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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

My maiden name as a boys middle name

68 replies

NoTeaForMe · 26/07/2011 15:12

Hi,

If we ever have a boy I would like to give him my maiden name as his middle name. What do you all think of it as an idea?!

Thanks

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Original poster

NoTeaForMe · 26/07/2011 22:38

Ooh all very positive then! Thankyou!

My maiden name (which I don't want to say) is a very surname-y name, but on saying that I think it gets used in America as a first name, like Smith (my maiden name doesn't sound like this!) I think my maiden name flows well as a middle name and my husband likes the idea too!

My Dad had sisters and daughters, and as I'm the youngest the surname ends with me. I thought it would be a nice tribute and a way of keeping that name going.

Glad the idea has gone down well!

Thanks

OP posts:

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 26/07/2011 23:52

I did this. DS1 has 2 middle names, the second is my maiden name. I did it as there are no boys in my generation to carry on the name, so we thought we'd start our own tradition.

moonferret · 26/07/2011 23:56

It's a Scottish tradition isn't it?
That's why the famous ex-footballer Bob Wilson has the middle name "Primrose" (his mother's maiden name)!

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 27/07/2011 00:02

My (Scottish) Uncle has his mother's maiden name as his first name.

startail · 27/07/2011 00:13

My friend sons first name is her maiden name, but she's cheated because it happens to be a perfectly normal first name.

Tuggy · 27/07/2011 00:24

Yes I've got that. My mothers maiden name is one of my middle names. It's a Scottish 'mc' name and I'm female and no one thinks it's double barrelled. I really like having it.

Roughwiththesmooth · 27/07/2011 00:26

I would have done this but my maiden name is an adjective, so not suitable. But, did give DS and DD family middle names; I think it's important, especially when you're giving the DC DH's surname.

HalfPastSeven · 27/07/2011 00:50

I know 3 people who have done this. In one case the surname sounded quite like a first name. The other 2 were very much surnames but had a good ring to them. All worked well. However, in one case all 3 brothers had the name as a family tradition but sister did not and she was miffed to have been "left out"

AberdeenAngusina · 27/07/2011 19:52

DS1 has my maiden name as a middle name, DS2 and DD have their grandmothers' maiden names. It's not unusual here (Scotland) at all.

notcitrus · 27/07/2011 20:05

I did as a second middle name (though it's my surname, not maiden name). MrNC doesn't like it but I pointed out he'd got his choice of his surname.

All future offspring will get it too. The name would die out if I didn't.

MynameisnotEarl · 27/07/2011 20:08

My middle name was my grandmother's maiden name (Scottish tradition).

I live in England and when I have to give give my full name, most people think it's double-barrelled.

I'd give a son a family surname as a middle name though as I think it's a lovely family tradition to carry on.

MirandaGoshawk · 27/07/2011 20:12

Yes.

It's something I thought of as a horrid Americanism until I realised that my Dad's older brother's very unusual name is my lovely Gran's maiden name.

Onlyboys · 27/07/2011 21:13

I love the idea, though my name wouldn't have worked.

Eleanor Roosevelt had a brother called Hall, who looks at a baby and says 'we shall name him Hall after Mama' ?? Cool that they went with the tradition though.

Theas18 · 27/07/2011 22:15

This was done to me and my sister we carry our paternal grandmas maiden name as a middle name. Hated it as a kid quite like it now!

emmanumber3 · 27/07/2011 22:27

My friend and her brother both have their mother's maiden name as their middle name. It sounds better on the brother but I think that's because it is also a common boy's name to start with.

I wouldn't do it personally but that's mainly because I had a horrible sounding maiden name and wouldn't want to inflict it upon anyone else .

ilovesprouts · 28/07/2011 16:25

a pal of mine has her maiden name has her sons middle name goes perfect

RSM1 · 28/07/2011 20:47

Both my sister and I have the same middle name, my mother's maiden name. It has been done for several generations in my family. ie. my father's middle name is my grandmothers maiden name. But then again, we're from the States where it's quite traditional to do so.

JennaTailor · 30/07/2011 10:09

My son has my Surname (I'm not married) as his middle name as a tribute to my dad .... I am one of 4 sister and this is the end of the line for his name which is sad.

iceandsliceplease · 30/07/2011 23:08

DP and his brothers
Five of my 13 cousins
My two nephews (one from each sibling)
DS
DD
All of the above have either their mothers or maternal grandmothers maiden names as middle names. I think it's splendid!

NotJustKangaskhan · 30/07/2011 23:24

My brother has my mother's maiden name as a middle name. It's very common and expected where I come from (States).

I'm considering, if current pregnancy is a boy, passing on my mother's maiden name or my husband's mother's maiden name down as a middle name. I have no desire to pass on my own, as I took my husband's to get rid of my connection to my father's family, but passing on theirs seems nice (My husband's mother has only sisters and all took their husband's names so their family name is gone - but their family name is Wood which makes me pause. ).

Original poster

NoTeaForMe · 31/07/2011 22:44

Thanks for all your replies! It's clearly much more common than I thought!

Glad it's all positive responses!

Thanks

OP posts:

TimeWasting · 31/07/2011 22:50

Yes, DS has my maiden name as his middle name.

It sounds like it's not uncommon, but I don't know anyone around here in England who has this.

moonbells · 31/07/2011 23:02

We have a slight variation on this - DS has FIL's middle name as his middle, which was FIL's grandmother's maiden name!

We're also double-barrelled, so poor DS might end up one day wondering what on earth we were thinking. But at the moment he is very proud of his name (he calls it his real name!) and tells everyone who talks to him!

cloudydays · 01/08/2011 03:52

"It's something I thought of as a horrid Americanism until I realised that my Dad's older brother's very unusual name is my lovely Gran's maiden name."

So, it's horried when the Americans do it, but nice when your own family does. Lovely .

I have my mom's unmarried name as my middle name, and I've always loved it. Not just the name itself, but the fact of having both family names. DD has my surname as her middle name, and if we have more children, the next one will have my middle name (mom's family name) as his/her middle name.

Go for it, OP!

sweatybutslightlysmug · 01/08/2011 04:09

All the boys in DH's family have the same middle name - according to family folklore it's because two sisters (from outside the family) married two brothers from the family. As the sisters were the ones with the money, they insisted that their name be carried on (by the time I met DH there was no money left ) within the family.

DS1 has my mother's maiden name (a Scottish surname that also works as a boys name) as his first middle name, followed by DH's family middle name.

DS2 has both my grandfathers' names (they shared the same name) as his middle name. We didn't realise it at the time, but his given name is the male version of my grandmother's name, as well as a version of my father's name. Although all three names are different DS2 has ended up with the same NN as both my Dad and Grandma, despite us trying to use his real name. He also has DH's family middle name.

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