Naming kids after someone famous

[hockeychick57.livejournal.com]

So I'm one of those people who doesn't really want kids at all but is fascinated with talking about baby names.

Anyway, question: Would you/have you name(d) your child after someone famous that you like or admire?  By "famous" I mean more along the lines of actors, musicians/singers, or artists..not really historical figures.

Part of me thinks it's a little selfish..you know, like forcing your likes onto your child or something, but part of me thinks it's really neat.

Anyway, I personally would only use the following famous peoples' names as middle names since they're a little crazy and obvious (since I'm sticking with last names):

Very likely to use:
Harrison (George from The Beatles)
Lennon (John)
Dean (James)

Not very likely, but still options for me:
Mercury (Freddie from Queen)
Phoenix (River)
Drake (Singer Nick)

How about you guys?

Comments

[yourcrowbar.livejournal.com]

So I'm one of those people who doesn't really want kids at all but is fascinated with talking about baby names
haha, me too!

i also really love all of the people you would name your kid after...like, i really do love all of them. especially george harrison & freddie mercury. IF i had a son (which i doubt) i would probably name him harrison but that'd be like my 5th choice. my first choice is dylan after bob dylan but dylan is so trendy blah blah blah

nice icon by the way

[hockeychick57.livejournal.com]

haha i wonder what the percentage breaks down to as far as people using the name dylan beccause of bob and people using dylan for other reasons.

nice icon back at ya!

[secrettrack.livejournal.com]

james dean, oh man HUBBA HUBBA. i totally consider him an historical figure :P

up until i met my partner, i always wanted to name a son thomas, after two different singers from two different bands that i've loved over time (tom delonge and tom gabel). but... my partner's last name is thomas. which i think is awesome, cos it means i could use more creative choices, plus my "ideal name" will be in every child's name anyway :)

that's assuming i have kids with this guy, anywhoo.

[hockeychick57.livejournal.com]

i actually knew a high in high school named thomas thomas. i'm glad you realize this is totally unacceptable, haha :) funny how it works out that his last name is your ideal name.

[secrettrack.livejournal.com]

hahah seriously! poor kid :(

is it bad that it makes me reeeeeally want the relationship to work, cos his last name rules? (obviously that is a very minuscule reason, but it's still something i've thought about!)

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

I might use Harrison for a middle name, after George Harrison, but I'm not entirely sure. Good thing I read the post all the way through or I would have mentioned how I might use Jefferson after Thomas Jefferson, but he's definitely a historical figure, not a famous person.

I like your choices!

[bandnerd88.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've got a few - mostly jazz figures. ;)

Ella (Fitzgerald)
Miles & Davis (Miles Davis, obv, though Davis is also a family name)
Clifford (Brown)
(Paul) Desmond
(John) Coltrane
Waldo (King; a local jazz educator who passed away a few years ago)

I also I have a ton of others after video game characters/TV characters I like, though I'm not sure that counts, lol!

[hockeychick57.livejournal.com]

I really like Ella, Miles, Davis, Desmond, & Coltrane.

And perhaps someone should make another post in regards to naming kids after fictional characters. :) I definitely have a few of those, too.

[crzydimond.livejournal.com]

I will probably use George for a future child which I like because of George Harrison. It isn't too closely associated with him though, unlike Lennon which is now appears to be unfortunately trendy for girls.

It would have to be someone with a timeless association....like I wouldn't name my child after a passing fad or something.

[et-tu-lulu.livejournal.com]

I inadvertently named my son after Cole Porter, the composer. We have the same last name (the composer and us) and it took me about 6 months to figure out why Cole sounded so good with my last name, lol. One day it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Would I have done it on purpose? Probably not, but I'm not against the idea and I do love my son's name ;)

[nobodynomore.livejournal.com]

Harrison for Harrison Ford.

[rainylondonight.livejournal.com]

Seconded!

[smellslikeglue.livejournal.com]

I think naming your kids after a famous person is acceptable, as long as you actually like the name too. I lovelovelove Nick Drake, btw. Most of my planned middle names are based on a song or a famous person or a fictional character, and they all mean A LOT to me.

