isn’t the done thing in Italian culture. Plus, in a lot of Latin-based cultures women don’t change their names when they get married so the idea of a maiden name doesn’t really exist.
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