Filler middle names

[Hollyoakswatcher]

I just don’t get the hate for filler names (Rose, Marie, Grace, Mae/Rae) Maybe this is a sensitive subject for me because both my DD and myself have a “filler” name but it’s not something that has ever bothered me.

I just find it so strange the derogatory comments that come from these names especially on MN. My DD has a middle name that is my MIL’s name and I once had a comment on here which was “yeah sure it is 🙄”.

I don’t understand when they are middle names why people get so worked up about using popular names that are popular because they go well with all names when once they’ve been introduced at birth, you never hear these names again.

Would love to hear people’s opinions on this.

[Heyha]

I've never seen the term used on here but I don't go on many baby name threads because they inevitably just turn into a digital baby name book 😂 But as someone with a classic 80's "filler" I find it quite sweet that you can 'age' someone by their middle name. Have often joked with fellow 80s kids about the narrow rage of middle names that we enjoy.

[ScarletZebra]

Middle names aren't compulsory so I can't really see the point in using filler names. There was a time when every Sarah had the middle name Jane or Louise, every Emma had Louise. Now it's Rose or May.

If you have a really common surname and you choose a popular first name why would you use a filler middle?

[wellthatsunusual]

It's funny because I used one by accident. When we were expecting our (now teenage) daughter we were torn between two names. On balance we thought one was too common and the other more unusual so we used the more common one as a middle name. Unfortunately we got it totally wrong. The 'popular' one fell of a cliff edge and became more unusual as a first name whilst the unusual one suddenly became very popular. If we'd named her the other way round, both names would be fairly unusual in her age group.

[Nonamesavail]

I don't really care either way tbh.

[BrutusMcDogface]

My daughters have “filler” middle names but only because we liked them. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I think Rose is beautiful.

[Cattenberg]

My DD’s middle name is Rose. I spent a lot of time looking for something more original, but Rose was genuinely the name I liked best and it went really well with her other names.

My own middle name is Jane, and although I like it, I used to wish I had additional, more exotic middle names. I now agree with my mum that less is more.

[KipperTheFrog]

My first name was a common middle name in my age group. Never been a fan of it, always preferred my middle name. Cant use that as it’s my Aunts name!
My DM has a middle name she always hated because she felt it was a “filler” middle name. It’s now my DD2’s middle name after my DM.
I prefer middle names to have meaning.

[ifigoup]

There are so, so many beautiful names in the world. Using a filler middle name communicates to me (fairly or otherwise) that you are so uninquisitive you could only think of one name you actually liked, and that you didn’t care enough to look further than the end of your nose for the first trite middle name that sprang to mind.

(It’s probably my issue, but it’s how I feel.)

[Essexgirlupnorth]

I have a classic 80s filler middle name. My daughter has a middle name that is a family name.
I'm really not a fan or Mae/May we see it alot as a middle name at work and often double barreled.

[Nell96]

Middles names are funny things really - they're rarely used, other than on birth certificates, passports etc., so seem a little pointless. I don't have one and, as an adult, it's never particularly bothered me. However, as a child, I felt a bit left out being the only one of my friends that didn't have one (I used to make up outlandish ones!) We gave our daughter a middle name, we thought 'why not?' - it was the name which was our second choice and seemed like a good 'back up' name, being more common than her more unusual first name. I kind of feel that if you're going to use a middle name, it should be a name that you really love, or perhaps a name that you felt was a bit too 'out there' to use as a first name, or maybe a name with special significance - otherwise why bother? I think that because names such as Rose, May, Grace etc. are used so frequently as middle names, they can end up feeling a bit 'empty' - like it's just there for the sake of it. But if you really love one of these names or if it has meaning to you, then use it and don't let anyone make you feel bad about it.

[Chilldonaldchill]

My middle name is Jane. I was born in the 70s. Every other girl in my class had Jane or Louise as middle names and I loathed it.
One day we had to say our middle names in class and one girl had two middle names both of which were cool and interesting. I was about 9 and still thought having Henrietta Edith as middle names was so much better than Jane.
I vowed then and there that my children would have two middle names and they would be interesting middle names.
I married a man whose entire family has two middle names (that wasn't a prerequisite - it was just luck!), all of which mean something and our children all have two meaningful middle names.
All three of them say they'll continue the tradition with their children.
I guess I like names and find it dull when people use Rose, May or Grace as middle names - I actually don't get the love for single syllable middle names at all. Rose and May are beautiful first names though.

[IamnotwhouthinkIam]

People responding on the baby names board (other than those actively searching for their own childs/ baby to be's name) are often name lovers/etymology fans; so it can be exciting and fun for us to hear of a parent thinking of naming their child something you don't hear everyday (even if it's in the middle name spot so most people will never know of it!)

