Lets discuss surnames as first names

I tend to like a surname sound for a first name, boy or girl. What do you think of this idea? [name]Do[/name] you have any suggestions, preferably ones that don’t end in the letter R?

[name]Calloway[/name]
[name]Connolly[/name]
[name]Sullivan[/name]
[name]Dempsey[/name]
[name]Flannery[/name]
[name]McKenna[/name]
[name]McKenzie[/name]
[name]Cassidy[/name]
[name]Kennedy[/name]
[name]Reagan[/name]
[name]Delaney[/name]
[name]Donovan[/name]
[name]Flynn[/name]
[name]Grady[/name]
[name]Keegan[/name]
[name]Madigan[/name]
[name]Sheridan[/name]

Thought I’d just add [name]Harrison[/name] and [name]Tate[/name] to that list. That’s a very impressive list:)

  • [name]Charlie[/name]

Lol - I live in Chicago, the capital of the ‘Irish not in [name]Ireland[/name]’! There are LOTS of surnames to choose from here. lol I could have kept going too.

[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Darby[/name]
[name]Kelly[/name]
[name]Anderson[/name]
[name]Griffin[/name]
[name]Conrad[/name]
[name]Mason[/name]
[name]Finnegan[/name]
[name]Troy[/name]
[name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Murray[/name]
[name]Dillon[/name]
[name]Bailey[/name]
[name]Miller[/name]
[name]Willis[/name]
[name]Beckett[/name]
Brechin
[name]Ryan[/name]
[name]Hogan[/name]
[name]Gallagher[/name]
[name]Taylor[/name]
[name]Evan[/name]
[name]Wilson[/name]
[name]Walker[/name]
[name]Porter[/name]
[name]Parker[/name]
[name]Preston[/name]
[name]Gray[/name]
[name]Lewis[/name]
[name]Harris[/name]
[name]Jackson[/name]
[name]Clarke[/name]
[name]Mitchell[/name]
[name]Davis[/name]
[name]Campbell[/name]
[name]Scott[/name]
[name]Reid[/name]
[name]Brook[/name]
[name]Brooks[/name]
[name]Watson[/name]
[name]Patterson[/name]
[name]Fisher[/name]
[name]Riley[/name]
[name]Ferguson[/name]
[name]Cameron[/name]
[name]Archer[/name]
[name]Russell[/name]
[name]Wallace[/name]
[name]Stanley[/name]
[name]Mackenzie[/name]
[name]Kingston[/name]

My maiden name is [name]Smith[/name]. I thought about it as a first name at one point. But [name]Smith[/name] [name]Stanford[/name] sounded more like a law firm than a kids name.

I only like it if there is a legitimate connection to the surname, in which case surname as first name is way cool.

I think I would be embarrassed to use a surname for fn under any other circumstances. In the event that I really liked a surname and wanted to use it as a fn then I would probably invent a story linking our family to the name to avoid embarrassment…I wouldn’t actually, but that would be the only way I could ever see myself using one!

Why would that be embarrassing? I mean, I guess it could be a bit odd if you met someone with that surname and they asked you why you picked the name for your child, but even that doesn’t personally get me…

A lot of the surnames I like are from literary connections. That’s where I go to hunt down great names! :wink:

I quite like surnames as first names. Especially the uncommon ones on boys. Surnames have been used as first names for hundreds of years so there is a long precident for it.

However, meaning is still important for me. Therefore I dislike [name]Mac[/name]/Mc and -son ([name]Emerson[/name], [name]Addison[/name] etc) surnames on girls as they mean “son of”. [name]Just[/name] seems odd to give them to a girl imo.

Here are some of my faves:

Ames
[name]Beckett[/name]
[name]Bowen[/name]
[name]Brooks[/name]
Colban
Coman
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]Forbes[/name]
Galey
[name]Garrard[/name]
[name]Graves[/name]
[name]Grey[/name]
[name]Hayes[/name] – I want to use this as a mn for a second boy if I ever have one as it’s a family name.
[name]Reeve[/name]
[name]Rhodes[/name]

Wow!! Thanks for all the suggestions. There are a lot I like. I will talk to the hubby and see what he thinks. I named my first son [name]Easton[/name], and there is no family tie, and I don’t mind it (obviously). It would be great if there was a family tie, but all the last names I have to choose from are [name]German[/name], and my child would never forgive me if I used them as a first name. I just like the sound of them. Thanks for all the advise. All other suggestions are welcome too. I’ll let you know what the hubby says.

Within reason I don’t have a big issue with surnames being used in the first name spot, except that I generally dislike those with a “son of” or other masculine meaning on girls (and usually prefer those that are also traditionally masculine first names on boys). One of my favorite surname-type names is [name]Sullivan[/name] for a boy (a lot of people seem to think that it’s too “surnamey” for use as a first name though).

I actually really like [name]Sullivan[/name], but I don’t like the nn [name]Sully[/name] and I think it would be unavoidable. [name]Do[/name] you have any ideas that are close to sullivan?

Another nickname for [name]Sullivan[/name] is “[name]Van[/name].” You may also like [name]Vaughn[/name]. :slight_smile:

You may also like:

[name]Finnegan[/name]
[name]Finley[/name]
[name]Finnian[/name]
[name]Beckett[/name]
[name]Breckin[/name]
[name]Cormac[/name]
[name]Cullen[/name] (Twilight name, though)
[name]Cormac[/name]
[name]Donovan[/name]
[name]Darby[/name]
[name]Grady[/name]
[name]Griffin[/name]
[name]Quinlan[/name]

Good luck! :slight_smile: