I’m curious about where you guys think the line should be drawn when it comes to giving a baby/character the same name (for clarification I’m talking the same first & last name) as a famous person/character. Like, is there a point where it’s ok to have them have the same name as someone famous? Where does it get to the point where a first name is unusable because when paired with your surname it would be the same as a famous person?
For example, I have a character named [name_f]Lily[/name_f] who I’m considering giving the surname [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u] to, but I’m torn because there is already an actress named [name_f]Lily[/name_f] [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u] (though I didn’t know who she was until I googled the name).
i think it depends on the person/character. really (in)famous celebrities’ and characters’ names are off limit, imo. so i don’t think George Washington, Harry Potter, Christopher Columbus, etc would ever be usable. but i have no idea who Lily Sullivan is, and both Lily & Sullivan are common names, so i imagine you’d be fine. if you’re worried about it, though, it might be worth choosing a different surname, since it isn’t set in stone yet
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Great question, found myself wondering the same thing about the name [name_f]Merida[/name_f]
Depends on how famous the person is. If it’s a celebrity who most people have heard of, then it’s a no-go in my opinion. If my surname was [name_m]Ford[/name_m], I wouldn’t choose [name_m]Harrison[/name_m]. But I’ve never heard of [name_f]Lily[/name_f] [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u]. Lots of actors and singers are fairly obscure to the general public. If nobody (or almost nobody) in your community has heard of the actress, then I don’t think it’s a big deal.