Why do you need a middle name?

My sisters both have middle names, I just ended up with a double barrelled first name. I don't have any issue's with having or not having a middle name - just my first name (which is Welsh) and no-one in England can pronuonce it or spell it correctly - drives me mad.

My son doesn't have a middle name. His first name is quite unusual, so he won't ever need it for identification or being mixed up with anyone else.

Its a matter of choice really.

Friends of ours didn't give DC middle names. When DC went to school they felt put out that they had no middle names ( unlike everyone else!) so they invented their own.
Chose very sensibly -IMO- and are still using them, even though the names aren't on their birth certs. You can call yourself whatever you like as long as you don't keep changing it.

So I guess it matters to some people more than you think.

I am one of five, my elder sister has a middle name, but the next three siblings don't and then my youngest brother has a middle name. I always felt left out.

My two ds have one middle name each but dd has two as one of the names I loved but dh didn't so we gave her our joint first choice as her first name and the other middle name is one of my grandmother's names. Mind you she was Phyllis Mary Louise so we went for the Louise!

I don't have one as my parents couldn't see the point - like other "single name tons", I also felt deprived. My dc's both have a middle name and I love being able to call them by their full name - it's almost like a secret that only close family knows. Lots of people know their first name and surname but only really close people get to use the middle ones. Daft I know but it works for me!

I never had a middle name felt a bit deprived.

DD1's is my dearly departed Grans
DD2's we just liked it and why not, naming your baby is one of lives pleasures
DD3 has two as we couldn't decide, they are both family names but quite "now" IYSWIM.

I like middle names, why not?

I don't have one. My Mum said my sister hated hers so much they decided not to risk it with me!

I have never seen the point in middle names either OP. Our DS only has one because we gave in to family pressure due to him having an unusual Arab name and my family wanting an English sounding name the could pronounce. Our DD dosn't have one and if I have any more kids I won't bother either.

It can be useful if when the child grows up they don't like their given first name. they can choose to be known by their middle name as another option. My gran has two middle names and all her life has gone by the second one as the first was icredibly popular in her day.

I know a number of people (mostly male interestingly) who choose to be known by their middle name as they didn't like their first name.

Me and my sister don't have a middle name. My mum said they couldn't think of one .

Oh and I don't have a middle name either

DH's family have a tradition of giving the first born the mothers maiden name as a middle name (no way was I inflicting that on my DD - was bad enough as a surname!)

We settled on Isabella (MIL is Isobel and my gran was Bella)

DH's family were most upset that we hadn't carried on the tradition

I don't have one.

You don't need one, granted, but as others have said, it's a good way of honouring family members, and as someonme else said, sounds great when you are being cross with them and use the full name; it seems to have more emphasis

My DS1 has two middle names; one because DH's family has a tradition of first born son having the name as given or middle name, but that name didn't work with my surname in initial form (spelled CJD!), so we added in my maternal grandfather's name as well. DD shares my middle name and is after my maternal grandmother, and DS2 is after my Dad who died a few years ago.

It's not really worth getting your knickers in a twist about though; each to their own and all that!

I have never known anyone without a middle name except me and my Dad.

I felt deprived as piscesmoon did. I am amazed how many others on here have no middle name.

In fact I had to complete an official Govt form one day and the civil servant told me I had to make name up as his computer would not accept people without middle names. I used my Dad's first name and now as a mattr of routine I use it for computer passwords etc.

The reason I do not have a middle name is rather sad. I nearly died as a newborn baby and my parents could only settle on a first name for the christening they had done as they expected me to die in a few hours.

I lived by some miracle.

Both my children have middle names which honour their grandparents and great grandparents. That's about it, really.

I'm the youngest of three, neither of us were given middle names, not sure why.
I really like the idea of passing family names down, so husband and I will be starting off the tradition with our own names as middle names, obviously depending on whether we have a boy or girl.
Husband does have a middle name so if we have a second boy we would be covered for a middle name for him, if we have a second girl I think we'd choose a name with some meaning to us both that we both like-I suppose like the choice for first names.

We haven't even started ttc yet But will be from June onwards. I've been broody for a couple of years now so I've had time to think about all these things already

I am one of 3 girls
only I have a middle name ( its the name my eldest sister wanted me to have ! after her best friend lol)

our 2 sons do have a middle name (after grandfather and great grandfather)

if we have another then the middle name will be hubbys grandmothers name,or my grandfathers name

I think its nice to have a family meaning / connection

It makes you a bit more identifiable. There are a shocking amount of people with exactly the same name first and last name as me. Having a middle name narrows it down a bit.

Two middle names is overkill though, imo!

I don't have a middle name and have been very happy with it!

Me too piscesmoon.
Both my 2 got family names that had been used as middle names for a few generations.

Depends on the culture. In many, you don't need one. A lot of people want one.

Whereas, for example, in my husband's culture, the naming process is quite structured. (and complicated so I won't go into it!) suffice to say, middle names are needed.

weirdly, we have decided on middle names (don't know if it is a boy or a girl) for dc due in April but not first names - they are faily names.

I haven't got a middle name and I have felt deprived all my life!