Sur Name as a First Name

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:41 pm

My first great grand child was named TANNER and one of my golfing cronies newest great grand child is named GIBSON. Is this a new trend in naming children?

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:47 pm

I like both of those names. They're original, basic, but without being one of these stupid ones currently being fashionably 'created' by would-be celebs.

It may be one thing to brand the kids with a cute sounding name, but kids, unlike puppies, have to live with those names - and as we all know, other kids can be really brutal when it comes to teasing.

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Jul 28, 2014 3:17 pm

Lon;1460896 wrote: My first great grand child was named TANNER and one of my golfing cronies newest great grand child is named GIBSON. Is this a new trend in naming children?

One of our neighbors named their kid Tanner about 20 years back. We have a nephew that name his boy, Tyler.

I think this has been a trend for some time.

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Mon Jul 28, 2014 6:31 pm

:What do you do with a Sur name like Krakowski, name a kid Krak? Or how about Fitzsimmons? call him Fits? :wah:

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Jul 28, 2014 7:04 pm

Lon;1460901 wrote: :What do you do with a Sur name like Krakowski, name a kid Krak? Or how about Fitzsimmons? call him Fits? :wah:

Hmmmm, Actually, I see some possibilities, here.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 2:20 am

My grandsons name is Lewis....I also know a Tyler, Taylor, Brandon, Cameron, Douglas, Harrison etc. I don't think this is really a new trend. Can't recall girls names but I bet there a quite a few....

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 2:33 am

If you think about it, surnames originally came from first names, by the name of the father, particularly in Scotland & Ireland where 'Mac' means 'Son Of..', or the French 'De' (of), or Italian Di, etc. This would result in someone being referred to, for instance, as Harold, son of William, later to become "Harold Williamson", or simply Harold William. Therefore, to name someone William wouldn't mean that they're being given a surname as a name. If anything, it's the other way round.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:43 am

Lon;1460896 wrote: My first great grand child was named TANNER and one of my golfing cronies newest great grand child is named GIBSON. Is this a new trend in naming children?

Maybe some names are interchangeable ?

TÃ½r · Post by **TÃ½r** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:26 am

Lon;1460896 wrote: My first great grand child was named TANNER and one of my golfing cronies newest great grand child is named GIBSON. Is this a new trend in naming children?

It's a long-standing tradition in England, Lon, and has been for centuries. Usually it starts when the mother's maiden surname is given as a middle name, and the child grows up to use that as his preferred forename for his friends to use. The name then gets handed down, often as a first rather than middle name, for several generations thereafter. I've seen lots of examples in genealogy trees.

High Threshold · Post by **High Threshold** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:10 pm

Lon;1460896 wrote: Sur Name as a First Name. Is this a new trend in naming children?

It's probably a trend by famous association such as Nelson Mandela.

FourPart;1460911 wrote: If you think about it, surnames originally came from first names, by the name of the father, particularly in Scotland & Ireland where 'Mac' means 'Son Of..' ...

Such as traditional Swedish (Scandinavian, to be precise) surnames whose history is shared. Johansson meaning â€œJohan's sonâ€ as in Sven Johansson. Johan's daughter would be Maria Johanssdatter. We no longer use this system but the male surnames still exist as â€œhand me downsâ€. The female version can only be found today in Iceland, as in â€œ-dattirâ€.

TÃ½r · Post by **TÃ½r** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:10 am

High Threshold;1460953 wrote: The female version can only be found today in Iceland, as in â€œ-dattirâ€.They had a Prime Minister who made that name format famous on news broadcasts around the world, Vigdis Finnbogadottir. I presume either Finnboga was her mother or Finbog was her father. I'm trying to recall what she was famous for. It might have been ordering her navy to open fire on the British Trawler Fleet, but perhaps I'm making that up.

eta: I looked her up and apologize unreservedly, she was President and she ordered no such thing. To quote Wikipedia, "In addition to being both Iceland and Europe's first female president, she was the world's first democratically elected female head of state. With a presidency of exactly sixteen years, she also remains the longest-serving, elected female head of state of any country to date."

High Threshold · Post by **High Threshold** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 3:01 am

TÃ½r;1460955 wrote: They had a Prime Minister who made that name format famous on news broadcasts around the world, Vigdis Finnbogadottir. I presume either Finnboga was her mother or Finbog was her father. ....

I am no expert on Icelandic history but there is no Scandinavian tradition (that I know) of naming any children in a way that would indicate the name of their mother. Always the possesive suffix of -son or -daughter of the father. I have no doubt that there is - and will be - feminists who will give it a try but there is no common practice of it (yet) to be found in Sweden anyway.

BTW. "Finn" is an old Scandinavian name for males which is making a timid come-back in Sweden, so I suppose any derivative of that would be for a male, but don't quote me!

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 4:45 am

Just out of interest and slightly on topic, Zimbabwean mothers and fathers are known by their first born's name, so the mother would be known as Mai John, pronounced My and the father Baba John.

It goes against the European idea of naming the child after the parent, or in honour of the parent, parents in Africa are proud to me known as the parent of the child.

It is an extremely strange concept when put beside the opposing European method.

TÃ½r · Post by **TÃ½r** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 5:35 am

High Threshold;1460957 wrote: there is no common practice of it (yet) to be found in Sweden anyway.
Nor, as you say, in Iceland. I checked and her father is shown as Finnbogi.

High Threshold · Post by **High Threshold** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:22 am

TÃ½r;1460966 wrote: Nor, as you say, in Iceland. I checked and her father is shown as Finnbogi.

I was afraid to stick my neck out and say so. :yh_cow

TÃ½r · Post by **TÃ½r** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:48 am

High Threshold;1460981 wrote: I was afraid to stick my neck out and say so. :yh_cowIf I was called Finnbogi I'd live under a bridge and eat goats.

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:51 am

Mmmmm ... Goats.

High Threshold · Post by **High Threshold** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:41 am

TÃ½r;1460982 wrote: If I was called Finnbogi I'd live under a bridge and eat goats.

Perhaps that's why the Icelandic Settlement Goat is near extinction. :wah:

Attached files

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:53 pm

Bruv;1460962 wrote: Just out of interest and slightly on topic, Zimbabwean mothers and fathers are known by their first born's name, so the mother would be known as Mai John, pronounced My and the father Baba John.

It goes against the European idea of naming the child after the parent, or in honour of the parent, parents in Africa are proud to me known as the parent of the child.

It is an extremely strange concept when put beside the opposing European method.

That's Really Interesting!

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:15 pm

AnneBoleyn;1461000 wrote: That's Really Interesting!

I thought so too.

It turns our way on it's head.

Mai means mother Baba means father.