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Baby names

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

Original poster

How did you choose your baby's middle name?

79 replies

mynameysamey · 16/08/2026 20:12

How did you choose your baby's middle name?

Did you use a family name? Or think of a name that they could use if they didn't like their first?

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Echobelly · 30/08/2026 17:45

We're Jewish so naming after a late relative is common. DH's grandma died just before I found out I was expecting oldest DC, so that decided middle name.

When DS was born he was named after two of his great grandfather's- first name DH's side, middle name my maternal grandfather. Which is a heck of a scrabble score you consider one was Lithuanian and the other Hungarian!

sanityisamyth · 30/08/2026 17:42

Was my then-husband’s uncle’s name. He was a lovely man, and I liked the name so seemed reasonable. It went well with DS’s first name too, and didn’t spell anything embarassing when all three letters were put together.

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Daffodilsinthespring · 30/08/2026 17:39

First name - we liked it
first middle name - family name
second middle name - we wanted a meaning so chose the month she was due. She wasn’t born in that month!

Tryagain26 · 30/08/2026 17:38

We used family names that were important to us.

Dithercats · 30/08/2026 17:37

2 middle names each.
Maiden name has been used, as have grandparents & godparents names.
We also used names we loved including snow which was mentioned upthread.
So a real mix and lots of compliments

Aquamarineteal · 30/08/2026 17:29

Family names for all three.

PrincessHoneysuckle · 27/08/2026 20:20

Ds has both his grandads names

Daphnedolittle2 · 27/08/2026 17:47

My children all have 2 middle names. Names of grandparents or great uncles for the boys.
My daughter has one name that's a family name (grandma on both sides) and one that is a beautiful Irish name with a great meaning to connect her to her heritage.

IggyAce · 26/08/2026 20:59

I had the criteria that middle names couldn’t be a filler middle name, mine is a filler middle name of my generation and I just think it’s boring.
My dds middle could have been her 1st name we didn’t decide on the order until she was born.
DS middle name is what we would have called dd if she had been a boy, we couldn’t agree on nn so decided to use it as a middle name.

By coincidence they both have long middle names.

Gcn · 26/08/2026 20:51

1st DD - my gran's name, 2nd dd, DPs best friend's name.

Denim4ever · 26/08/2026 20:48

DS has my father's middle name as his first name, his father and paternal grandfather's middle name as his middle name, my surname as his second middle name. I kept my surname on marriage but it's unusual and very teaseworthy so we both felt it should not be part of his surname

ladygindiva · 26/08/2026 20:46

Jamas42 · 25/08/2026 08:08

Single middle name for DS. Named after my Papa. We don’t have any tradition of naming after family members within the family - middle names are usually just names that are liked.

Seeing my Papas face when he found out DSs full name is one of my favourite memories. He was one of my favourite people in the world and I’m so glad I had the chance to do it and tell him ☺️

This is beautiful. If I had a son I always wanted to do the same for my lovely dad but I had all girls.

ladygindiva · 26/08/2026 20:45

All three DDs have middle names of fabulous important female family members I wanted to honour. Grandma, much loved great aunt and my amazing godmother ( who conveniently had the same name as ex Mil and so she thinks it's after her and was delighted 🤣)

Xanadu58 · 26/08/2026 20:43

One DD's middle name is the female version of her dads name, my DS's middle name is his dads name and my youngest DD'S middle name is after a character in a book I was reading when I was pregnant.

RumPidgeon · 26/08/2026 20:39

Grandparents first names

Jamas42 · 25/08/2026 08:08

Single middle name for DS. Named after my Papa. We don’t have any tradition of naming after family members within the family - middle names are usually just names that are liked.

Seeing my Papas face when he found out DSs full name is one of my favourite memories. He was one of my favourite people in the world and I’m so glad I had the chance to do it and tell him ☺️

PermanentTemporary · 25/08/2026 07:01

Ds has two middle names, one each for a senior male member of our respective families. I spent a long time trying to wrestle with the female version of this, the names did NOT fit together, but the male version was easy peasy and I still think it has a lovely flow. We hadn’t been together long when I got pregnant so we wanted to show we were making a new member of a family.

TheNumberfaker · 25/08/2026 06:59

Both middle names are after different grandparents.

DozyCrow · 25/08/2026 06:57

Both my DC have their own unique first names, but we went with family names for their middle names, making sure we chose a name that flowed well with their first name and surname.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 25/08/2026 06:57

Both dc have 2 middle names. First is one I just liked and sounded good with their first name, second is a family name carried down from a grandparent.

ChocolateCinderToffee · 25/08/2026 06:53

My parents, having given me the dullest of first names, let rip with my middle name. It’s ugly, old lady and was unfashionable until about five years ago.

spiderlight · 24/08/2026 23:09

It was my dad's name.

MallardDuck1 · 24/08/2026 22:45

DS1 has my FIL's first name as his middle and DS2 has my husbands first name as his middle. I wanted family names for middle names but they are both names I love anyway. Both names from my husband's side as I'm not close to any relatives on my side, my husband wasn't fussed so it was my choice! If either was a girl their middle name would have been my name.

countrylifeorcitylife · 23/08/2026 19:23

Family names from both sides

CovenOfCheeses · 23/08/2026 19:18

mynameysamey · 16/08/2026 20:12

How did you choose your baby's middle name?

Did you use a family name? Or think of a name that they could use if they didn't like their first?

If it was a girl, grandmother’s name from either side and if a boy the grandfather’s name. I had three girls and a boy so the final girl has my husband’s mother’s middle name. My mother had only one name. I think this was the custom for Quaker working class people in the Norrh East. I don’t have a middle name.