First name-Surname Alliteration: Totally Tacky or Marvellously Memorable?

[Lambchop76]

First choice for our daughter is now alliterative with surname... I think it sounds pretty cool, but am I making a rookie error?

DD1 is alliterated (GG). I like it, it sounds quite glam. DD2 isn't though. that would be a bit much.

Not a fan myself but agree with OPs', largely depends on the actual names involved!

i'm really interested in this thread. the only name we can agree on is Ben but our surname is Brennan so he would be Ben Brennan. at first i said no way but after thinking about it for months and months (and not finding another name we both like) i think it's in the running.

Ben Brennan does sound like the beginning to a tongue twister.

'Ben Brennan bakes bread . . . . '

Whereas something like Billy Brennan flows a bit better.

I took DH's surname when we married, so I've ended up with an alliterative name. I see no problem with this and actually really love it. I think if it's a name you like and you think it sounds cool, then go ahead .

Sorry, the name is Nancy and surname begins with N sound and has one syllable... Surname is not a creature though, a la Peppa Pig or Freddie Fox!

Also, babyblabber, I know an adult Ben Brennan, and it never occurred to me that his name is hard to pronounce. Just easy to remember!

generally i like alliteration. there's something quite comic book character about it, but in a good way.

it definitely makes for a more memorable name - and i certainly wouldn't avoid a name we loved and agreed on because of alliteration.

Hmm have spent a minute or two saying Nancy Knight, Nancy Noone, Nancy New... and have come to conclusion it would sound better with two syllables afterwards, so you'll have to change your surname

I do think some alliterative names sound "made up" ie like a comic or film or story character, some can be fun and whimsical, others make me cringe and think "why would you do that to yr kid??!!"

If ds had been a girl I had a name I have loved for years in my head, until someone said that with dh surname it sounded like a porn star name! Eek! Didn't to me but was enough to put me off ... Luckily ds was a boy so no trauma!

Before I was adopted I had an alliterative name, it never bothered me, but I had to rule out any names beginning with M when picking DC's name, because coupled with an M surname I just had Mickey Mouse running through my head at every suggestion.

thanks randommoment i'll see what we can do...

Can be fine - I dislike end name alliteration more,ie Calum Morton, where one M runs into another.

I think it's worse if the surname is one syllable - a bit more "storybook character" iyswim. Two or three syllables is much better. And it's much worse if the surname is a noun.

yay, lamchop76, that's great news for me re Ben Brennan!

still not 100% sure about alliteration but like i said, we have no alternative. if you have another name go for that instead. if you love nancy then go for it. am desperately trying to think of one syllable N surnames and blanking but something like Nancy Nicks, or Nancy Nash sounds ok to me!

babybladder I work with someone called Ben Brennan! To me it sounds completely normal.

I don't actually mind alliteration. Both me and my brother have alliterative names, along the lines of Steve Shannon and Sara Shannon. To be honest I never really noticed it when growing up.

Ooh Lampchop76, maybe you work with me. In fact I probably completely outed myself with the names

I really don't understand the horror of alliteration, to be honest. My name alliterates and my married name also does phonetically (though not the spelling - CK). Everyone comments on it very positively, assuming they notice in the first place. My first and surnames actually share the first 2 letters, the 3rd is very similar (D/T) and they have the same number of syllables. I guess I sound like a superhero or cartoon character... But it's a great name, honest!

My name alliterates and I like it, many people comment positively on my "nice" name.
Lots of Hollywood stars choose alliterative names:
Marilyn Monroe
Farrah Fawcett etc
it does depend on the actual name and sound too.

If you get it wrong, I think alliteration can have a babyish or comical sound to it. Children's characters and cartoons often seem to use alliteration. Barney Bear, Peppa Pig, Basil Brush, Mickey Mouse.

DressTuckedInMeKnickers - I agree with you in general on the first name running into surname being something to avoid. But I think we may be about to do it anyway if the imminent DC1 turns out to be a boy - we love Zachary, and for family reasons the middle name is firmly chosen and begins with A, while our surname begins with K. So his initials would be Zak, which DH thinks is very cool, but I'm slightly nervous that Zak K will sound a bit silly... Thoughts?!

Apologies for hijacking the thread! I think alliterative names can sound great (DH is keen on Kate for precisely that reason) but very much depends on the name.

I have an alliterative married name, surname is one syllable and it's a noun

I hate it! (but it's better than my maiden name!)

(A long time ago) I went to school with a girl called Daisy Drew, which I always thought was a brilliant and feisty/bouncy kind of a name and she was lovely too.

Minty82 I'd avoid the Zak Kelly, Zak Kennedy etc as if you say it too quickly it flows into one word Zakkelly and if you enunciate it too much it sounds a bit like a cat coughing up a fur ball, Zakkk Kkkelly.

Well this is a first for me on MN. My dd's name is alliterative and it never occurred to me that was naff/horrifying.

Much naffer, imo, is a bunch of siblings all with the same initial e.g. William, Waldo, Walt and Winona.