Surnames as first names

[Barryanne]

Hello, I'm pregnant and I don't know the gender yet but I really like the idea of surnames as first names. My son is Kitson James. So far I'm quite liking Adler and Rhodes but I would appreciate other people's opinions and suggestions. Thank you.

I like some but dislike others. One I really do like is 'Hudson' I think it is so sweet!

I used to work with a Carruthers, know as Cary for short. It sounds a bit like a butler's name though!

May, Rose, Rae, Lucy and Grace are surnames.

Murray, Campbell, Stuart, Anderson, Harrison, Cooper, Archer, Lennox, Mason, Marshall
Avery, Bailey, Ellis, Harper, Marley

In principle I think it's fine. It certainly wasn't uncommon in the U.K. in the 19th century. There seems to be quite a lot of antipathy to it on Mumsnet though, much of it seemingly grounded in a rather sneering ant-Americanism.

I think it depends on the name. I think some can sound quite American e.g. Lincoln, Dawson, Parker etc.

Rhodes is awful - horrible colonial connotations. Also not a fan of Adler - sounds snakey to me.

Surnames which I think work quite well -

Jackson
Hudson
Auden
Hendrix
Jensen
Lennon
Marley
Lowry
Morgan
Ellis
Grayson
Griffin
Duncan

I don't think I would use Rhodes, due to the racism.

I don't mind surname as first names. Is it for a boy or a girl?

I think it works when it’s in honour of a surname from the family tree - so mother’s maiden name or something. But just picking a random surname because it sounds nice seems a bit odd to me.

As Venus says, in the past there was often a reason for giving a surname as a first name - to honour a relative (living or dead), to keep a rare family name going, to secure an inheritance etc etc.

In Scotland, it was traditional in some areas to give the first son the paternal grandfather's first name, and the second son the mother's unmarried surname. If the paternal grandfather happened to be a second son, that gave two possibilities for surnames-as-first-names.

But in all these cases, there was a reson for the choice of name, not just personal preference.

Sorry - spelling: 'reason'

Possible suggestions.

Boys names:
Brady
Carter
Clark
Duncan
Edward
Harrison
Hunter
Jackson
James
Jameson
Jones
Lincoln
Lennon
Montgomery
Parker
Smith
Sullivan
Thompson
Wilson

Girls names:
Addison
Delaney
Harper
Morgan
Rose

Unisex?
Bailey
Finley
Harlow
Peyton
Quinn
Sawyer
Taylor

Generally a no from me. Surnames tend to sound harsher, more impersonal, and like a brand or a shop or a company. There's rarely a good association, and they tend to sound unfriendly.

I love Surnames as first names.

Emerson
Nixon
Presley
Channing
Hendrix
Lennon / Lennox
Monroe
Nash
Parker
Arden
Avery
Quinn

There are lots of first names that became/became common as surnames when the Welsh were forced to convert from their traditional patronymic surname system, eg James, Williams, Griffith, Hughes. It seems fine to do it the other way round as far as I can see.

I do find it odd when names with "son" on the end are used as first names, eg Harrison, Jackson etc, unless in fact that child is indeed the son of Harry, Jack etc. But then I am probably too literal.

festivebug Nixon? Nixon?!!

Why would you call a child 'Harrison' if he is not Harri's son?

And as for a 'son' name for a daughter.....

Adler makese think of the comedy will & grace... Grace Adler.
Rhodes is a beautiful island, I know its off topic (and showing my ignorance) but really interested in the racism link

@Boxofpinot

Adler makese think of the comedy will & grace... Grace Adler. Rhodes is a beautiful island, I know its off topic (and showing my ignorance) but really interested in the racism link

@Boxofpinot This article gives some good background info on Cecil Rhodes - www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32131829. It's from 2015, about the protests surrounding the statue of Rhodes at the University of Cape Town. Similar protests have recently taken place in the UK, at Oxford. You could also Google 'Rhodes must fall'.

@Nell96
Thank you so much for that, I really appreciate it

Adler. Then you can teach him to play the harmonica.

Deacon was on my name list, it’s an old family surname.