MIDDLE NAMES

[MARTIN1]

To think middle names, serve no useful purpose and are given by pretentious parents to include older relatives names or because you couldn't agree with your partner on just one forename.

MWE describe it thus:

Name, Middle
The name you try to hide because it is so crap. Often it is a name that has been passed from generation to generation through the family and which you have been given to keep your granny happy. This knowledge is sod all use when you are having the shit kicked out of you in the playground for being called Windermere.

Middle names pretentious? First I've heard. I agree to a point though...so much so that DH and I didn't give DD2 a middle name. We don't actually see the point of DD1s middle name because it's not even a relative's name...DH wanted her to be called it and I wouldn't agree.

However...if DD1 ever decides she doesn't want to be called her own name anymore, she has a servicable one she might like to use instead. SO YABU!

If not pretentious then certainly pointless

Middle names are pretty pointless but I don't think they are all pretentious

With respect -that's twaddle.

Middle names can be useful for establishing identity 'Ah you are Martin John Trotter, not Martin James Trotter'

They give a child an alternative option - my own children have unusual first names, their middle names are more classic, should they wish at some point in the future they could be known by their middle names. I know several people who have done this.

Besides which a middle name can be valuable from a purely stylistic view point, it looks nice, it sounds nice, it has a pleasant cadence.

I love my middle name, I love the reason why my parents chose it. My children love their middle names and have family 'pet' names based on them.

I'm not trying to goad anyone by the way. Middle names are something I feel strongly about and it will be a deal breaker for me when the time comes. So it is useful to canvas opinion.

If it makes me pretentious to use either my dead aunty or my dh's dead grandfather's name as a middle name for our dc because they were people we love and miss very much and want them to be remembered and part of our dcs life in some way, then so be it.

A deal breaker in what way? You won't have children with someone who likes middle names?

I totally agree OP

In fact why bother with names at all, babies could be assigned a number at birth. Would save all the agonising over the perfect name, you can't upset granny and teachers wouldn't have the issues of 5 Harry's or 4 Amelia's or whatever in one class.

My brother and I have our parents names as middle names. He has dad's I have mums. I quite like it. I must admit if I'm signing anything I always use my middle initial in my signature

Middle names are something I feel strongly about and it will be a deal breaker for me when the time comes.

I wonder how many middle names we would need to use in order to make it likely that everyone's name would be unique?

Perhaps the aristocratic practice of having several middle names serves a useful purpose.

I'm called by one of my middle name rather than my first name

Why do you care about this?

Not pretentious nor pointless. I know ppl who go by their middle name.

What about mixed ethnicity families? Some people want a first and middle name that reflects both sides of the child's heritage. I don't see how that's pretentious.

Dds middle name is my much love grandmothers name. Who incidentally had the same name as exh grandma so it suited us to put it in the middle. My gran died last year so I'm glad I put her name in her first great grandchild name. It is a name often used after a hyphen so works although dd isn't it's just a middle name iynwim

If you issue ultimatums about such ridiculous things, I bet people will be queuing up to have a baby with you.

Surely the whole point as a parent of giving your child a middle name is so they know when they're really in trouble! My mum 'middle naming' me would have me quaking in my boots!

I know quite a few people who use their middle names as their first names though.

Another bizarre thread with the OP being wound up about something which really isn't an issue.

Deal breaker? Really?! Of all the things to split up over, I'd say the use - or not - of a middle name is a fairly weird one.

Middle names were very useful when I traced my family tree.

Oh it's you again MARTIN.

SHOUTING.

Haven't you got a train set to occupy yourself with?

Really a deal breaker, surely if they're that unimportant it shouldn't rile you into deal breaker talk? I honestly, hand on heart can say that I've never given more that two seconds thought to middle names. My kids have them - we lucked out with my eldest dd. My mum and my mil have the same first name, so two birds one stone. 2 lots of pretention for the price of one My dad has no middle name because my granny ran out of saints (big family).

Middle names for me are to give the child options when they are older. I do dislike useless horrible names.

The name you try to hide because it is so crap. Often it is a name that has been passed from generation to generation through the family and which you have been given to keep your granny happy. This knowledge is sod all use when you are having the shit kicked out of you in the playground for being called Windermere.

I have to say this is exactly how I feel about mine (and it's not Windermere). But it hasn't made me reject middle names in general, for all the reasons others have stated. My DCs have middle names.