Thursday, August 9, 2012

Sullivan: Nickname-Rich Name of the Week (August 9)

Although most of the names I'm covering in this series are more classic, since Sullivan is one of the surname-as-first-name names that I like for a boy (and is rising on the charts) I thought I'd mention it. Some may shorten it to Sully or Van, but I like it well enough on its own. What do you think of Sullivan in general (too "surnamey" or usable as a first name)? Any other possibilities for nicknames?

2 comments:

  1. I never really thought of Sullivan as a name until someone wrote in saying they were considering if they had a son.

    There was a long-running soap opera here called "The Sullivans" set during World War II and its aftermath. Although it finished a long time ago, its popularity and critical success means that they are always advertising the DVDs on TV and things like that, so it's still in my consciousness that Sullivan is a surname.

    Anyway, I definitely don't think you should shorten this one, especially as sully means "to spoil, to tarnish".

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sullivans

    * Just noticed "The Sullivans" was also on US television for a while.

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    Replies
    1. Sullivan does have a strong surname feel (given that it's one of the most common Irish surnames), and when I first heard someone suggest it for a first name a few years ago I wasn't sure how well it would work. The idea grew on me and now it's on my favorites list!

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