Would you use a surname as a first name of your surname can also be used as a first name?

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

If your surname was a name that gets used as a first name such as Harrison or Spencer etc would you use another surname as a first name or would that be a bit odd. So for example Taylor Harrison or Spencer Carter?

It can work.

I went to school with a Jackson Todd. He found it very annoying to always be explaining the correct order of his names.

My surname is a girl's first name in this country, but I have the French spelling of it. People quite often get it wrong. But still its not a 'would you have' with me - its my name and anyway I like it so thats that. I don't think its a big deal really Im not over-precious about mistakes (unless in writing), we all have to get used to unusual names nowadays, and we do

Sprinklestar so interesting that Preston is a preppy name in the US. I don't know anyone here with it as a name and, if I did hear it, it would just make me think of the town. Which doesn't have any preppy associations. Would be kind of like calling a kid Detroit.

I know someone who's first name is common as a first name or surname and his surname is a common first name. It's confusing at work where often names are "surname, first name"

I think I'd try and avoid the scenario in the OP but if it was the only name we both loved, I'd go for it

In the Deep South of the US it is very fashionable for girls to have first/Christian names that can be English/British surnames - I went to the University of Virginia and there were loads of sorority girls (blonde, of course) named Taylor, Tyler, Madison, Ashley, Ainsley, etc. Names like McKenna, Mackenzie, Riley and Kennedy are also, bizarrely, popular for girls.

My (maiden) surname is often used as a boy's first name, and we gave it to DS as his middle name, with a first name that is most often a first name but I have seen as a surname. When I registered him for his nursery the teacher assumed his name was double-barreled. But for one letter his surname (my DH's) would be a first name which could have made things rather confusing.

Personally, I find it very confusing but I have a problem with names generally. Well, remembering them.
So, somebody called Mr Campbell Thomas just does my head in.

I like many of the last names used as first names but I cannot cope with this trend, so I wouldn't.

In my line of work I come across this all the time and sometimes both ways around: Mr Blair David and Mr David Blair. Gah!

It's once they are an adult and sending emails for work that it's a bloody nightmare. I know a guy whose surname is a first name - let's say his name is Adam James. He's always being called James in work emails. He hates it, but not much his parents could do about it really. Sometimes he doesn't get emails because people type JamesAdam.company into the 'To' field.

To intentionally do it when you can choose not to use a 'surname sounding' first name with a confusing surname just seems harsh, because let's be honest, it's pretty likely to get annoying. And it's them that have to live with it not you.

Hang on. No his actual email would be JamesAdam.company wouldn't it because they are usually back to front. They type AdamJames.company. I think. Do they? Dunno. Anyway it's confusing, is my point

It's absolutely fine. However I work in health care and when calling in patients from the waiting room, it gets very confusing and I often call them Surname-Firstname by mistake!

I knew a guy who had the same first name as his surname. Poor kid he got bullied a lot.

I wouldn't use a surname as a first name regardless of my surname.

I think it depends on what it is. To me some are more "acceptable"/I prefer them. Campbell, Hudson, Hunter, Carter, those kinds of names are too surnamey to me. Harrison and Taylor would be more acceptable (to use examples of names used on the thread.)

I think the main problem would be if you had a Surname Firstname name, as people would be more likely to be confused and switch them.
Something like Harrison John.

Other people won't get it. He'll get lot's of "so, that's Mr S Carter then"

I know this will happen because I get it all the time. I'm double barrelled and my surname gets misheard and misunderstood by everyone, except the DCs school. It's like Spencer-Carter and everyone assumes I married a bloke called Spencer Carter and so clearly I am Mrs Carter

All this talk about confusing surnames and first names reminds me of when I once had to fly on a business trip to Munich. The PA who had booked my ticket forwarded me the confirmation and I tried to check in for the flight online and couldn't do it. When I phoned the airline to

SORRY POSTED TOO EARLY...

All this talk about confusing surnames and first names reminds me of when I once had to fly on a business trip to Munich. The PA who had booked my ticket on Lufthansa forwarded me the confirmation and I tried to check in for the flight online and couldn't do it. When I phoned Lufthansa to try to check in it was discovered that she had actually booked me as BunnyMommy rather than MommyBunny. I don't know how she did it - there is no way my first name resembles a surname or vice versa - but I had A LOT of explaining to do and almost missed my flight because of that mistake.

No, don't do it. My surname is a girl's name and it's awful, people keep getting my name the wrong way round.

I know an Edward Edwards

I think it's fine, unless you end up sounding like a law firm.

My DS has 4 names - all of which could be classed as both forenames and surnames. He'll never be short of a psuedonym :)

it's tiresome.

people get it wrong, and you have to correct them.

I remember one lecturer asked my name and thereafter called me Mr. Carter-Harris (or whatever my name is)

I also met someone called Harris Smith at a new job, and got very confused when he said "Hello. Harris. What's your name?"

People think they're calling you by your first name when it's your surname, and vice-versa.

Perhaps the parents think it's cute, or funny. No worse than being called Trixibelle Peachblossom, perhaps.

I think it depends on the name. Something like Adam Jackson would be fine, as Adam is such a common first name.

Spencer Harrison, Campbell Carter or Fletcher Taylor all sound very strange, though. As others said, it's like an accounting firm!

I used my maiden name as my sons middle name, Davies. I also know someone who's maiden name was Pearce and she called her firstborn Pearce.

Yes.

Woodrow Wilson
Andrew Jackson
William Harrison
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
Abraham Lincoln
Chester Arthur

All US Presidents with names that could be surnames.

We considered it for our sons. Our surname is Lee, and we considered first names Harland, Watson, Benson, Davis, Fraser, Redmond, Scott, and more.