To remove a sentimental middle name from baby’s birth certificate?

The only time I've ever known middle names used at all is opening a bank account and getting married. I've got friends I've known for many years and I have no idea if they have a middle name or not.

I love multiple middle names, my kids only have 1 middle name but when I'm feigning outrage at them I like to add in a few extra 'mary Jane sue Georgina wilhemina smyth' gives a great basis for expressing horror at them and making them laugh. Even better to throw the wrong one in, so the girl gets a strong of boys names and vice versa.

If your dad's a horror I would remove it otherwise I'd keep it

If you have pnd, then this concern over the middle name is very likely related to that. I'd just go ahead and remove the name all the same, if it doesn't sound right to you.

Hopefully you are getting treatment for the pnd.

Does your family have a habit of pressuring you into decisions you're not really comfortable with? Maybe look into ways of asserting yourself/ resisting pressure when you start feeling better? Therapy might be a good idea.

I’d leave it. It’s just a middle name, she likely won’t use it much day-to-day.

As an aside though, my surname was changed from my mum’s maiden name to my father’s surname when I was 6, and I’ve never been asked to prove the change. I always specify that I’ve been ‘known by another name’ too.

My 20yo has a middle name and it’s never used now. For example Lily Rose Pettifer is just Lily Pettifer (not her real name). I have a middle name and apart from my mother, no-one uses it. My brother has our father and grandfather’s names as middle names, and never uses them. Middle names are fine to honour someone in the family or a close friend but are otherwise useless.

I think it's fairly easy to amend the BC in the first 12 months (it will appear as a correction rather than a new cert but any official docs generated after that will use the corrected version). My mum had this - similar to her first name originally being registered as Lillian but her parents decided to change it to Gillian when she was a few weeks old. Has never been a problem for her.

But the other way of looking at it is - if it's only one of the middle names, does it really matter? How often do we go around telling people our middle names? If I asked my 5 closest friends what my middle name is, I doubt they all know it. Maybe none of them would get it right! When you fill in forms etc it's easy just to miss off the middle name, particularly if it's a second middle name. My husband and kids all have two middle names and even some official docs only include the first one (or just an initial for the second one) as that is all there is room for.

Also, would it cause upset in your family to remove your dad's name? Is it not easier to just let it sit there, largely ignored?

My SIL convinced me to use the name of her son who passed away as a middle name, she fell out with me. My son dropped the name he says he doesn't use his middle names anyway.

You’re not awful at all. If the name doesn’t feel right to you, it’s reasonable to change it. Removing a middle name isn’t removing your dad or what he meant to you.

OP I’m sure your baby would rather have a weird middle name than have to prove the name change every single time she needs to prove ID for official reasons for the rest of her life.

I wouldnt bother. Middle names never have to be used

So every time your child is asked have you been known by any other name/s they will have to put this? Why do that to them?

Yes, this does sound like the rumination of a stressed, tired mum who is feeling low.

It really doesn't matter that the name is on the certificate. You don't have to like the sound of it because it need never be uttered. Having it there just as a silent token of acknowledgement of a dead relative is very common. We did it with our children. Their middle names are never used and barely ever recorded. xx

My children have 2 middle names each-all family names. As adults they love the connection with their past. Leave it.

I think you're overthinking this. Just leave it

Also a correction is £99.

Just leave it. You’re overthinking it. In terms of admin/bureaucracy, you would potentially just cause more issues for your child.

You can apply to do a correction and it’s up to the individual registrar. (In the uk). But the original information will also be on the certificate as well as the correction.

My understanding is that you can’t amend names once on the birth certificate only the person themselves can do it when they are either 16 or 18

If you don’t like it, then get rid of it. One of mine has two middle names (one a family name) and I DO like it, but it’s a right pain to fit on every official form. I wouldn’t deal with the hassle for a name I didn’t even like.

The name has been given. Removing it, should be the choice of the adult child.

Exactly what I was going to say. Once the name is given, it belongs to the child. Up to him/her what s/he does with it.

She will have to declare that she was once previously known as another name for the rest of her life.

Leave it. She might like it when she is older. It is HER name not yours.

The name has been given. Removing it, should be the choice of the adult child.

Seems stupid to add it then remove it. If you were willing enough to actually do it, what is th epoint in removing it? That's worse than not honouring him in the first place.

It likely will from family experience . Don’t do it!