Here are some of the names I would use, based on famous people:

Estlin (as a middle name only, after E.E Cummings)
Merritt (middle name only, after Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields)

And I would've used Elliott after Elliott Smith, but it's my gf's name and I think it would be weird for a son, if he had the same name as his MOM.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I'd only do that if I liked the name too. For example, I adore Michelle Pfeiffer, but I'm not particularly fond of the name 'Michelle'.

I do want to use Simon though, because one of my favorite writers is Simon Vestdijk (he's Dutch).

[azelmaroark.livejournal.com]

If it's subtle and you like the name itself, I don't see why not. The only famous person I'd consider naming a child after is Victor Hugo, although I have quite a few superhero-inspired names. But I wouldn't go naming a child Ledger or Miley in 2008, if that makes any sense. Nothing sledgehammery that makes it blatantly obvious where you got the name from. If people can see the name without immediately thinking of the person you got it from, I think it's fine.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

My grandfather's name was James Dean, but obviously not the same one. I don't think that Dean is one of the crazy/obvious ones. I've never even heard of Nick Drake, so I don't consider that really obvious either.

[aaww-my-bees.livejournal.com]

If you're naming your child Homer Simpson, I could see how it would be forcing your likes on a child, but naming them Dean? That's a real name, no matter where it came from... you know?
I got my son's name from a TV show. It's the first place I heard the name and I liked it, so I used it.

[lolzabeth.livejournal.com]

I would have like to have named my son Bowie, after David Bowie, but my OH vetoed it. It's on the definate list for a future son's middle name. I'm only allowed to use it as a first name if my OH can give him the middle names Chuck and Norris. Terrifyingly he's only half joking...

[ifancylust.livejournal.com]

what does OH stand for?

[fangirlism]

"Other half" I assume

[lolzabeth.livejournal.com]

OH = Other half...the hubby-to-be

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhh! I had the same problem, except, being single, my parents were the ones that vetoed Bowie. They said David is fine, but that if I name their grandchild Bowie, that they won't buy him Christmas presents.

They were mostly joking, but also kind of not. So I'm saving it for my next male pet.

[hockeychick57.livejournal.com]

Haha I really considered putting Bowie on my list, and I wouldn't rule it out!

[hockeychick57.livejournal.com]

thank you! :)

[jamykins.livejournal.com]

i plan on using harrison for that very reason

[lilacmermaid.livejournal.com]

Two of my top girl names are like this (Katherine and Julie). I love the names themselves, and I have other connections to them (one of my grandmothers was a Katherine). The fact that these are also the names of my favourite actresses is an added bonus.

I plan/hope to use both of these as first names if I have children.

[fangirlism]

I'm, uh, guilty of this. Quentin Nickolas is on my list, Nickolas being after Nick Carter.

Edit: Oh and Alexander is on my list because of AJ McLean. I like the Backstreet Boys, what of it? :P

[corielcries.livejournal.com]

Heh, my son's middle name is Nicolas, though not after Mr. Carter. ;] I used to be a huge BSB freak!

[corielcries.livejournal.com]

I liked my son's name before I ever even heard of the actor who shares it (well, its his nickname) or the artist. Its also covers several of my family members in various ways, so it was perfect for me to use!

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't have any kids yet, but my car is named Freddie. ;-)

But the answer to your question is yes, I actually PLAN to name my children after famous people.
Elliott [Smith]
Conor [Oberst]
[John] Lennon
Ryder [Strong, although he spells is Rider]

And Angela has been growing on me due to Angela Kinsey. I also really like the name Raine for a girl, which would have the added bonus of being similar to Rainn Wilson.

[ber-waves-of.livejournal.com]

My son's name is Lennon. :)

[smallandneedy.livejournal.com]

you all have such a sophisticated taste haha. I feel like such a teenager (I'm not though) because I'd love to use the name Sophia after Sophia Bush.
Sophie is my mother's middle name, so Sophia would be a nice name for me to use on my future daughter, but I have a faint memory of my sister saying she might name her kid something Sophie. If that happens, I guess it's out, and she's older than me and getting married in December, so it's more likely she'll have a baby first.

I'd also love to use Willow, after the character in Buffy :D But that's not really a celebrity though.

[ironqueen.livejournal.com]

I'm going to use Ledger as a middle name for a boy. :)