To think middle names are pointless

[RandomUser456878]

We’ve just had a baby boy & we are deciding on names. We’ve chosen a first name & stuck on middle names, just because it’s the norm

Then it occurred to me, not once in my life has anybody used my middle name so they’re literally pointless

I searched mumsnet & there’s loads of posts asking for a good middle name for {insert name}

Other than maybe a family name, whats the point in them?

I don't have a middle name myself; apparently, choosing one was fraught enough (first girl after many boys, and several relatives expecting to be the chosen one), so my parents called me after someone safely away from the bickering in another country! But live and let live, and I can see perfectly valid reasons why people do this.
It never bothered me until a truly bonkers bit of IT bureaucracy cropped up when we all got a school email address. We had to have three name initials to keep the system happy. In vain did I protest that two initials had carried me happily through half a century on the planet.....for my middle name, I chose an expletive which expressed my opinion of this petty idiocy, although I didn't tell them what it was.....

I don't think they're pointless. There's a woman in Portsmouth with exactly the same name as me, no middle name, and every time I do something financial I have to sign declarations that I'm not this bloody woman with her stupid debts and lack of financial grasp. If I'd had a middle name or two, I wouldn't have to keep doing this as my name wouldn't be the same.

It also gives you a chance to honour loved relatives, use names that you really liked but not as much as the first name, keep a name in the family but not need to use it on a daily basis and also of course to let your kid know you're really cross with them...

Not so important for boys, but it's worth girls having a middle name. Even if your surname is relatively unusual, if they marry they could end up with a very common surname, and benefit from an extra name to distinguish them.

This happened to my aunt who went from Susan 'very rare name' to Susan Smith on marriage, and found it a great inconvenience. ( not real names, but same idea). With that in mind my parents gave me an unusual middle name, although I have not married so I'm stuck with the rare surname noone can spell.

Totally agree. I get disproportionately annoyed at people agonising over middle name choices or discarding first names because they don't "go" with middle names. I think about five people in the world know my middle name, including my parents.

My kids don't have middle names, don't see the point and it hasn't ruined their lives. However I do come from a Scottish family where the tradition is to have the maiden name of your grandmother as a middle name and I have memories of my mother and grandmother hating their middle names.

They are a bit of fun, in my mind. The main name, and the name you wouldn't dream of inflicting on them for day to day use. So ie Dudley or Jemima ( apologies to any Dudleys and Jemimas out there!)
I like having two initials and my surname for my signature 😁

I completely agree and haven’t given my children middle names; they have both our surnames so enough names to be getting along with and no chance of being confused with anyone else. I don’t think the ubiquitous use of Louise as a middle name in our day gave anyone any extra individuality, nor will the current crops of Roses and Graces.
If you have to think about which middle name to use, i.e. there isn’t immediately a relative you want to honour, IMHO it’s a sign the name is not needed at all.

My DH doesn't have a middle name and we decided not to give DS one.

We have lots of fun making up middle names for DS when we're shouting his name though.

My brother and I weren’t given middle names. If I was in trouble I was full named by First and surname. It’s never held me back, although if you are using a common first name it can be a great extra identifier.

For me it's tradition and family connections. My children have middle names that link them to their grandparents. My middle name is pointless though. I wouldn't bother just for the sake of it.

Agree. I liked not having a middle name. I have a short first name and short surname so literally have less letters than some do in just the first name.
I gave DS my dad's name as his middle name just to be nice to my dad really. Everyone uses DS's incredibly short nickname so his full name just doesn't get used.

Oh god if my mother did that my middle name would be Pope lol! My Dad and Uncle had that tradition and both had different surnames as middle names but the names are quite posh sounding and help a lot as they have very common first and surnames, my maiden name is one of the most common in the UK.

Another post on the lines of "I dont like something, how can anyone else"

You name your dc what you want to name them, and let other do what they want....

YANBU - I have two middle names and they never get used, except for DH who thinks they’re amusing.

I can't put what mine would have been as it would be outing but if my mum had followed that it would have been hideous. Neither my mum or my gran wanted their middle names on the headstone they hated them that much!!

My kids have quite unusual names so I felt I'd saddled them with enough.

And when you have two patients with the same name on the same ward in hospital, which is what happened once when DD was a child. A nurse told me that middle names were very useful in those cases.

I disagree. They can be a way of honouring a relative alive or dead, and also an option for someone who when older does not prefer their first name. Or say like James Brown, the former Prime Minister, has the same name as someone well known (Gordon as he is known).

I also have family where the son has the exact same first name, middle name and obviously surname as the father so it made getting post interesting.

We didn't give our DCs middle names because we'd already double-barrelled their surnames and so adding even more names seemed excessive. I quite like a good middle name though particularly if there's a story behind it. That being said I avoid using mine because it's my useless father's name and I'd rather not be reminded.

I think middle names should have a family connection, not just be some random name pulled out of thin air.

A good way to honor parents and grandparents.

Useful for the media to refer to serial killers or otherwise terrible criminals. Makes them unique from the other John Gacy's or Lee Oswald's.

Personally I always wished I had one growing up. But apart from my partner I couldn't tell you the middle name of any of my friends though. Makes me think it doesn't matter if you have one or not.

Definitely. I didn’t give my boys middles names. I would have done had there been an additional name that I loved but giving them for the sake of it seemed pointless. I never use mine unless I HAVE to!

It can really help to distinguish people from each other.

I think if you're not keen on your first name, it's good to have the option of using your middle name.

Honestly though they're just for fun, and that's okay.

Every culture also has different naming conventions, and it's typically also part of white British culture to have middle names

I've been trying to find probate information for a long lost relative. It would have been way harder if he hadn't had a middle name.