Message: "What are your favorite surnames as first names?"

What are your favorite surnames as first names?

by Constant

8/14/2015, 11:40 AM

Are there any surnames that you like as first names? I probably wouldn't use a last name as a first name myself, but some are fun to see or consider as guilty pleasures.

Some that I like:
Delaney
Desmond
Remington
Raleigh
Faulkner
Hawthorne
Gershom
Tallis
Faust
Chaucer
Carson
Reagan
Lee
Durand

This is the list that I can think of at the moment.

Replies

- Rioghnach

8/17/2015, 4:43 AM

Sullivan
Ellis
Archer
Spencer
Desmond
Riley

Delaney
Darcy
Bailey
Cassidy

- TheArtemisMoon (guest) +1

8/15/2015, 2:09 PM

Boys:
Carson
Carter
Fletcher
Parker
Duncan
Cole

I don't like surnames on girls.

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:25 PM

It does seem a little more traditional to occasionally use surnames on boys like Fitzwilliam Darcy while using surnames on girls seems a little newer and trendier.

- Caprice +1

8/15/2015, 12:44 PM

Surnames aren't used as first names in Sweden (actually it's usually not even allowed), so many surnames-as-first-names sound strange to my ears, but there are a few I like:

Adair
Barnaby
Marlowe
Sacheverell
Wyeth
and perhaps Washington

As a child I liked Sinclair. And Park for a girl.

This message was edited 8/15/2015, 12:49 PM

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:28 PM

I usually don't think of Adair as a surname since it is a form of Edgar, but the line between first names and last names can be blurry since many surnames were derived from first names.

- Wisteria (Tawnee) +1

8/15/2015, 10:52 AM

Desmond
Beckett
Sawyer
Thayer
Thackeray
Spencer
Adler
Jackson
Reilly
Quinn
Ellis
Hollis
Jensen

This message was edited 8/15/2015, 10:57 AM

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:30 PM

Adler and Quinn would make an interesting duo. It would be like a team of Irene Adler from Sherlock Holmes and Holly Quinn from Batman. The world had better watch out.

- Billina +1

8/15/2015, 8:23 AM

Sullivan, NN Sully
Parker
Cross
Sawyer (I would never use it, but it's cute)
Brooks
Chandler (girl)
Davis
Donovan
Harris
Harrison
Jensen
Kiernan
Lennon
Lennox
Miller
Kane

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:32 PM

Cross is interesting. It sounds like a mysterious tortured detective type name.

- Tuesday (trayc53)

8/15/2015, 6:58 AM

Harris / Harrison for a boy, and Parker for a girl, are the only ones I really like. Lincoln is okay too.

- humblebee +1

8/15/2015, 6:46 AM

Separating them by b/g/u and ignoring names, like Thomas and Aaron, that are common as last names but don't have a real surname vibe.

Harrison
Shepherd
Rafferty
Ellis
Lennox
Blake
Fraser
Donovan
Hale
Lincoln
Maxwell
Whitaker
Kelly

Averill
Darcy
Eliot
Bellamy
Bailey
Hadley
Sheridan
Quinn

Mackenzie
Quincy
Avery

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:34 PM

Bellamy is nice. I see it as more unisex than feminine though.

- CruelPumps

8/14/2015, 11:59 PM

Fletcher
Montgomery
Shaw
Rowland
Huxley
Harris
Fraser
Murray
Barnaby
Jacoby
Conway
Elwood
Gresham
Jarvis
Woodrow
Selwyn
Morley
Shepherd

This message was edited 8/14/2015, 11:59 PM

- Cateline +1

8/14/2015, 8:10 PM

I usually only like surnames if I have a positive connection to the name and want to honor it, which is why most of these are literary:

Adair
Alden
Marlowe
Wilder
Lewis
Wesley
Tennyson
Thackeray
Winslow
Lennox
Bronte
Hadley
Willoughby

I also like surnames as a twist on classics, for instance Harrison instead of Harry, or Davis instead of David.

This message was edited 8/14/2015, 8:11 PM

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:47 PM

Which literary Adair are you fond of? There is the American poet Virginia Hamilton Adair, and authors Cecil Adair, Douglass Adair, Cherry Adair, James Adair, Bobby Adair, and probably many others. And then there was Cherokee leader and Confederate colonel, William Penn Adair, who is definitely book worthy.

- NobodyOfConsequence

8/14/2015, 7:30 PM

Archer
Brady
Brandon
Cannon
Carter
Chase
Elwood
Everett
Fletcher
Hartley
Hayden
Hunter
Jordan
Ledger
Lincoln
Reid
Reilly
Taylor
Thackery
Thatcher
Tierney
Urban
Westley
Willoughby
Wilson
Winter

Bronte
Delaney
Marlowe
Sailor

This message was edited 8/14/2015, 7:34 PM

- queenv

8/14/2015, 6:35 PM

The only one I really do is Jefferson. I prefer it to Jeffrey. And, sad that I feel compelled to add this, only for a boy.

