Surnames as First Names!

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-08-2004
Surnames as First Names!
11
Sun, 09-04-2005 - 12:11am

I'm from the South, and here, it's not uncommon at all for parents to give their children--male and female--first names that are actually family surnames. I know girls named Tenley, Laughlin, Allyn, and Sullivan, and boys named Jones, Hughston, and Fitzpatrick (nn Fitz) after their mothers' maiden names, and I love all those names.

I guess it's probably not entirely uncommon in any region. At any rate, here's my question: what do you ladies think about it? I love the tradition, and I've thought seriously about naming a little girl Whittington (after my grandfather's mother's maiden name). I'm nowhere near actually having a baby, but I still want to pass family names down to my children, AND I actually LOVE the name. But anyway, I shared this thought with a friend the other day, and she was horrified. I didn't pursue the subject, but now I'm wondering whether her shock was due entirely to the name itself, or to her loathing of surnames as first names.

Any guidance is welcome--about the name or about the tradition.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-05-2005
Tue, 09-06-2005 - 7:20pm
I really like the name. I would definitely use it. My husband is named after his mother's maiden name but the first letter was changed. I think you should go for it. Everyone has different opinions. Go with your first instinct.

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