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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

my surname as first name?

25 replies

herbaceous · 06/07/2009 13:19

Hello all

This is my first venture into 'baby names', but said baby is overdue by nine days, so feel a decision needs to be made!

Me and DP aren't married, and soon-to-be born son will take DP's surname, which is two syllables beginning with B.

I don't want my surname to disappear entirely from his name, so were were going to use it as DS's middle name, with something like Amos or Linus as his first name. Now someone's suggested we could use my surname as his first name.

Would this be too egotistical? The name ends in -bert, and begins with H (so isn't hard to guess), so DS could be nicknamed Bertie, Bert, or Herbie. He could have a more conventional middle name - Samuel, Thomas, Aidan - to choose from if he decided he wanted something safer for the playground...

What do you ladies think?

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justlookatthatbooty · 06/07/2009 13:22

I think it's a lovely idea and not at all egotistical. We used my surname as DS's middle name for exactly the same reasons as you. But it wouldn't have worked as a first name but yours will so I think you should go for it!

claireybee · 06/07/2009 13:25

My friend has done this and I don't think it is egotistical at all.

DS has my mum's maiden name as his first name (though he is called by his middle name), he couldn't have mine or he'd sound like a superhero!

lucykate · 06/07/2009 13:27

they did similar on 'sex & the city', mum was miranda hobbs, dad was steve brady, child was called brady hobbs.

Fimbo · 06/07/2009 13:33

My mum's friend's daughter did this with her son.

fruitstick · 06/07/2009 13:34

My DS has my maiden name as a middle name. My DH hates it as he says it isn't a proper name (it is but is conventionally spelt differently as a first name).

I have to say it might be odd if you are still known by your surname.

eg - I'm Jo Harrison and this is my son Harrison.

Having said that Herbert is a great name.

herbaceous · 06/07/2009 13:37

Thanks for the positive responses!

Fruitstick - I thought that introducing him like that would be a bit weird, but then he's unlikely to be going by 'Herbert' most of the time, but using Bert or Bertie.

I feel kind of attached to my surname, and it's a way of keeping it going down the generations - most of the other babies born in my family have taken their fathers' names so it's in danger of dying out...

OP posts:

nappyaddict · 06/07/2009 13:53

Go for it I love the name Herbert!! Herbie or Herbs is a fab nickname too.

Ladyem · 06/07/2009 13:55

It is such a fab name, so I say go for it!! A nice way to carry on your family name and also a nice meaning behind his name!! I love the shortened versions of it too!!

flowerybeanbag · 06/07/2009 14:03

I'm strongly considering giving DS2 my surname as a middle name when he comes along. Both DS's will have DH's surname, and DS1 has a 'family' middle name from DH's side already so I want to have something from my family for DS2's middle name.

MamaLazarou · 06/07/2009 16:09

Of course you are married... how else would you get a baby?

I would consider using my maiden name as a forename (it is one of those names that is both a surname and a forename), only, it doesn't work with my married surname.

4andnotout · 06/07/2009 16:11

I think it is lovely

If i have a boy i'd love to call him Hadley which is my grandparents surname and the surname i was born with.

LittleWhiteWolf · 06/07/2009 16:51

Clark Kents name was decided like this; his mums maiden name was Martha Clark, so they gave that to him as his Christian name.

Is that too geeky to point out? ;)

I like the idea. My maiden name was Caulfield, which doesnt make much of a first name otherwise I'd have loved to do this. Like you I have a real connection to my name and was sorry to give it up.

sweetkitty · 06/07/2009 16:53

Know a few people who have done this as well a Lee, Grant and Michael

seeker · 06/07/2009 16:55

But why is he taking your dp's surname?

seeker · 06/07/2009 16:56

The other issue is that at some time in the future he may want to use your last name - and he can't really if that's his first name as well!

TiggyR · 06/07/2009 16:58

I think it's great idea. It's a first name in its own right anyway, and loads of people double barrel or use the mum's maiden name as a middle name as a way of keeping it going, so I see no difference. Besides, Herbie is rather cool.

herbaceous · 06/07/2009 17:08

Seeker - good question. We had an informal agreement that if the scan revealed the baby to be a girl, she'd take my surname as it would otherwise be lost, and if was a boy he'd take DP's, as Herbert can be used as a forename.

My sister named her first son Morgan, which was my dad's mum's maiden name and is in my dad's name, so there's a bit of a tradition going on...

OP posts:

Scorpette · 06/07/2009 17:13

It's a great idea and a great name My brother's middle name is my Mum's maiden name (Julian). But seeker has a point - a baby doesn't actually have to take his father's surname (in fact, they don't even if the couple are married - if a woman changes her surname it's only an assumed name, it's not an actual legal change. And you could give DCs another surname altogether!). But Herbie is v. cool, so I would go for it!

seeker · 06/07/2009 23:18

Herbert isn't very nice first name, you know. And people do use it to mean a bit of an idiot - sorry.

Why don't you hyphenate - that way you get the best of both worlds?

MrsGokWan · 06/07/2009 23:59

My DC3 has my Great Grandmother's surname as a first name. The only time I have heard it as a first name is a female character in a long running TV series, the anoying animal presenter for a childrens TV channel, who have no idea if it is mal or female and an incidental boy character in Bob the Builder but it suits DC3 down to the ground.

lastboxoftampons · 07/07/2009 11:05

Hi Herbaceous!
My first thought was "not if you're currently using it as your surname" as Fruitstick says. Even though you don't intend to call him by his formal name all the time, I still think it's slight weird. I would stick to using it as a middle name...but that's just me!

9 days overdue! Good luck to you!

herbaceous · 07/07/2009 11:30

DP is now saying he's going off the idea. Goodness sake. But it will still be his middle name, at the very least.

Hi LBoT! Going in to be induced this afternoon - gulp - so he'll be here soon enough. Hope that seeing him will inspire a name decision!

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lastboxoftampons · 07/07/2009 11:31

Ooooh, exciting! Best wishes for an easy labour! Congratulations on your little guy!

angel1976 · 07/07/2009 11:33

What happens if you happen to have a second son in the future? Will he be Herbert the Seond? Your second son might not feel so special if he gets given an 'ordinary' name... Good luck for the induction!

TwoHot · 07/07/2009 18:08

I have done this! Most people dont realise as we are married now.

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