Would it be weird to use the middle name

Also, I have just had to renew my driving license photo ID card. My driving licence is in my middle name but I couldn’t renew it online as they wanted to use my passport photo which they then classified using my first name. I had to go the a specific post office (not local) to get them to take my photo and I had to pay ££ for the privilege, plus petrol plus parking costs plus time.

If you get qualifications in Middle then Surname they don’t easily match with id like passport. I could have changed to using my real first name but it didn’t feel like “me”.

All hospitals ask for preferred name but they obviously don’t use it calling in the waiting room so I have to remember to listen for my proper first name. Just once (frequent flyer for hospital) they were calling my first name for bringing round after surgery- I wonder if I responded slower, not sure).

My husband is known by his middle name. It is a total pain! Stupid things like having to remember to use the right initial for booking holidays. And more complicated things like his exam certificates not matching his passport when he went to start his new job. And really scary things where his medical records seem to be divided in two so knowing that if he is ever in a car crash and arrives at hospital unconscious then there is a 1 in 2 chance that they won’t know about the drug he is allergic to.

Call him “Name from your culture, British name, Surname”. If he wants to use the British name when he is older then he will be choosing himself to take on the hassle.

This is my experience as well.

Ramesh Ranganathan’s first name is Jonathan….

I work in a school office - We have many children who have full names or go by middle names - we can put things in the “Known As” field…so you can put in what he is known as…

I'm a teacher too and students names are always what's on their birth cert on our system. I always get students to introduce themselves to me by their preferred name but a lot of teachers would call them by their name on the system (which in your case would be the first name). I've taught students who have been too shy to correct anyone.

Absolutely you can. I'm a teacher and have taught several children whose chosen name is not the first name on their birth certificate. You just put on the data collection form what their chosen name is and this will be the name they call them by and what will appear on their books, peg, tray etc. Most people in the school won't even realise that's not their official first name as that's all they'll know them as.

For example, I've taught at least 5 boys whose official name is Muhammad/Mohammed but not a single one of them went by that name as they're named after older males in the family. All go by their middle name in school. It's also very common for children to go by a short-form or nickname (for example I taught a Sasha who was technically Aleksandra but we never ever called her that, her name was changed to Sasha on our system).

Yes it's fine.

(My DBro and my DDad both have names like that)

But there will be times when people use the first name by default, so your DC needs to learn to respond to both. Medical waiting rooms is one such place, but it can happen just about any brush with officialdom.

We have this for one dc, it is pain but not a huge problem.
I wouldn't have chosen it and still wouldn't but it works.

Don’t. I’m called by my middle name. It’s a f pita for all official admin, doctors and dentists, everybody. I don’t hate it. I loathe it and refused to follow the “family tradition” for my own DCs. Call your DC by the first name you want to call them and use the middle name for random stuff. They will think kindly of you in the future if you do this.

It will be a pain, probably.

But why not do it the other way round and put the English name in the middle? There is nothing to stop them using it when they are older - they can put "John Smith" on their CV and LinkedIn profile, and only need to give the full name when they actually accept a job offer and need to get the contract and everything set up.

Seems easier that way. Plus, they might not ever want to be "John Smith" anyway if they have spent their life being called something else.

If you want to. On school forms I always have been asked for preferred name, my daughter goes but a shortened version of her name but not the standard one and it’s not been a problem (still in primary)