Recommended Strategies for Family Domain Name [closed]

Question

We're about to have our first child and I've been thinking alot about the personal brand of my future children. I'm wondering what strategies to use for securing a domain name (skip to the bottom to see my specific questions).

I already have my full name (eg, brandonallen.com) and will be buying my son's as well but I can see how that will be limiting in the near future and I might not be able to get a domain using the same pattern for all of my future children. Also it makes email kind of weird (ie; brandon@brandonallen.com).

I decided it would be best to establish a single domain where I can setup websites and email (eg, brandon.allen.com, allen.com/brandon, brandon@allen.com) but have only been able to secure the .co and .name TLDs (eg; allen.co and allen.name) and I don't really love either one. My personal preference would be .org or .me but those are already taken.

So I started thinking about modifiers and came up with the following:

theallens.org

Pro: This is how people naturally refer to us ("Let's go over to the Allen's"), works for email (brandon@theallens.org), works well for a website using sub-directories (theallens.org/brandon).

Con: I don't love the use of the word "the", doesn't work for a website using subdomain (brandon.theallens.org)

allentree.org

Pro: Ties in with a family tree imagery, works for email (brandon@allentree.org), works for well for a website using sub-directories (allentree.org/brandon), doesn't modify the actual family name

Con: I feel using the "tree" modifier is a little gimmicky but not as bad as others, doesn't work well for a website using subdomain (brandon.allentree.org).

allens.org

Pro: Short and very close to the actual name, works for sub-directory website (allens.org/brandon)

Con: Doesn't work for sub-domin website (brandon.allens.org) or email (brandon@allens.org)

I was feeling pretty good about using a modifier but then I realized that using a first name for the email, subdomain or sub-directory of a website, etc is limited because eventually two people will have the same first name and family name. In order to accodomidate both I would have to use a different stategy such as using initials instead of first names.

Given all of that, below are my specific questions.

1. Do you agree that securing a single domain for everyone in the family to use (theallens.org/brandon) is better than giving each their own domain name (brandonallen.com)?
2. Are there better modifiers for a family domain than the ones I've suggested?
3. Are there better strategies for dealing with first name collisions?
4. Are there better strategies overall for securing my family member's personal brand (maybe I should just have my kids use the Facebook or About.me when they're old enough)

Answer 1

I would be careful in general about using names as website names, as that allows people to know his/your name and with all the scary people out there, especially if you are posting pictures, it could be dangerous. I would go with something that represents your family but does not share the name.

Answer 2

In Australia we have .id.au domains for this kind of thing. I have registered Johnstone.id.au, so can have email addresses like firstname@johnstone.id.au and websites like firstname.johnstone.id.au.

If you can get a simple last name domain then go for that over "theallens" etc... Much more flexible in the long run.