Name of the Day: Sullivan

February 2

Sullivan:

American boxer John Lawrence Sullivan passed away on February 2, 1918 at 59 years of age. Dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy" by the press, Sullivan is recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing.

Sullivan is among several Irish surnames that are red-hot in recent years. Climbly quickly and steadily, Sullivan now ranks at #365 in the US and #414 in England.

In Ireland where Sullivan is the third most common last name, parents are understandably less keen to use this jaunty surname as a first.

Sullivan and the dashing nickname Sully may also bring to mind the oversized fuzzy blue monster — whose full name is James Sullivan — from the Pixar film Monster’s Inc.

In addition to Sully, Van is another suave stylish nickname option.

Other lively Irish surnames with cool-guy nicknames include Finnegan “Finn”, Callahan “Cal”, Rafferty “Raff”, Quinlan “Quinn”, and McKinley “Mac”.