Sullivan

I'm playing devil's advocate really as it's not a name I'd choose myself. But I do think sometimes we can be very rigid about names. And "chavvy" is a particularly unpleasant description which seems to be disproportionately applied to Irish names, "new" names, and surnames used as first names.

@harrietm87 Sullivan seems to be part of a slightly different trend which originated in America (where the Irish diaspora want to celebrate their roots) but has now been copied by British people who for the most part don’t even realise they are giving their kids Irish surnames as first names. Sullivan is one of these, as are Ryan and Kennedy and I’ve even seen Murphy. Some will say it’s all part of how names evolve but as an Irish person I find it distasteful. Especially when you often seem to find that the people who would happily name their child eg Sullivan, in the next breath criticise my kids’ Irish first names as being unpronounceable

How many people realise Zara or Jasmin are Persian/Iranian names? It's really not unusual that people don't know the origins of names. Just as people don't realise the names they might like were originally surnames. Or women's names that were originally men's names like Tracy, Marion, Lauren, Beverley and Hilary

@harrietm87 Aren’t Alexander and Oliver traditionally first names that have become used as surnames though?

They are not remotely in the same bracket as names like Cooper, Mason and Grayson.

No. Alexander and Oliver were names when people were called 'Alexander of XXXX'. It was more akin to our surname. It was then a surname later adopted as a first name.

The feature we were discussing was whether surnames as first names was chavvy. Clearly Alexander abd oliver aren't. Yet they were surnames. Ergo surnames as first names are not by definition chavvy. You just don't like some surnames as first names and you have chosen to categorise them as 'different'. But they aren't. They are just more recently adopted surnames as first names. Actually some are not even recent. Hamilton was the first name of one or maybe two US presidents. Warren is hardly chavvy. Not very fashionable but not at all chavvy.

Many surnames started life as first names though. In Ireland this consisted of having Mac / Son or O/ Grandson , descendent , placed in front of the name.

However this is unlikely to be the case with Sullivan which , in the Irish Súil amháin , appears to mean One Eye?

I won't get too snitty about it though. After all there's Campbell/ Crooked Mouth and Cameron / Crooked Nose
All part of life's merry pageant!

You'd be laughed out of court in Ireland. Especially where I live as O'Sullivan is the commonest name round here.

I suppose it might work in England. Depends on the surname too ?

Oh and Reilly/Riley is a big one I forgot.

Aren’t Alexander and Oliver traditionally first names that have become used as surnames though?

They are not remotely in the same bracket as names like Cooper, Mason and Grayson.

Sullivan seems to be part of a slightly different trend which originated in America (where the Irish diaspora want to celebrate their roots) but has now been copied by British people who for the most part don’t even realise they are giving their kids Irish surnames as first names. Sullivan is one of these, as are Ryan and Kennedy and I’ve even seen Murphy. Some will say it’s all part of how names evolve but as an Irish person I find it distasteful. Especially when you often seem to find that the people who would happily name their child eg Sullivan, in the next breath criticise my kids’ Irish first names as being unpronounceable.

Immediately think of Sully, the romantic interest in Dr Quinn Medicine Woman

are you Irish?

You think Alexander and oliver are Chavvy?

O'Sullivan means "descendant of Sullivan" which suggests that Sullivan was originally a first name though.

In fact....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/O%27Sullivan_(surname)

The original bearer of the name, one Suilebhan mac Maolura, is recorded in legendary Irish genealogy as belonging to the 8th generation after Fíngen mac Áedo Duib, and placed in the 9th century.

I dont like surnames for names. It's quite chavvy

Sully is the big blue monster in the disney movie

I'm normally fairly conservative with names. I really like it

Suliman, or Suleman. Man of Peace. Solomon.

I would put money on this not being the case for "most people".

Murphy was in the running for my dc, but then she turned out to be a girl.

So presumably you think Alexander, Finlay/Findley, Bradley, Conrad, Curtis, Elliot, Gregory, Lachlan, Oliver and a thousand more are names you can't get on board with. No. I doubt it. You just don't like some names and maybe don't like things you aren't familiar with. It's nothing to do with whether they started as surnames or not

And these would be fine too! Like Stuart, Jackson, Findlay, Taylor, Harper, Addison, Alexander, Darcy good Lord I could go on forever. OP I like Sullivan. Go for it!

I don't like it sorry. It's a definite surname and the shortened version, Sully, just makes me think of the verb's meaning: "damage the purity or integrity of". Why would you call your baby that?

I meant to say thanks 😊 for the education I'd heard of the hill but didn't know it had a different spelling.

Most people won’t think I’d the Scottish meadow definition if they hear you’ve called your child Sully. They’ll think of the definition of the word Sully. Like this kid has ruined your life or something and you want everyone to know that…

Sully is on my boys list! Just as Sully though, not Sullivan.

PP said not nice meaning...but the name Sully actually means 'from the South meadow' which is gorgeous!

I like it.

I like Gulliver too, which is similar sounding but a bit less novel.

Surname