With so many people using the middle name spot for family namesakes, I was wondering what everyone thought of giving some honor to less personal people, like poets or philosophers, maybe even in the first name spot. If you did that who would you honor using what name?
I like:
[name]Galileo[/name] Galilei, [name]Edgar[/name] [name]Allen[/name] [name]Poe[/name], [name]Robert[/name] [name]Frost[/name], [name]Jimmy[/name] “The Rev” [name]Sullivan[/name], Kimya Dawson
I think its a lovely reference. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any I’d personally honour. Perhaps JK Rowling, as HP brought me out of a very dark place when I was growing up and for a time, it was the only thing in life that made me happy. I guess Rowling could be an interesting middle name. I think its a lovely way to honour someone or something you admire, though 
I personally wouldn’t really, unless it was someone/something that had a seriously huge impact on my life. And I can’t think of anything like that.
The closest I’d probably do is perhaps after HP characters, and even then I don’t have any in mind really. Or [name]Marie[/name] [name]Antoinette[/name], I love the name [name]Antoinette[/name] and I’m rather intrigued by her story, so it’d be more coincidence than cause.
We’re doing this for our kids. Some of the names we’re considering are because it is the name of an historical figure that’s important to us , or a favorite character in literature, or a particularly important Biblical name. My own name is after my dad’s favorite movie star and my mom’s favorite college roommate, so I don’t have any family connection. I’ve always liked it this way.
I’m using [name]Alexander[/name] as a middle name after the lead signer of a band I’ve loved for many years. I think it’s special and really nice Most of the names you listed could easily be incorporated into a name, first or middle.
If it was someone I really admired, whether real or fictional, and their name wasn’t totally out there, then I’d have no problems naming a child after them.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge [name]Bob[/name] [name]Dylan[/name] fan, and I really like ‘[name]Dylan[/name]’, but not for the first name slot as a cousin of mine named her first born boy [name]Dylan[/name] a few years ago.
There are a few others I can think of, mostly musicians/artists. By the way, I am also a Kimya [name]Dawson[/name] fan! Great stuff. [name]Dawson[/name] could work very well!
I really admire the work of [name]Maria[/name] Montessori, but never thought past the name ‘[name]Marie[/name]’ (which I really do like & prefer to [name]Maria[/name] right now) to honor her…I guess [name]Monty[/name] could work for a boy, though I probably wouldn’t use it.
My rule is never name your child after someone still living unless you’re related to them. No friends, no celebrities, no living thinkers. You never know when someone might go off the deep end, and you don’t want your child associated with someone who’s notoriously for some meltdown (or who you’ve had a terrible falling out with.)
In terms of historical namesakes, I think you’ve got to be careful. I love and would use the names [name]Anais[/name], [name]Auden[/name], and [name]Dashiell[/name] individually, but if you use all three and go around saying your kids are named after writers it comes off as extremely pretentious and off-putting to me. I’m all for having meaning behind names, but I wouldn’t want to come across as an elitist.
@dancersventure [name]Bob[/name] [name]Dylan[/name] is a great namesake, too. I love the musician ones, but sometimes you have to be careful about what they believe in which sucks. I’m so glad to see another Kimya fan! I love all of her stuff, and I’ve been falling more in love [name]Leopold[/name] nn [name]Leo[/name] after her Antsy Pants band mate, but I’d have to look more into what he grew up to be like first. Looking at your favourites you could also probably claim [name]Mary[/name] to be in honor if you wished 
@daisy I agree with the part about friends, and most famous people. There are a few exceptions I would make, see [name]Dawson[/name], but mostly I wouldn’t. I also agree with you about the ultra loaded ones, although one of my top names is [name]Eliza[/name] Galilei [name]Dawson[/name], but I will choose my last names for my children so it will just seem like [name]Dawson[/name] is a normal ln and [name]Eliza[/name] isn’t for anyone. Also, [name]Anais[/name] is a good one too.
I must admit, I’ve considered [name]Manson[/name] a little, too. After [name]Marilyn[/name] not [name]Charles[/name], but he’s very controversial whether you like him or not-and whether your child does- and people would always think of [name]Charles[/name]. Sigh.
Apparently, I do this a lot! My boys’ list is full of historical references I love–[name]Boone[/name] ([name]Daniel[/name] [name]Boone[/name]), [name]Atticus[/name] (for [name]Atticus[/name] [name]Finch[/name], and there was a [name]Christian[/name] martyr named [name]Atticus[/name], as well), [name]Booker[/name] (for [name]Booker[/name] T. [name]Washington[/name]), and [name]Lincoln[/name] ([name]Abraham[/name] [name]Lincoln[/name], of course). Biblical names are also a huge plus for me, which is probably why so many are on my list, haha.
I actually love this idea, probably because when I admire someone I am usually biased in favour of their name I love:
[name]Cassandra[/name] ([name]Cassandra[/name] [name]Austen[/name])
[name]Agatha[/name] ([name]Agatha[/name] [name]Christie[/name])
[name]Elinor[/name] ([name]Elinor[/name] Dashwood)
[name]Elizabeth[/name] ([name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Bennet[/name])
[name]Matilda[/name] ([name]Empress[/name] [name]Matilda[/name])
[name]Daniel[/name] (for so many [name]Daniels[/name], Dans and Dannys I love and admire)
[name]Lincoln[/name] ([name]Abraham[/name] [name]Lincoln[/name])
That’s all I can think of for the moment, but I’m sure there are loads more.