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Baby names

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

Original poster

My friend has just given her new baby girl the middle name....

61 replies

Kathyis6incheshigh · 31/01/2008 18:19

Douglas!

Is it just me, or is this a boy's name?

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pointydog · 31/01/2008 20:40

I'm Scottish, I'm female, I have a surname as a middle name.

Original poster
Kathyis6incheshigh · 31/01/2008 20:21

How interesting about Douglas migrating from female to male.

No she's not 500 years old, BUT, she and her dh are both heavily into medieval history! I could totally see them using the name of a character from history they like, too. So maybe that is it.

OP posts:
allytjd · 31/01/2008 20:21

Yup, definitely a scottish thing, my mum's middle name is Macintosh and my Grannies middle name was Forbes. I always felt hard done by because I don't have a middle name and ,incidentaly, my DS2 has Douglas as amiddle name as I think it is a fine manly name. DS1 has my maiden name Kirkpatrick as his middle name.

Rantmum · 31/01/2008 20:05

this

contains this info re naming traditions in different countries:

"Mother?s maiden name:
some families, particularly in parts of Scotland, have a tradition of including the mother?s family name as the middle name. This is how, over time, certain names that were originally surnames have been elevated to eventually becoming used as middle and then, as first names (like Scott, Campbell, Murray) "

pootleflump · 31/01/2008 20:00

DD has my maiden name as a middle name, I didn't think this was at all unusual but I'm Scottish so maybe it is a Scottish thing.

Rantmum · 31/01/2008 19:56

My family tree from about a hundred years ago is littered with women with various Scottish surnames as middle names - they usually passed on the mother's maiden name as a middle name for child

Fennel · 31/01/2008 19:55

Is Morgan another example of a name migrating female to male?

Morgan le Fey is an old female Morgan, but now I know baby boys called Morgan.

edam · 31/01/2008 19:55

Oh yes, Port's got it! There's some historical character - aristocratic woman who actually held land in her own right IIRC - called Douglas.

(one of ds's middle names is Donald which is just as bad. After my FIL who was lovely but, I learnt later, hated his name!)

PortAndLemon · 31/01/2008 19:53

Douglas used to be exclusively a girls' name a few centuries ago, apparently. I know someone who is a professional name researcher and she gives it as the only obvious example of a name migrating from female to male (whereas there are plenty of examples of names migrating from male to female).

So, is your friend 500 years old?

Rantmum · 31/01/2008 19:51

I think family surnames as a middle name is very traditional in some places including for girls. In Scotland for my Grandmother's generation it was certainly the norm.

Original poster
Kathyis6incheshigh · 31/01/2008 19:49

I suppose it's just the American thing then.
My dad has a surname as a middle name, but I thought people only generally did that to boys. Makes things v confusing for him though as his surname is also a first name.

OP posts:
edam · 31/01/2008 18:59

Might have been a character in a novel.

edam · 31/01/2008 18:57

Ooh, I'm sure I've come across a female Douglas somewhere. Going away to rack my brains.

Vacua · 31/01/2008 18:45

I had a friend at school whose middle name was Allen, she had a very pretty first name and an ok surname (Taylor). That was a family name thing, maiden I think.

Anna8888 · 31/01/2008 18:35

Both my parents have first name (=normalish first name) second name (= family member first name and a bit odd) third name (=family member surname and very odd) and then surname.

Douglas as a middle name for a girl isn't terrible by those standards, frankly

hatrick · 31/01/2008 18:34

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Ledodgy · 31/01/2008 18:32

rofl GGG!

belgo · 31/01/2008 18:32

pmsl gggglimpopo!!!

ggglimhoho · 31/01/2008 18:31

A bit off topic but I had lunch today with friends who were all commenting on my ds's funny middle name - "Caesar".

I had sent out a text with his name, then caesar(for caesarean!)......

hatrick · 31/01/2008 18:29

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Sunshinemummy · 31/01/2008 18:27

I believe this is also something if a Scottish tradition too. I know of two women with surnames as their middle names.

QuintessentialShadow · 31/01/2008 18:25

I have first name, middle name and a double barrel surname. I hate spelling out my name, it takes for ever, I was alway envious of Liz Smith.

A friend of mine had 3 first names, and 2 surnames. When she married she kept the first name which was Anna, and took her husbands surname which was very simple. Makes sense.

These days, I am fed up with my long name, and cut both my middle name and the first of the barrels.

Many names makes great palaver.

MrsDandOllie · 31/01/2008 18:24

My American friend gave her daughter a passed down family name as a middle name (I think my friend has the same middle name). Its Hayden, which I thought was a boys name as well.
I think it is defeinitely an American thing!!

belgo · 31/01/2008 18:23

In Belgium it is the tradition to give the new baby as second and third names the christian names of the godfather and godmother.

Hence many boys have got girl's names as middle names and vice versa.

Maybe they are following some tradition?

It really doesn't matter much if it's a middle name.

Original poster
Kathyis6incheshigh · 31/01/2008 18:23

They already have a double-barrelled surname so people will be assuming it is a triple barrel!

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