We are considering using my maiden name- [name]Harper[/name]- as a first name for our baby girl. We really like this name for a girl, but is it too strange for family members who still have the last name when they talk about her?
[name]Harper[/name] is a beautiful name! And I don’t think it’d be weird. My cousin named her daughter her maiden name (my last name) and it’s never been odd to any of us. I think it’s a beautiful way to honor your family!
It could be a little strange. Not to mention if you have other kids it might be weird for one child to have such an important first name, and the others chosen at random. I know a family who used the other’s maiden name as the middle name for all their children, it’s a tradition I really appreciated. (Actually the mother made her maiden name her middle name too, and made the father change is middle name to it as well. That might be a bit extreme though haha.)
I don’t think using [name]Harper[/name] as a first name is a bad idea, but putting it in the middle is something to think about.
I love the idea of using a maiden name…I wish I could use mine but it’s very Swiss-[name]German[/name] and in [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name] it would just be mean.
I think [name]Harper[/name] is lovely for a boy or girl. If you’re not sure about first name, what about middle name?
heck, i’ve seen this done by moms who’ve kept their maiden names. in both of those cases, while it was obvious that the name came from the mom’s last name, the kid really grew into it as a distinct first name that they totally own. i think it’s a great way to pass on a family name without hyphenating. (not that i have anything against hyphenation per se, but it does get confusing when it comes to the next generation. which was actually a principle reason one of the aforementioned kids got named after his mom’s family: his dad’s last name was already a hyphenate.)
also, harper is a great first name.
I think [name]Beyonce[/name] was named after her mom’s maiden name
I think it’s a great idea, and I can tell you from experience (not first hand, wasn’t born or thought of!) that it’s not a problem. My great grandfather was given his mothers maiden name as a first name, and as far as I know there were never any problems. I also think that it’s a fantastic way to honour you, her mother, so she will carry both of her parents names with her. Go for it!
I love it. It is a very big Southern tradition, though mostly with sons. Still if the name makes sense, it works. A little girl “[name]Smith[/name]” or “[name]Conway[/name]” might be a little weird.
That is a great way to pass your history onto your child. It should assure then that their name wasn’t chosen at random. Go for it!
I’ve seen this done a ton of times here in the south. I knew a girl in college named [name]Hayes[/name]. I loved that as her first name and I wanted to steal it. Perhaps I shall one day have a character named [name]Hayes[/name].
My maiden name is [name]Smith[/name]. I seriously thought about using it as a middle name for a future son. I have heard of it used as a given name before and I honestly do like it. I think there are definitely some great last names out there that can turn out to be great given names!
Great idea, especially when you’ve got a maiden name as first name-friendly as [name]Harper[/name]!
It’s a great idea, especially since [name]Harper[/name] is already an established name for girls. I went to school with a [name]Wyatt[/name] who had been given his mother’s maiden name as a first name and I thought it was neat.
I think this is a perfect reason to use the name [name]Harper[/name]. No offense to any Harpers out there, but it’s so popular on all the naming forums I’m on (even though I only know two in real life) that I tend to avoid it. But in this case, I’m all for it.
I think it’s fine if it’s a name like [name]Harper[/name] (which I do like anyway). My sister did this, actually. Our last name was [name]Mason[/name] and now it’s her son’s name. I wouldn’t personally have done that, but it suits my nephew and I think it’s okay.
[name]Harper[/name] is great, though, and it’s even better if there’s a family connection in my opinion.
[name]Harper[/name] is such a beautiful name, and you have a perfect reason to use it. [name]Don[/name]'t let it go to waste! It would be tragic if you didn’t use it.
Thanks for all the great advice! I feel much better about passing it along. I didn’t even realize how popular [name]Harper[/name] had become in recent years, or months even. I thought [name]Harper[/name] [name]Lee[/name] was the only one. At least I have a genuine purpose for the name and it will be more special than just a trendy reason to choose it. Thanks everyone 
I think this can work if you have a last name that is usable for a first name.
[name]Harper[/name] is one of the names that has been on the rise especially for girls. I say use it!!! It’s all about if you like the name.
my last name is [name]Campbell[/name] and I am considering this as a first name for our baby if it’s a boy. I love [name]Harper[/name] for a girl and like the idea of carrying on the mother’s family name somehow.
Go for it! [name]Harper[/name]'s a great name and it’s awesome that it has family meaning for you. I plan on using my last name ([name]Miller[/name]) for a future son, or maybe as a middle name for daughter. Good luck!