Why bother with a middle name?

[notlettingthefearshow]

Can anyone explain the appeal of giving a child a middle name? I'm pregnant and pretty much decided the baby won't have a middle name, although still discussing with DH!

I can only think of one reason and that is to pass down a name which is meanginful to you in some way, e.g. family name.

I know quite a few people who have switched to using their middle name instead of their forename, which has ended up a bit confusing. I should explain that I am one of those people, although in my case my parents (and eventually everyone else) always called me by my middle name. It was consistently annoying until I actually changed my name by deed poll! Maybe my experience has made me a little paranoid.

Does it look odd if a child doesn't have a middle name? I've even seen some with 2 middle names lately, which to me smacks of indecision, but maybe that's just me.

I don't have a middle name and am very happy with that.

I don't have a middle name and neither does DD. I think they should have meaning and we couldn't think of anything obvious.

Another one here with no middle name - it has never bothered me in the slightest. In fact, when filling in official forms or landing cards, I am alwasy the fastest .

It's just a nice thing to have, why not?

Also - it gives your child the option of using another name they prefer if they happen to really not like the choice you made for them! I know lots of people who have gone for a trad first name and a more unusual middle name (or the other way around) - with the unusual name being something they love but are a bit apprehensive about 'saddling' a child with. So - if baby turns out to be a traditional person, they have a name they gravitate towards - if they are a bit more 'out there' - they may end up using their Zebedee or Demelza :)

When I married DH I went from an unusual surname to a common welsh one (think along the lines of Jones, Williams, ect)
DH also has a common first name so was one of 3 in the class with the same first and surname (he was one of SEVEN in his last place!) So his middle name comes in really handy!
Luckily DD has a middle name to as her first name was unusual when she was born but has since become really popular so I have a feeling she'll be BabyDimples Middlename in school aswell!

Oops last work place

My DD has 2 middle names because I had a sudden death in the family the week before I gave birth, not because I'm indecisive!