To not like non-family middle names

[Coffeeandajigsaw]

I'm of the opinion that middle names should be family names, or possibly something with significance, not names just chosen because you like the sound of it. Yes I know it's a free world and my own middle name is very much a 'vanity' middle name (ta, mum) but I just think it's a bit silly. Pick a dead relative, or even a living one, or if you hate your family, just don't bother with a middle name at all!

Especially hate filler names, too many Isla Graces and Jessica Roses!

Sorry if I'm being offensive, was just interested to know if this is just me?

Oh Sparkle. Sigh. That is really quite cute.

Well, DD has a middle name that is linked to family but not actually a family name- her grandma and great aunts share an initial so I gave DD a middle name with that initial. Is that acceptable?

why would this bother you? I find it weird when people give their own children their name as a middle name. 'You must be a bit up yourself' 'think your name is so amazing, you've given it to your kid'

My eldest DS has his fathers names, nothing big headed about it and he isn't up himself. Its a family tradition.

I find it weird when people give their own children their name as a middle name. 'You must be a bit up yourself' 'think your name is so amazing, you've given it to your kid'

Makes me think of Nigel and Nigella Lawson. Or Prince Rupert of the Rhine's daughter, Ruperta. Poor thing.

AIBU is a safe place to air such views, OP. But I wouldn't say it in public! We probably all have our little niggles about names.

My personal preference would be a middle name that has some significance - doesn't have to be family. My middle name comes from a lovely lady my parents were friends with when DM was pregnant. But of course, each to their own.

Being a Catholic, I got to choose an 'extra' middle name (a saint's name) for my confirmation when I was 10 or so. Of course nobody in my class (myself included) chose anything because of its saintly meaning, just because they wanted a cool extra name! I chose Monica. If I tell you I was 10 in 1995, you'll be able to guess why. Though St Monica is in fact the patron saint of married women and the mother of St Augustine!

A friend of mine was seriously going to choose Bosco (after St John Bosco) because she thought it was hilarious. The priest was not amused.

"I think in Spain middle names aren't allowed?"

Erm.... yes they are.

Having said that, in some Southern Europe countries (including my birth country) there are lists of "approved"/"real" names and spellings, so you're not allowed to call you children anything made up or with a weird spelling.

PoppyAmex - two Spanish people have told me that. It surprised me.

Do you also think everyone should be named after their occupation? 'Hello, I'm Jack John Estateagent.'
'Oh, nice to meet you, I'm John Jack Civilservant'
'Oh John was my father's name!'
'I'd never have guessed, my father's name was Jack. We only have the names John and Jack in our family for the last 20 generations'

I don't have a middle name at all, and I always really wanted one. That's why my dc's have middle names. Neither dh's family or mine have a tradition of using family names so we gave them names we liked - both have our second choice first name as middle names.

It doesn't really bother me what other people do.

*MsWilliam

Is it Flash? Or Superman?*

It's Neo.

Obviously named before the diabolical 2nd and 3rd films came out.

Really suits him.

Makes me think of Nigel and Nigella Lawson. Or Prince Rupert of the Rhine's daughter, Ruperta. Poor thing. Nigella's sister is Horatia, isnt she; and her niece is Domenica after her father Dominic. I think inventing or using very odd feminised male names does say something to the girl herself about wanting a boy instead....

My dear father wanted me called after him. Regina.

My mother was nicely brought up and shy but not that innocent and flatly refused.

Yes, and let's ban middle names for people with no family!

Unless you are being forced to bestow a non family honouring middle name against your will I think YABU as it's nothing to do with you what middle names other people give their children.

I cant get why this would bother you? Surely nobody ever hears or uses their middle names. Unless of course you mean hyphenated first names?
My middle name is a family name. It is Cox. I don't use it.

To those who asked no not royalty. We can actually trace certain lines back to 700. It helps to have a Cambridge Don whose subject was history, in your family who was autistic and one of his things was our family tree.
It was his life's work. I think it would cause him a wry smile to know it got that response on Mumsnet.

My DD has a family first name and a random middle name.
DS has a random first name and a family middle name.
I have a random first name and an even more random middle name.
HTH

Hello MIL, is good to see you've started a MN thread

My DH's family all share about 10 names between them, and picking names is a bit of a feat full of family politics.

When PIL visited me in hospital after I had my PFB (also their first grandchild) we told them his name. >tumbleweed< >silence< Then MIL repeated it a few times, and said, "Oh that's a nice modern name."

We're a Christian family and generally we choose our names from the Bible. DS was no different, both his first name and middle name are Biblical.... His first name is Adam - the first created man ever - hardly modern!

But in that family if it ain't John or Samuel then wow, it's like Moonunit or Trixibelle.

beastofburden I didn't know about Horatia and Domenica.

Seems a shame to saddle the poor child with a dodgy name just because it's a family name, TBH. But I'm probably being unreasonable because some people will adore names that I think are dodgy.

If my mother had gone along with the rule I would most likely be Gertrude after my aunt and great-aunt. Rather glad she didn't.

The silly think is that you can't possibly know if people have a family name or not! One of mine has and 2 don't and if I told you the names you would just have to guess which is family so therefore I can't see why it would upset you!

Seeing as you asked, I find giving brand new little human beings the name of a dead person they never knew an exercise in vanity and burdens a child with the legacy of someone you cared about.

What if you name your brand new little human after a dead person that you never knew either, just because you think they are super cool? Is it a burden to have a legacy of being super cool?

My dm's middle name is a family name that they were all given. She hates it

I've gone down the grandparent name as middle name route, and I like it. Except I'm a Big Fat Hypocrite because when it came to the last remaining grandfather I decided I couldn't burden a son with that middle name and jumped back a generation to the name of someone neither DH or I ever met.

The middle name we've chosen for a girl is Celyn (Holly in Welsh). There is no-one in the family called Holly, or Celyn. Does that mean we should change it?

Celyn is because it's the name of the lake we always used to pass when going to visit my little brother in hospital before he died. But of course, because it's not a family name, I shouldn't use it.

My middle name is Naomi. Get this - because my mum "felt sorry for her in the Bible, and she seemed a good sort". That's weird.