Oh wait. I also love Lincoln. For a boy only.

This message was edited 8/14/2015, 6:35 PM

- Katie (Bellula) +1

8/14/2015, 5:24 PM

Ainslie (g)
Alton (b)
Arlie (b)
Bailey (b)
Barclay (b)
Beauregard (GP) (b)
Beckham (GP) (b/g)
Blythe (b)
Brandon (b)
Brock (b)
Byron (b)
Calvin (b)
Campbell (GP) (b)
Cash (GP) (b)
Cassidy (b)
Charisse (g)
Charlton (b)
Clark (b)
Clay (b)
Donovan (b)
Ellis (b)
Elwood (b)
Evelyn (b)
Farley (b)
Faust (GP) (b)
Fletcher (b)
Forest / Forrest (b/g)
Franklin (b)
Hayden (b)
Hayley (g)
Heath (b)
Hollis (b)
Irving (b)
Jensen (b)
Jepson (b)
Kyle (b)
Lawson (b)
Leslie (g)
Lincoln (b)
Macy (b)
Marlowe (b)
Mitchell (b)
Monet (GP) (g)
Montgomery (GP) (b)
Orson (b)
Radcliff (GP) (b)
Rhett (b)
Riley (b)
Sacheverell (GP) (b)
Sterling (b)
Trevelyan (GP) (b)
Wyatt (b)

This message was edited 8/14/2015, 5:25 PM

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:50 PM

Wow! This is an impressive list. I like Brandon, Heath, and Montgomery.

- Pinkwater (guest)

8/14/2015, 4:23 PM

Turner
Montgomery
Hastings
Piper
Darby
Monroe

- BookEm'Danno (FictionPrincess31415) +1

8/14/2015, 3:13 PM

I am such a stickler for surname inspired names (: Though to be fair, many forenames are used as often surnames (Names like Alexander, Logan & Ryan for example which easily can be seen as a first or middle along with many others)

Adler
Parker
Sawyer
Emerson
Donovan
Cole
Spencer
Morgan
Hunter
Carter
Chase
Addison
Delaney
McLaurin (Better as a middle name)

Oh! And Jackson

This message was edited 8/14/2015, 3:31 PM

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:52 PM

Morgan is excellent and doesn't seem surnamey even though it can be.

- HaySkyNat (guest) +1

8/14/2015, 3:02 PM

Harrison
Cameron
Fraser
Spencer
Ryan
Riley
Ashton
Robert (only as a middle name)
Blake
Brody
William
Isaac
Hayden

Madison
Regan

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:58 PM

Robert, Blake, William and Isaac are traditionally first names, but some people do have them as surnames. It is interesting to see what people think of as surnames.

- megan_donuts

8/14/2015, 2:46 PM

Delaney
Madison
Addison
Emerson
Carson
Reagan
Remington
Mackenzie

- Morrigan (peth) +1

8/14/2015, 1:16 PM

Beckett
Carey
Quinn
Thackeray
Harris
Fraser
Blair
Murray
Howell
Darwin
Larkin
Morgan
Innes

- Constant

8/16/2015, 6:08 PM

Darwin makes me think of chimps, but it does have a nice meaning. Charles Darwin just overshadows it.

- number1212

8/14/2015, 1:08 PM

Off of the top of my head:
Girls:
Harper
Madison -GP
Hunter -GP

Boys:
Carson
Parker
Carter
Raleigh
Jarvis
Trenton

- Llewella (penguiny7)

8/14/2015, 12:50 PM

Bowan
Brier
Mackenzie (love, would totally use it if it was a family surname)
Nevin
Noble
Rose
Shepherd
Thatcher

For girls I like Bevan, Murphy, Tallis and am coming around on Quinn

- Myosotis +1

8/14/2015, 12:06 PM

I don't like many but I do quite like these:

Boys:
Archer
Sage
Tennyson
Marlowe
Raleigh

Girls:
Winslet

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:22 PM

I hadn't thought of Sage as a surname, but you are right, it is used as a surname.

- Joiya +1

8/14/2015, 11:52 AM

I like Delanie as well. I was just telling someone today that I would name twins Adeline and Delanie (or Adaline and Daniela) because they are anagrams - which I am sure I have mentioned on this board before.

Anyway, my favorite surname/name is Gioia. It's an Italian name for girls, but also a surname. I am partial to it, as it is my daughter's second middle name.

I also think that Winslet would be a cute name. It just has a whimsy yet pretty feel to it.

- Constant

8/16/2015, 5:21 PM

It's nice to see that someone else likes Delaney/Delanie. Gioia is cute. Do you pronounce it like Joy-a?

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