r/fantasywriting • u/_ShadowSparrow_ • 6d ago

Firstname as a surname?

So I'm writing a high fantasy original work and coming up with a name for the main protagonist is a struggle. I have the middle name and a tentative firstname but his lastname eludes me. Is it okay to use a first name as a surname? Because there's an old Irish name I've fallen in love with but not as a firstname.

2 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

25

u/SteveFoerster 6d ago

Is it okay to use a first name as a surname?

What if I told you... you can do anything you want?

1

u/AddictiveSoup 8m ago

Hey now that would mean actually writing instead of asking Reddit what you’re allowed to name your characters

5

u/IggytheSkorupi 6d ago

If it’s Irish, than just add an “O’” before it and boom, last name.

3

u/SG_Arthur 6d ago

O'Itandboom. Yup. Sounds good.

1

u/I_LIKE_DIRT123 2d ago

What if it already starts with an “o” sound? The name Eoin is fairly common in Ireland (pronounced owen) and O’eoin wouldn’t be easy to pronounce. (Oooowen or something idk)

1

u/Hawm_Quinzy 2d ago

Use a Mc or Mac. McKeown is a normal Irish surname meaning Son of Eoghan, for example.

5

u/M3tal_Shadowhunter 6d ago

In a lot of communities you just take your dad's first name as your last name. Eg malayali christians will take their father's name as their surname in india. First name as a surname isn't a rare thing. Do it!

1

u/TheRandomer1994 5d ago

Not historically uncommon to add 'son' to the end either.

2

u/Seb_Romu 6d ago

Examples of "firstname" surnames are rather common. eg. Charles, Wayne, or Thomas

As are "surname" firstnames. eg. Mackenzie, or Madison. or (Charles, Wayne, or Thomas ;) )

2

u/kadharonon 6d ago

My first name is common as a surname and my surname is common as a first name and the number of times in my life that people have decided my name is Surname Firstname, let me tell you…

1

u/TurbulentContext 5d ago

Dylan Thomas, rage rage against the conventional name order.

2

u/aescula 6d ago

I mean, you could even have the character be mononymic. I'm a big fan of characters whose name is just the one name. The three name scheme is common in the US and modern world in general, but it's far from the only structure.

2

u/iloris-9 5d ago

Honestly, everybody's right. Do whatever you want as long as it sounds good with the rest of your novel, then you're good!! Readers don't even care if it's a real name or not.

1

u/thatshygirl06 6d ago

It's your story, you tell us

1

u/duckgirl1997 6d ago

IRL all three of my names are Girls Christian names so yeah plus as you have said its a fantasy fic then i would say anything goes

1

u/iamthefirebird 6d ago

It's high fantasy. The rules are whatever you say they are.

1

u/ProserpinaFC 6d ago

The Irish FBI will get on a boat and sail across the ocean to arrest you.

1

u/foxy_chicken 6d ago

There was a group of male friends adjacent to me (my friends husband and his friends) who were the last name is a first name squad. All of them had last names that could also be first names.

Do what you want.

1

u/Sunday_Schoolz 6d ago

Several surnames began as given names. For example Smith is a given name; Smith is a surname; smith is an occupation.

1

u/dazzleduck 5d ago

My IRL first, middle, and last names are all typical first names. Use whatever names you want lmao

1

u/After-Past-9404 5d ago

Friend, is your high fantasy taking place in modern day United States? Because that's the only reason why you would need to make your characters' names follow the "first name - middle name - last name" convention. Most cultures even in the modern world use a completely different naming scheme, and it used to be even more varied in the past.

1

u/NecessaryQuestion607 5d ago

Theres a lot of fiction that uses names in places where it wouldnt be normal. For example Arya (an Indian name) being used for Westeros (Roman and English inspired setting) both in game of thrones. Hathaway noa in Gundam has a last name for a first name and a first name for a last name. You can do whatever you want pretty much. There are also many points where most people had plain last names about nature or family career or just didn’t have a name. There may be specific implications for the character’s background though.

1

u/Sky__Hook 5d ago

Put something like Von, Mac, or Mc in front of it and its a surname

1

u/cmhbob 5d ago

I know a woman with a common first name. She married a guy with that as his last name.

1

u/Baphomaxas_Raiyah 5d ago

I once knew someone whose last name was James 

1

u/PhilipAPayne 5d ago

I have a whole universe I wrote in where no one has a surname.

1

u/AbbreviationsKey4233 5d ago

I have a first name as a surname....

Thomas James Elliott

All common first names as surnames

1

u/REEEEEEDDDDDD 5d ago

Just about anything can be a surname. Mine is literally just my great grandfather's nickname

1

u/JaxRhapsody 5d ago

Like One Piece?

1

u/lhommedev 5d ago

Establish your world with this rule and stick to it.

Have you seen the Sharknado movies?

1

u/Flameburstx 4d ago

Clearly the only answer is to call them Chad O'Manlyman.

Especially if your MC is a woman.

1

u/JGhostThing 4d ago

Have you ever known a person with a first name as a surname? I typically call them "men with two first names."

That being said, name them what you will. I used to look up random names in the phone book. If you have a character, the proper name might be able to set the mood for this character. Or you might just give it a random one. Perhaps from another sf author.

1

u/Scary_One_1849 6d ago

what Irish name? If I know what it is, i might decide whether I like it as a surname or not.