Why do we have middle names?

[Houseplantmad]

just wondering why we do - when they don’t usually ever get used. Why bother with them when some people get themselves so stressed choosing just a first name?

This is very true.. when my husband tells off our daughter he likes to put particular emphasis on her second middle name (which happens to be my surname as I didn't change it upon marriage!) 😄

(Lighthearted, yes my husband is lovely, no he is not abusive.. I know how this forum thinks...).

Mine have middle names because there were family names I wanted to carry on but didn't want to use as first names.

I don't and no one in my family does either.

Quite often in the highlands and islands all the brothers/sisters/cousins/neighbours would have the same first name and so would go by their middle name or by both names to differentiate. So my granny had three cousins (who were brothers) called Donald John, Donald Peter and Donald Iain. It’s not really done any more though.

I like having family names as middle names.

My dad and his siblings were all named after someone and they all go by their middle names day to day, so my uncle John goes by David because my grandfather is also John.

I havnt got one. Mum said it was hard enough to choose one

It used to be common practice in Scotland to use the mothers maiden name as a middle name for DC. My grandmother had this.

DS has two - each of his grandfathers.

I imagine it sometimes is to do with family naming patterns; my mother had her grandmother's maiden name as her middle name.

Another who was going to say it is useful for knowing when you are really in trouble with your Mum.

It’s really handy at work, we use initials a lot and there would be duplications if people didn’t have middle names.

My parents have never used mine when I’ve been in trouble, I have never used those of my DCs for that reason either.

I don't have a middle name. My eldest does (just a filler name really that I picked because I was 18). 8yo has his grandads name as his middle name. The other two have no middle name.

DD's : middle name makes her otherwise 'common' name quite unique when she uses in full; this came in handy.

Similar for middle DS; all 3 DS;s have middle names which are in honour of another relative.

My mum said the same...she wanted Genevieve I got something much more ordinary at the time

I agree, I don't see why there should be stress, or to add a boring filler name just because

I always assumed that it was because years ago so many people in a family had the same name that the second name was an option. Granny, mammy then baby all called Mary, maybe even mil too, so baby becomes Mary Kate or whatever.

Agree, my family tree bears this out, traditional names not trendy unique or fashionable. It changed for my generation (born 60s) The first names were the likes of Tracy Joanne Susan Karen Sharon Linda Nicola etc, our middle names were more than likely those of our parents or grandparents, if we were given them, family names...out of respect not because they flowed

I don’t know how true this is bearing in mind I went to a convent school, but we were taught that before the reformation (when everyone was Catholic) you had to have a Saint’s name, so if you called your child Celia and your local priest deemed it not close enough to Cecilia you could follow it up with a Saint’s name, eg. Celia Anne

I think middle names evolved from various naming cultures were lots of similar names were used.

The romans for example had three names (male ones anyway) the first and second would likely be the same as their father and brothers. The third name was a Nick name that was more unique to the person.

All Roman girls would have a female version of their father's name and their birth order. Again nicknames might be used to tell them apart.

In parts of the British isles names have been along the lines of John the Smith becoming John Smith or Thomas son of James or Elizabeth of St Ives. As those names lose the 'the' or 'of' middle names started to be used to help differentiate which John Smith you meant.

My daughter has 2 middle names. Both family names. Our next child will also have 2. In my opinion it's a nice way to honour family.

My uncle is called Kim, so has a very definite male name as his middle name to make it less ambiguous

Same

also because I have a middle name and husband doesn’t. I kinda feel sorry for people without middle names. Don’t know why.

My children have two middle names each (as do I).
My eldest has the first name of both his grandfather's, and my daughter has my mothers name and paternal grandmother's name. I, and they, like the connection to the older generations.
We chose these names as a recognition of these people and we also liked the names. My son uses his middle name - it's on his bank account and email address. My daughter not so much. My nickname growing up was a derivative of one of my middle names.

DD has 2 middle names. It's to honour special relatives and/or close friends. Plus the impact on calling a child by all their names so they know they've really done something bad...

Our middle names remember those who went before including a great aunt who was just a young woman when she died. The love for her was evident and so she has been remembered for three generations by her name being used as a middle one.