Sullivan Xavier Anderson- Too much??

Nobody will care about the Xander once the kid is born. If someone said to me their name was Sullivan Anderson I'd assume they were just saying their surname. My next move would be to say 'OK, and your first name?'.

It is a lot of N’s. Anderson is a good surname though, lots will work with it.

Do you have other children? If so, what style are their names?

Reminds me of Monsters Inc.

Oops - that was name change fail above!

Yeah but floored all these people of Irish heritage don’t have ancestors called Sullivan. My point is I can understand it if the name specifically means something to you (mother’s maiden name say, which is common in scotland), but if you have literally no connection to it then I think it’s inappropriate.

I think it’s lovely 😊

So is Prince Harry unreasonable to use Harrison?

It's estimated that around 10% of the population of Britain has at least 1 Irish grandparent. That's a lot of people. Plus the many others who have more distant Irish ancestry. Not sure how you would differentiate these people from the 'randoms'.

I haven't analysed the full given names to see how many Irish surnames are used, compared to those of other origins, but in my experience it really isn't mainly Irish names that are used.

Floored you’ve got a different opinion from me and the stuff you’ve said hasn’t changed mine so I think we should agree to disagree.

Personally, I see first names as much more flexible and mutable things. It’s very common for parents to choose first names from around the world for their child. Surnames are different because they, by their nature, in the vast majority of cases, reflect family heritage, culture, nationality, and are passed down through generations. You say not everyone called Quinn is Irish, but they will have had an Irish ancestor. It’s irrefutably an Irish name.

The surname as first name trend obviously conflates these two things. Personally I think it’s pretty insensitive, bordering on cultural appropriation, to choose a surname that has a strong connection with a culture that isn’t your own, for your child.

And it’s striking that, in this country anyway, it is mainly Irish names where this happens. I think most white British people would probably hesitate before calling their child say, Bashir, but why not Quinn?

@HarrietM87 Those names aren't only used for English and Scottish children respectively, they are used in other countries too. In fact I think it happens far more with Scottish names than Irish.

Surnames only point to one particular line of a person's ancestry. As I already stated there are many people whose surnames and family names have different origins to their nationality. Should they not use those names? There are many other given names that originate from all other the world. Names evolve all the time, as people have moved countries they have influenced one another.

That is just awful. Nobody uses their middle names (apart from some silly girls wanting to look super-individual on SM), Sullivan Anderson is too many syllables and too many 'n's, it'll be shortened to Sully, then unkindly, to Sally Ann. Don''t do this to a child, he will hate it.

I think some people care about the origins or meaning of a name and others simply choose based on the sound. I nearly used my surname as my son's first name but I care about meaning and wouldn't have chosen a name whose meaning I didn't like. Tbf a good chunk of the white population in the Us have Irish origins so it's hardly surprising this trend seems to be stronger there.

Yes Floored but the examples you’ve given are of English/Scottish surnames commonly used for English/Scottish children. Do you see the difference?

I think it’s odd to take a family name from a culture that’s not your own and use it as a forename for your child. It just seems culturally tone deaf to me.

Sullivan Anderson is too many N plus you've got "an " from Sullivan and Anderson clashing. Xavier is fine though

Sullivan is a surname. It sounds bloody awful as a first name

It’s quite a mouthful! But then how often do people use their middle names?

Yes that's too much. Even if people don't use the middle name it's a bit of a mouthful. Especially for the child.

This isn't particularly unusual. No idea about Thomas.

@HarrietM87 It's definitely not always Irish surnames! For example, Cameron, Cooper, Logan, Tate, Taylor, Brodie, Blair to name just a few of many other non-Irish origin examples.
It also isn't a bizarre trend that only came from the US. As I said this has happened for a long time. In my own family tree we have examples of surnames used as given names going back about 400 years. Thomas isn't particularly unusual.

As I said in my post Floored, I think this “trend” has come from the US, so I didnt suggest it was only English people who do this.

Given that mumsnet is primarily used by people from the UK though I’d assume the OP was English. I also don’t think it’s a “conspiracy”, I think it’s a bizarre trend that originated where people of Irish descent adopted family names as first names as a way of honouring them, and now people with no Irish connections whatsoever have started using them while being completely blind to their origins.

I find it interesting that it’s always Irish surnames. You don’t get people popping up on the name boards suggesting that they call their child Patel or Rostropovich or Del Cueto for example.

@HarrietM87 Your post is a little ridiculous. It is not only English people that use surames as first names, in fact the OP referred to her partner liking Aussie names in her other post. The use of surnames as first names has gone on for a long time, especially the use of surnames from the mother's line. Has it not occurred to you there are plenty of people with the surnames of Sullivan, Kennedy, Murphy and Quinn who aren't Irish? There are many other non Irish surnames that are used as given names as well. I don't think there is an English conspiracy to steal Irish surnames.

Sullvan And*son is too much. Sullivan is OK as a surname but will be Sully as a fn. Don't like it.

Xavier is pronounced Zayvier in the UK.

Solomon, maybe, instead of Sullivan?

I think middle name is irrelevant day to day. But SullivAN ANderson doesn’t work imo.

I think 3 syllables - 3 syllables - 3 syllables is a bit too much to be honest.

Either name would be OK but they would sound so much better with a shorter middle name.