How Many Middle Names?

We have decided that it's tradition in our family for the women to have no middle names and so far it goes back at least 5 generations and dd decided to keep it up when she had her dd. I say we have 'decided' this as it's for no good reason really but we kind of like it!

I'd have loved two middle names for each of my children but DH was quite firm in saying he thought one was enough (he doesn't have one). As I got to choose all of DC's names I thought it was a fair enough compromise.

@AubernFable yes I agree, personally I think 3 is a lot but at the end of the day it's up to you :)

@AubernFable , I can remember a time when a Chris I know mentioned that Christopher was often too long for forms.

I know one person with 3 middle names, and they only use one when using initials. I know someone with 2 middle names, who uses all 4 initials.

Depends how many surnames - with a double barrelled surname I don't think you need any, three initials is enough. Maybe 4 initials if you're feeling particularly frilly.

A PP says no middle names is for unimaginative people; conversely I thought more than one was because they were indecisive or failling to get relatives to butt out. The couples I remember from NCT classes who went with two middle names for the baby seemed to do it to because of one for his granddad, one for hers - that sort of thing.

I have 2 middle names - quite long 2/3 syllable names, but hasn't been difficult growing up, forms etc. I guess I'm used to it.

My eldest has one and youngest has two

Though they're short one and two syllable names a nurse went to my youngest "oh that's a lot of names isn't it" First time I'd really thought about it, I don't seem to think so lol

But I definitely wouldn't use more than two middle names

@oakleaffy of course he can, he can add it by deed poll. I added and extra middle name that way. I mean you can change your entire name so adding a middle name is totally doable.

I don't have one and have never missed having one.
Can't see the point of them unless it's a family or honour name.

The filler middle name seems pointless. If you are Isla Smith or something, having Rose/May/Grace as a middle name doesn't make the name more unusual.

A friend's children have a family surname as a middle name - something like (but not) Noah Corbett Jones and Olivia Corbett Jones, not double barrelled.
That seems sensible.

Both of my kids have short first names and then two more characterful middle
names and then a long surname.

Both 1 or 2 are perfectly commonplace - if you love lots of names or want to honour both sides of the family then it’s fine to go with 2 (even with a double- barrelled surname - just bear in mind that your kids may end up having to leave one middle name off/use middle initials for some forms).

I must admit I think 0 is for people with no imagination or family/friends they want to honour, where as 3 plus is for the eccentric/crazy/aristocracy imo 🤣

My parents have five of us and we don’t have any middle names. Have always appreciated it! Middle names are pretty irrelevant - just useful for distinguishing identity if your other names are common.
All you’re doing by adding multiple middle names is looking like an attention seeker and making form filling unnecessarily long.

I have two middle names and one surname, kids have two middle names plus a double-barrelled (but no hyphen) surname.

It's not been a problem for passports, or forms so far. I LOVE having two middle names and the whole thing being quite long. The children have not reported any issues. I don't remember writing my middles out for exam papers - do they have to do that now?!

Everyone in my family/extended family has 2 middle names (partly because we are Catholic so eg all girls have Mary plus one other) and no one has ever had any issues filling in forms.

One of my bank cards only has one of my middle initials on it but otherwise I use either both or neither - I think it would be weird to choose just one of them. Both my DC have 2 middle names - one from each side of the family - and no issues at all.

But I’m a strong believer in choosing a first name that you love and then using the middles to honour family etc - I think if I’d seen middle as just another name I liked I’d have stopped at 1.

Plays havoc when typesetting lists e.g. graduation lists if the person has a gazillion names.

Me, DD (7), DD (due in July) are all/will be First, Middle, Surname.
DP god bless him is First-First Middle Surname but all four names can be used as first names 🙈 he hates it. Not to mention none of his family spell his middle name correctly (in my opinion) but also none of them spell it incorrectly consistently 😅 they all spell it differently and my DP pretends it doesn’t exist.

I have 2 middle names, overall my name is 28 letters which might seem a bit much but I love it and I'd definitely give my future children 2 middle names.

And my kids have two middle names, but none of them use them both, they only use the first one.

I double barrelled my name after I got married but I dropped it after a few years, as in reality I used DH’s name as it’s the same as the kids, plus I felt like people thought I was being awkward or trying to be posh with the double barrel.

Both my DC have two middle names, as do I. It meant we could fit in the family name DH had always wanted to include as well as something we chose.
DC1's name is 27 characters in total plus three spaces and fits in on things like passport forms but only with a couple of spaces spare and so we bore that in mind when choosing DS' name. His is 28 characters and fits in forms.

I think it depends on the length of the names.

Lucy Ann Sarah Jones - fine.
Elizabeth Isabella Luciana Jackson-Williams - she will spend half her exam time just filling in the form.

My total name is 24 letters from 3 names. 24 is just about ok but I wouldn’t want any longer. Occasionally I am filling out a form in my best (borderline illegible!) block caps and I do start thinking “seriously! I am still writing!”

I think it depends how long the middle names are. Mine don't usually fit on forms. My first and middle names total ten syllables.