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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Is this silly...

61 replies

LorryHen · 12/05/2015 13:54

Giving a child your maiden name as a middle name?

I don't want to seem self indulgent, but me and OH aren't married (heathen) and I think it would be a nice way to link my name with my child.

The name we have picked is Joel Hughie Lastname...

My other concern is that my last name isn't common but it might be a bit chavvy as a middle name.

Any thoughts are welcome..

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TinyTear · 12/05/2015 22:03

Hakluyt, no hyphen because I am from an eu country where this is the tradition, and we have no hyphens... Just two surnames and on marriage I added my dh's one...

This way my daughters can choose to use both and be more unique or just the last one which is a common British surname (think like Smith but not Smith)...

Dh didn't want to add my surname to his so he just kept the usual "smith" so we are the smith family but me and dds are the foreign smiths...

Belazu84 · 12/05/2015 22:00

Agree with everyone- it's nice! My brother and both my nephews have either their mother or grandmother's maiden name as a second middle.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 12/05/2015 20:14

No not at all. It's a way of including your name as well as your DH's.

bobajob · 12/05/2015 19:45

If you want your child to have a link to your name, then just give them your surname.

littlejohnnydory · 12/05/2015 19:34

I would have done it except that my maiden name was a chavvy boys' first name! Think Lee but not that!

Tattiesthroughthebree · 12/05/2015 19:30

DC1 has my maiden name as his middle name.
DH has his mother's name as his middle name, and we used it again as DC2's middle name.
My grandmother had her grandmother's maiden name as her middle name, and we used it as DC3s middle name.

Original poster
LorryHen · 12/05/2015 19:07

That's lovely mummypidge, you've all given me food for thought :) x

OP posts:
MummyPidge · 12/05/2015 19:03

My dd has my mothers maiden name as a middle name, it died with my grandparents so I wanted to use it to continue the name on in a way Smile

Hakluyt · 12/05/2015 18:57

Well, just as long as you are all happy with your children having their father's name as their last name.Fine if you are. But if you actually want your name to be "present" you need a hyphen.

ApplesTheHare · 12/05/2015 18:47

We did this as our last names combined would be a curse on poor DD, so she has my maiden name (or just my name, as I never changed it) as her middle name. Seems to work fine Smile

seaoflove · 12/05/2015 17:44

Nope.

I did.

DD has my surname as her second middle name, and so will baby #2.

IrritatedPartyOf1 · 12/05/2015 17:43

no hyphen, with the hyphen you always have to use both last names. Without the hyphen you can use either last names or both.

Hakluyt · 12/05/2015 17:25

Interesting, TinyTear- why no hypen? And, out of interest, why doesn't your Dp have the same name as you and your Dcs?

TheEponymousGrub · 12/05/2015 16:03

I think it's really nice! I didn't do it, but now I'm a bit sorry. My surname is rather...clunky, and my DH's is unusual too, and altogether I thought it a bit much for the children, although I've kept it myself - it is me after all! But when you consider that a middle name is kind of hidden, and not in everyday use anyway, I should have done it.

TinyTear · 12/05/2015 15:51

My daughters (and me) have two surnames. Mine and DH's... No need to be a middle name and no need to be hyphenated

Original poster
LorryHen · 12/05/2015 15:29

Thanks for all of your suggestions and comments - very helpful.

I'll think about hyphenating, just not sure it'll work as OH's name is long and that's why I don't think it'll work as a middle name either.

OP posts:
MitzyLeFrouf · 12/05/2015 15:24

It's a pretty common thing to do, especially in Scotland but I'd be more inclined to give your child both surnames.

ConfusedInBath · 12/05/2015 14:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SevTSnape · 12/05/2015 14:42

Definitely acceptable, all of my mum's side of the family have done it.

HahaHarrie · 12/05/2015 14:32

Totally acceptable and a wise thing to do (especially if you don't share a surname). It is also very useful if you are are traveling internationally with just your child and you have no joint family name. Without it can be presumed you are no relation to the child.

Hakluyt · 12/05/2015 14:30

Or hyphenate?

WhiffleSqueak · 12/05/2015 14:29

my siblings and I all have old family names as middle names.

quite unusual names and causes occasional raised eyebrows, but we don't care.

Hakluyt · 12/05/2015 14:29

Why not just give him your last name as a last name?

Original poster
LorryHen · 12/05/2015 14:26

Hahaha half of it is in my username. It isn't Primark (thankfully) but there is a brand of horrible clothes with the same name.

OP posts:
FoamyOne · 12/05/2015 14:25

I've done this. It's fairly normal in Scotland.