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Original poster

to not understand middle names with no meaning?

144 replies

QueenofKelsingra · 13/01/2015 11:37

Just been lurking about on baby names.

Can someone please explain the rationale of spending months agonising over finding a second name that they love, just for it to be a middle name that is basically never used other than on official paperwork? I don't get it Confused

My 3 DC have middle names that belonged to family members no longer with us that we wanted to remember and wanted the kids to be aware of as they grow up. it would never occur to DH and I to used a name we just liked as a middle name - save it for the next DC! plus it took us long enough to find one name we liked enough for each DC first name

If you have no-one you want to commemorate why give a middle name at all??

OP posts:
FreudiansSlipper · 14/01/2015 09:03

I would have thought if the person was of such importance and you wanted them to be honoured in such a way you would call them by that name not use as a middle name

Or is it because you do not actually like the name Confused and would never consider it otherwise

burgatroyd · 14/01/2015 09:17

I find it a little surprising when someone says they have no middle name at all.

The only interesting thing i think about middle names though if they are filler names with no historical connection to honour family member. It shows how much of a tribe we are, with trends.

SecretNutellaFix · 14/01/2015 09:32

I was named after both of my grandmothers- initially my parents were convinced I was going to be a boy and had a boys name ready and waiting, but I popped out instead.
They altered them slightly so I have the Latin version of my maternal grandmothers name as my first and the french version on my paternal grandmother as my middle name. I wish they hadn't done anything to the second one- I loathed it growing up, but as an adult I appreciate being that little bit different.

FreudiansSlipper · 14/01/2015 09:32

I have no middle name

iklboo · 14/01/2015 10:02

I have no middle name. DH's was chosen by his brothers. It's a character in a film that was out at the time.

taxi4ballet · 14/01/2015 10:03

My dd has two middle names. One we chose in advance, it is her cousin's and one grandma's first name, and the other grandma's middle name.

Then she decided to be born on the anniversary of my father's death, so we also gave her the female version of his name too.

noitsbecky · 14/01/2015 10:03

DS's middle name is the nickname we had for my bump.

Catgirl My sister nicknamed her bump after a character from the Muppets with a very-not-human name! Bump's middle name is that Grin

Only1scoop · 14/01/2015 10:24

I don't have a middle name but if I did I'd like it to be 'Queenie'....

BigCatFace · 14/01/2015 10:27

I have no middle name. My soon to be born son's middle name is Neville, after my husbands grandad. Sweet but I hate the name.

NobodyLivesHere · 14/01/2015 11:01

I always hated that my middle name was so boring (Jane) and I was one of 85 others with it. So I gave my eldest daughter a middle name that wasn't boring....and then the whole world followed suit it feels like. Lol. But she loves it so its ok.

ThePartyArtist · 14/01/2015 11:37

I think there are all sorts of reasons for choosing middlenames. Often saving one you like for a future child is not practical because it 'goes with' the first name rather than as a new first name, or you don't know what you'll have in future.

Hulababy · 14/01/2015 11:44

My middle name has no meaning behind it as such - my parents just chose a name they liked. My brother is the same. My sister's mn is after my great grandma who died shortly before she was born. Neither my mum or dad have middle names - though they chose middle names for all their children.

Equally my dd also has a mn with no other reason/meaning other than we liked the two names we chose. I liked the idea of two names which sounded nice together.

SilverShadows · 14/01/2015 12:15

Have I read the OP wrong?
I read it that she isn't against middle names per se, and that you can choose whatever middle name that you feel is appropriate - be it after relatives dead or alive, childhood pets, hobbies, places whatever.
It was more that she didn't understand the endless wrangling that goes on with people asking what middle name would go with an already chosen first name. If there isn't an obvious choice to give your child a middle name, they don't have to have one!

Jackieharris · 14/01/2015 12:18

I have a 'family' Middle name I hate. I wish I had a nice middle name I could use instead of my dull first name.

itsonlysubterfuge · 14/01/2015 12:22

My child has a middle name that is quite unique, so we wanted to make sure she had a middle name that was normal, in case she wants to be called something else.

BeautyQueenFromMars · 14/01/2015 13:52

My DS has a middle name just because I wanted him to have one. I love both of his names, I use both of them frequently (not just when telling him off!), and I'm glad I did as I won't be having any more children.

BeautyQueenFromMars · 14/01/2015 13:53

I do know a family with 4 sons, each of whom has 7 middle names.

Starlightbright1 · 14/01/2015 13:56

My mum never gave me a middle name or my sister. She was a vile parent and I grew up considering it just to be lazy and felt odd everyone else had a middle name.

I love my DS 's middle name and often use both first and middle name together.

Amammi · 14/01/2015 14:04

It's useful to give a middle name, especially if you have a common surname, as in later life your child can give her middle name on applications,formal documents etc to differentiate them

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