is three names too many?

[zazizoma]

Okay, baby three coming along; I have a name, dp has a name, and the two older dc have chosen a name between them. This gives our new dd three names instead of the conventional two. Does anyone have experience of burdening providing a child with three names?

Both my children and my DH have three names each. It's not a problem as they only ever use one at a time.

(In fact, I now think of it as the norm even though it probably isn't.)

DS1 has 3 names (because his dad insisted on a third). It makes no difference whatsoever to him. Its not something that comes up, since virtually no one uses their middle name(s) for anything.

My ds has three names; one is a great-grandfather, and one is my surname, so both have importance/relevance. If you're happy with all the names, go for it.

All my children have 3 names. I love it.

DS has 2 middle names, therefore 3 names...1st name begins with O and middle name (family name) begins with D and I had a problem with OD so we stuck in a 1st middle name which was one of my favourite boys names (but DH wouldn't ok it for 1st name) as said it was "too English" (he's foreign and I'm English) and I knew I could never, therefore use it for any future DS...

Personally I don't think it's a problem (obviously!) and a good thing if you have lots of names you love or can't decide on a name or need to please relatives...obviously it could become a bit ridiculous if you have hundreds of middle names - out of interest is there a limit? Assume so as impossible to fit on passports etc...

Both of my children have two middle names.

No, I think it's a lovely idea!

It's totally normal now

I have three names, so does DBrother and my three DCs. Obviously I think it's lovely.

DS has three names and a double barrelled surname. When a family member set up a savings account for him with his birth certificate, there were apparently a few "oh is he royalty?" jokes but I love his name. Middle names were chosen for family. I think yours is a lovely idea!

It's fine, my whole family does it. Unique first name plus one name from either family. It's only a pain on application forms.

All of mine have it for various reasons. Barely used and will only piss you off when filling in forms

Personally yes I think it's too many - most people only have two. But it's entirely your choice :)

Thanks for all the great input! This would be the first child in the family, on either side, to have three names, and I suppose I'm hesitating because to use three names is not a family tradition, it's not been done with our first two children, and there are no compelling motivations (such as grandparent names and surnames) for choosing these three names. It's being considered simply because WE CAN'T AGREE. And yes, Happy and Bibi, there's always the forms. I suppose if one is royalty one need not bother with such things as passport applications!

I have three names, never been a problem and I like it. Means I can always get a good email address as well since my initials aren't taken. Both my DCs have three names and again, hasn't been a problem. It's never been a problem on forms either. My siblings don't have three names, just me for similar reasons I think.

zazizoma - I don't really mind about the forms if I'm honest. It's few and far between. My girls all LOVE the fact their names have meaning/signifigance and I can't wait to shout them in full when they're in the park at 15 drinking merrydown

My cousin has 3 names, and is the only one who does in our family (her younger brother only has 2 names too). Her maiden name was one syllable, but when she got married she took her husband's three syllable name. Her full name now has 13 syllables. (It did get a mention in my uncle's wedding speech, to the effect that she would never fit it on her credit card, but otherwise is not really taken any notice of. As others have said, no-one really calls you by all three names.

I have three names and it was handy in the past as I could label stuff with my four initials and have it be unique in the school or at work.

Ds and soon-to-be-born dc2 have three names plus surname, with my surname as a second middle name - as I don't use MrNC's name this seems to help with bureaucracy a lot.

everyone has 3 names in my family, stretching back for years... its not a modern thing!

two of my five children have two middle names, ds1 is theofore david william, after his grandfathers.

and dd is merryn lola eden, she is our only girl and we wanted to use up the girls names we liked!

they also all have a double-barrelled surname so five names in total for ds1 and dd. the other 3 boys just have one middle name each :)

thats theodore obviously!

DD1 has (in effect) 3 names - first name, second name, my surname, DP's surname - my surname is her 3rd middle name because we are a same-sex couple and this was the only way to record my role in her life or to put my name on her birth certificate (not in UK). We will do the same for DD2, due any day.

I have three and find it a PITA. Only ever use one of my middle names.

Both my DC have two middle names, so do DP and I.