Middle Names

[swanandduck]

I'm just wondering if I'm the only person on here who gave very little thought to her children's middle names. It seems to be an important choice for a lot of mumsnetters and I'm just wondering if I'm the odd one out. We just automatically gave our daughter 'Mary' as her middle name because that's quite a traditional wmiddle name where I come from and dh didn't care.For DS we just chose Patrick as there are a couple of Pats and Patricks in both families. But we honestly didn't give it much discussion or thought.

I gave it even less thought - she hasn't got one!! I just don't see the point in them. Your name is your name, a middle name is just something extra to have to fill out on forms etc.

My brother did the same Lola. Three kids and not a middle name between them!

With you totally on this OP. Middle names are realistically utterly irrelevant. When do you actually refer to or use it in everyday life?

Whenever I see a thread angsting (if a word?!) about a choice of middle name I really think the OP should go off and do something more useful like making herself a cup of tea.

Like Kerala's point - perhaps "cup of tea" would be a good middle name??!! Oh, but then would you have to hyphenate, so it was "cup-of-tea"??

OP - stick with the very little thought. My own middle name is largely redundant. My husband has so many it limited my choice of first baby names (wouldn't name the baby after him / family members, just to annoy MIL). He can never fit his name on forms and it is absolutely pointless.

I've not considered middle names, I'll probably just pick a family name for son or daughter. I only use mine for forms.

Certain friends of mine, who have not liked their first name, changed to their middle names either at secondary school or university.

One of them was called Wynford and now goes by his middle name David. He started using David when he went to university. He really didnt like Wynford.

Another friend who's middle name is Beth (not Elizabeth or Bethan) started using her middle name at primary school. Beth suits her and she has a mouthful of a surname. She has told me what her first name is and I cant remember.

My dad uses his middle name as does my aunty. IMO a middle nhame can be good if you dont like what your parents called you, and saves you having to change by deed poll etc.

One of my dads friends uses his middle name, Maurice, rather than first name Richard. I always think Richard is much nicer, but Maurice does suit him.

I haven't got a middle name and very happy with that .

What are your thoughts on Sonny as a middle name? Simple as that. Ta!

I don't see the point in giving a middle name just for the sake of it. Unless you wish to honour a friend or relative, or continue a family tradition, it's just a second-best name tacked on for the sake of it.

Having said that, my son has three middle names - I was not in my right mind directly after the birth!

DS got middle names following family tradition and stopping a name dying out - cos he had two we had to give DD two middle names so we all chose one name each and slotted them together as best they fit

One of mine has Mary as a mn, and I know whole (Irish) families all of whom have Mary as the mn, boys included.

I picked middle names to honour family members who missed out on the first names round -- the first names are also family names, so killed two birds with one stone each time.

DD1's middle name was originally intended to be the second part of a double barreled first name, and initially she hardly ever used it thanks to exMIL deciding her name was just the first part, but has taken it up again for the past few years (it's a French name, sometimes hyphenated, but I didn't hyphenate it.)

My middle name is after a saint that my mother prayed to as her pregnancy was very complicated and quite dangerous. I think that is very nice, and also honouring a family member. I suppose I just don't understand people agonising over whether Rose or Willow sounds nicer with Flora, that kind of thing.

I feel the middle name spot is for family/special meaning name.

Not something I ever worried about.

DD has the 'family' middle name...all eldest girls have the mn Elizabeth, so took very little thought. DS1 has my Dad's first name as his mn, my dad died when I was 10yo, so, again, not much thought. DS2 has one of my (male) school friends' names as his mn, as my friend died in a quad bike accident while I was pg with DS2. This time round...not a clue, for a boy, but if its' a girl, she will have DP's aunties' name as her mn, his auntie died 20 years ago.