to ask if anyone calls their DC by their middle name?

[purplestar0]

Our DD has a first and middle name (and surname!). She is 2 and since she was born we have been increasingly using her middle name as it's easier to say, less frilly than her first, and we just prefer it.

Does anyone else call their DC by their middle name and if so, what was your reason? Does it ever cause any confusion - do others use their middle name or first name?

I have 3 forenames and have always been called by the last of the three! The first two are my grandmothers' Christian names and while they are fashionable now, they were very "uncool" in the 60s!! My names were put in that order as my mum felt they "sounded better"-the fact that the only time they'd be said out loud was when the priest poured water on me didn't seem to occur to her!! It doesn't usually cause any fuss in sag to day life but can be tricky if I'm filling in a form as there isn't always a "known by" box and some forms eg driving licence only allow you to list two names!! I'm used to it now-but definitely named my kids "the right way round" regardless of how it sounded!!!

My former father in law was always called by his middle name. Had been since childhood. His first name was a family name which his parents had been pressurised to call him but they weren't keen either!

I've known several people who were known by their middle names. Never caused them any problems or any confusion for that matter.

All the males in dh's family have the same first name but go by their middle name. It's a Muslim name and I've never met anyone with that name that wasn't dark skinned. Ds is very pale and some people are visibly surprised when they see his dad :o My fil said that he's probably the first white person to ever be born into that name and that his father would be turning in his grave.

Perhaps this used to be more of a thing in the past? Seems to be more common with older people. I can think of at least 5 older relatives of mine (some no longer with us) who are known by their middle names instead of first names. One, for example, is Elizabeth Jane but always known as Jane, and her parents wanted her to be Jane but felt Jane Elizabeth didn't flow properly so made her official name the other way round.

We tend to call ours by their first and middle names when they are in trouble.

DD2s middle name is Louise, and she gets called Weesy, which is the end of that with an ee sound on the end of it. Sometimes Weesy woo, or even just Woo. She likes it. At the moment!

She starts middle school tomorrow, so probably not for much longer.

One of my friends is known by his middle name as his parents wanted to use two particular names but putting them the other way round would have caused his initials to spell something very teaseworthy, so they reversed the order but always intended to use his middle name. Doesn't cause him any issues or confusion.

My Godmother is known by the diminutive of her middle name. Her older brother is John and she was named Joan, which her parents belatedly realised was too similar. She doesn't much like her middle name in full.

Both my dc are known by their middle names. We chose their full names early in the pregnancy but both times the middle name just seemed more apt in the first few weeks. Plenty of people have no idea they're not using their 1st names and it has never caused any problems. In fact they both quite like having the option of their 1st name at times.

My youngest DB is known by his middle name, as is his DS. Dad was known by his middle name, as was his Dad. They all have the same first name, but unusually in these cases, they don't have any particular birth order.

However, DB uses his first name at work, as he's moderately well known under his usual name "and I don't want the little shits looking me up on Facebook".

My DH is known by his middle name & he finds it a right hassle. Maybe it depends on what line of work you do as an adult.

Yes we do for DS. His first name is an Indian name (to keep DH's family happy) and his second is the name I had always wanted to call my son if I had one.

Two of my sisters are known by their middle names. To be honest I've never asked why but I assume one is because she has the same first name as my mum. No idea about the other.

I, on the other hand, was known by my first and second name until I rebelled against it when I was 9. FGS I never knew when I was being told off. I now go by just my first boring name.

Dad always known by middle name as he hates his first name.

I think quite a lot of people used to do this and I quite like it. (For instance in Ireland, quite a few women [understatement] used to be called Mary so they would often use their middle names instead. I had a couple of relatives whom I discovered were called Mary and I'd no idea!)

I would do it and not give it a second thought. TBH that's sort of what I thought middle names were for, if you called your DC John James Smith and when they were 5 years old someone with the name John Smith became utterly notorious, they could switch to being James Smith without any paperwork or fuss.

I am known by my middle name, it's the one my parents preferred but my two names sound better this way around. It has been a pain all my life. In every new class, every appointment, doctor, hospital etc I am called my first name and then have to correct people. Every time I book a flight I have to use the 'wrong' name, on anything official I have to use the wrong name. I'm totally fed up with it

I was known and called by my middle name all through childhood, caused a lot of teasing,bullying in school when I got to comprehensive as the school had me on the register as my first name and took a lot of explaining as to why I was not answering to my first name. I would be sitting listening to the register being called for my known name and would not twig that the other name was me!!!

It also caused me problems with doctors/hosptials as well as they would also call me by my first name. Also a pain with banks /utility providers etc -just about anything as I would confirm my name and then have to explain why I gave them the ''wrong'' name.

I am a childminder and it was also a right pain explaining to potential families that I really was who I said I was as my registration certificate, DBS etc all showed me by my first name.

I was named after both my parents and I cannot see why they didnt have my middle name first .

I changed it by deed poll 4 years ago(got rid of the first name ) and its blooming brilliant to know I now longer have to explain my name is xyz but please call me yz now its just yz and no explaining to do .

Both my children have middle names(first name after no one, second name after family members) and the only time we had used them was if they were playing up , then it would be first and second name together with surname.

I have also told them that now they are teens if they do not like their names, they are welcome to change them but if they do its has to be something sensible lol

i am called by my middle name. First name is Mary after my mum and my dad didn't think Clare Mary had the same ring as Mary Clare. It's a pain in the ass when it comes to bank accounts and going to the doctors as people come out to shout me and I don't answer to Mary.
It's quite common to answer to a middle name. If you prefer it then go for it. I wish I was just called Clare though.

Like a few other posters I too am known by my middle name. It's a complete pita. From form filling, appointments, and then remembering which places have my official name.
I'm also double barrelled (one difficult for some people to pronounce) so I end up answering to names that are not mine!!
I hate it to be honest and would never call a child of mine by their non official first name!

My BIL and several others I know are all known by their middle names, no big deal tbh, people accept it easily.

DS is known by his first name, but tells me that he thinks he'll use his middle name when he's a 'grown up'. I don't know why he plans to do this and it will be up to him if he decides to go through with it. I prefer his middle name but DH knew that he'd want to shorten it if it was his first name and that DS would only be fullname when he was in trouble!

I find myself doing it more and more, but only with my youngest DS for some reason. It's not like his first name can't be shortened either, but I find myself using his shortened middle name all the bloody time!

I work at a University and around 40% of the lecturing staff use their middle names (make it difficult when people ask for John and we know then as Robert) and I would say at least 10% of the students do the same so its a fairly common occurance

A very good friend of mine is known exclusively by his middle name, never even knew it was his middle name 'til I saw his driver's license. No confusion AFAIK. He was just registered at schools under that name.

My DB and DF both go by their middle names as they have a family first name. I've never heard either of them complain about the logistics but yes they do have to be careful booking flights - SIL booked them under the wrong names for her wedding abroad (she did a group booking deal) - but that said my DH has the same problem as he goes by a shortened version of his name, and SIL booked his flight in the wrong name too, and often his office books it in the wrong name too.

And my DGM and her sister both went by shortened versions of their middle names as they were both called Maria as a first name (as were all their mothers and girl cousins! Spanish catholic).

I only really see it when children are named after their parent. Which really doesn't make sense to me, why name your child a name you will never use? But to each their own.