That doesn't mean we want every parent to use something strange or teasable (Ptolemy or Cleopatra for example) - even past "popular" middle names would sound refreshing now, especially if a parent were brave enough to use them as a first name (like Clare, Anne, Louise, Marie, Jane etc).

That also doesn't mean Rose or May etc aren't beautiful - indeed even those who say they are overdone in the middle name spot, often say how lovely they are as a first name (which proves their innate beauty as names to me!).

[Cheeseycheeseycheesecheese]

@ifigoup

There are so, so many beautiful names in the world. Using a filler middle name communicates to me (fairly or otherwise) that you are so uninquisitive you could only think of one name you actually liked, and that you didn’t care enough to look further than the end of your nose for the first trite middle name that sprang to mind.

(It’s probably my issue, but it’s how I feel.)

That's a really interesting point of view and it's food for thought on how deeply people think about giving their children a musks name.

My middle name is Louise, which is a very common middle name for women born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. But it's my mums middle name too, so I'd like to think my patents gave it to me for that reason, as my brother's middle name is my grandad, greatgrandad and uncle etc. first name.

DH on the other hand doesn't have a middle name as his parents struggled to name him altogether 😂 whereas his sister also has Louise as a middle name.

I'm actually now thinking if we have a second child and it's a girl Louise might be a good option as a first name...

[ThanksMateThanksMate]

I'm a middle-name Louise.
Always wished that had been my first name as the actual one caused pronunciation problems.
When expecting DD2, I was determined to name her Louise. When she arrived she looked like another name but her middle name is now an anglicised version of my first name. So there's lots of fun to be had with versions.

[MarthaWashingtonsFeralTomcat]

I love a middle namey middle name, especially single syllable ones. Grace, Rose, May, Jane, Joy, Marie and Louise, or James, Rhys, John, David and Michael... They really work imo. Sometimes there's a reason things are popular.

Equally I love using the opportunity to use a more "out-there" name that you might shy away from as a first name. Diana, Monty, Felicity, Regina... sometimes for class or pronunciation or whatever reason, a name doesn't "work for us" as an every day name, but a middle name with meaning can be special too.

I think it's more about the overall flow and fit of a name.

[festivebug]

I think they are all lovely names that go great with almost all first names and due to that have become extremely common. Sometimes when a name is so over used it loses its beauty IMO and becomes very repetitive.

I have a name that I love but due to how common it's become, I don't think I'll use it.

[bumblingalonghappily]

I don't really care what other people do, however for my own DC I don't see the point of middle names unless they have a real sentimental value. Both DS and DD have middle names they share with a significant relative in their honour. Neither names are 'popular' at the moment, but they mean a lot.

[sophandbridge]

My middle name is unusual, probably because Dsis came first and got Louise

[SaffieSoph]

They are lovely names but to me they are just so overused they make them seem a bit boring and plain. I do get why people use them as they flow nicely but they’re just a bit mehh.

[diddlediddle]

The thing is that every says "it just happened to be the name I liked best" - as though they are being original and it just so happens everyone else agrees. But that clearly isn't the case else why would everyone "just happen" to like the same names at the same time... no one is choosing Louise or Anne as a middle at the moment but in the 80s everyone "just happened" to like these at the time. People like them because they're popular not despite it. It's just boring and pointless to have such a ubiquitous name if it isn't meaningful (eg grandmas name).

[happylittlechick]

It's a bit boring though? I just think it lacks imagination. I know someone whose daughter has the most common first name and middle name the year she was born. I just thought the parents could have looked a bit harder.

[Whatthebloodyell]

I don’t hate filler names, but I eye roll when people come on here asking which filler middle name Should they use. Nobody cares!! Middle names are not really used so either pick a name that is meaningful to you or Pick a name that you love. If you are dithering between Rae, Mae, Rose etc literally pick any one, it doesn’t matter.

[Debradoyourecall]

@Chilldonaldchill I have done the same thing with my two kids - two unusual middle names 😊

Their first names ended up being more common but if they ever want to use their middle names instead they can. It seemed like an opportunity to go more fun and eccentric than I dared to with first names!

[wellthatsunusual]

@happylittlechick

It's a bit boring though? I just think it lacks imagination. I know someone whose daughter has the most common first name and middle name the year she was born. I just thought the parents could have looked a bit harder.

I think you don't always know when something is going to be particularly popular. When my daughter was born and named the midwives told me it was years since they had a baby called that in the hospital. When I registered the birth, the registrar said the same. But there are loads of them in her year at school (she's the oldest). So there must have been something whizzing around subconsciously making us all think 'that's a nice name'. I've often thought about what it might have been but I don't know - there were no prominent celebrities with the name and no royal babies.