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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Using your surname as a middle name for DC

27 replies

roundrectangle · 06/05/2012 22:54

Hi, I have posted a thread about the problem I am having in deciding whether to give our DC my surname as part of a double-barrelled name. A couple of people have suggested using my surname as a middle name instead and was wondering if anyone else has done this - if so, what were your reasons and has it worked out ok.

What if your surname is very 'surnamey' -if you see what I mean - does this matter? When you registered did you put your surname in the first names box or in the surname box with the intention of it only being used as another middle name? Thanks

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Springforward · 06/05/2012 23:08

We did this. Long story short, I kept my maiden name on marriage, until three weeks before DS was born. I changed my name by deed poll to legally make my maiden name my second middle name, and adopted my married surname.

When DS was born, he also took my maiden name as a middle name, then our surname.

We didn't fancy a double barrelled name, and though I felt no need for my name to show I was my DH's wife, I did want it to show I was DS' mum, IYSWIM.

keepmoving · 06/05/2012 23:09

Both my DCs have my maiden name as their middle names. I've had comments from a number of friends who wished they'd done the same. The middle name wasn't registered as part of their surname so must have been against first name??

ToryLovell · 06/05/2012 23:13

DS has my maiden name as one of two middle names. At the time it was very much a surname, but has since appeared on the baby name boards a bit as a possible first name to much derision.

So it is Benjamin (my Dad's name) Charles (DH's family traditional middle name) Riley (my maiden name) our surname

NenNen · 06/05/2012 23:16

My middle name is a double barrelled surname- a very surnamey surname. I quite like it!

AGunInMyPetticoat · 06/05/2012 23:30

I wouldn't do it for the simple reason that my surname is a ridiculously long, two word German name. Something along the lines of von Schwarzenthal. DH is Arab with his own two part name.

A child named something like "Elizabeth von Schwarzenthal Hamdani al-Hussein" would arguably be pretty OTT - never mind "Elizabeth Julia von Schwarzenthal Hamdani al-Hussein".

If I were called something "surnamey" but not particularly long such as "Baker", I might consider it. Personally, I'm more of a double-barrel kind of person, though.

bronze · 06/05/2012 23:33

My ds1 has my maiden name as his middle name
Its a boys name anyway though

I did mean to give it as a middle name for all of them but forgot to give him another one too and it seemed odd

gomez · 06/05/2012 23:33

All three of mine have my very surnamey maiden name as a middle name. Is a bit of a tradition in Scotland. DH suggested for number three we use something different. I said find as long as we change the surname too. And that was that

hellymelly · 06/05/2012 23:34

My Dad (mid 70's) has his mother's maiden name as his middle name, as did his two brothers. It was a man's name though, so not at all obvious.

oreocrumbs · 06/05/2012 23:37

It was my intention to give DD my surname as a middle name. It is being used as a first name nowadays so would go, but in all honesty we thought DD was going to be a boy no scan just that feeling, and it works better for a boy.

In the end because of the first name we gave her, it just doesn't go so we didn't.

london · 06/05/2012 23:40

Our children have my surname as their surname and DH's surname (which doesn't sound remotely like first name) as another middle name. I think it works fine - although they rarely use the long version (4 names each)!

RillaBlythe · 07/05/2012 09:22

My middle name is my dads surname - it's very surnamey, thinks Higgs or something! My DDs have my surname as a middle name, also v surnamey. We all have another middle name too ie 4 names in total.

BoysWillGrow · 07/05/2012 09:32

We're havin a girl and using my surname as a joint first name (rose) and my DP's surname for her surname. :)

Iggly · 07/05/2012 09:35

Yep did that. DS has a middle name which is my maiden name. So another first name I guess. It is very surnamey to me but it is actually a first name in some parts of the world.

We did similar with dd but another female relative's surname.

Our reasons for doing so were that we wanted to have a connection to my family and my DH's side, it's nice to name children after family members (in our case it worked as being the two grand mothers) and we couldn't think of any other middle names!

It caused some confusion with DS as they thought he had a double barrelled surname in the hospital (because my medical records were still in my maiden name). Now it's fine. DD - people have commented on the name to ask where it's from so a nice talking point.

iscream · 07/05/2012 09:42

My ds1 has my maiden name as his 3rd name and my ds2 has my mil's maiden name as his 3rd name. Both have my dh (& I's) surname as a surname.
For example
John David Hart Smith
Adam Richard Lawrence Smith

wonderstuff · 07/05/2012 09:43

I have done this - my maiden name is surnamey - but is sometimes used as a boys name - both my dd and ds have it as a second middle name - I'm upset I changed it - hadn't thought of giving it to myself as a middle name by deed poll! Might just do that - it is too long to double barrell - doesn't sound right next to my dh's name. I felt like it is part of my identity I wanted to pass on. Turns out by db's children have their mothers name, so my children will be the only ones to have it in their generation.

Actually all my fathers family have either their mother or grandmothers maiden name as a middle name (except me, my mum wasn't keen) - so not a new thing in our family.

iscream · 07/05/2012 09:43

I love the idea of names passing along throughout the generations.

WitchOfEndor · 07/05/2012 10:04

I gave DS my mothers maiden name as a middle name. My grandparents had three girls so no one to carry on the family name, and since my parents split nearly 30 years ago and I haven't seen my father for 13 years I didn't want to use my own maiden name.

jammic · 07/05/2012 10:35

I kept my surname when we got married but do use my married name quite a bit at home. I love my surname, it's italian and very unusual in the uk (although v common in Italy). Our son has an Italian first name, english middle name (after his English grandad), my surname as a second middle name and then an English surname. I love his name, it sounds beautiful and it represents all of his ancestry.

My dad died earlier this year and our son is only 6 months old but his name feels like a real link back to my dad. A way for all of to remember him.

Scatterplot · 07/05/2012 10:59

Our DD is FirstName SecondName MySurname DHSurname, which works well for us. She will normally be known as FirstName DHSurname. My surname is occasionally used as a first name but not often. I didn't want her to have a double-barrelled surname but I definitely wanted her to have my name somewhere.

DonInKillerHeels · 07/05/2012 11:03

Not quite the same, but I use my maiden name as a middle name as part of my professional name in order to distinguish it on t'interweb from the thousands of other people who have my legal name . It's not in my passport or anything, but I use it regularly, and I really like how it sounds.

happychappy · 07/05/2012 11:06

I did it. Its a family tradition which I followed.

Fulhamup · 07/05/2012 11:12

It's a great idea. DS' middle name is my maiden name and quite an unusual one at that. He's 5 now and I am very happy with my decision.

SilveryMoon · 07/05/2012 11:16

My ds2's middle name is my maiden name, because it's also dp's dad's first name.

I changed my name last year by deed poll to take dp's surname.

fretfree · 07/05/2012 11:40

Our baby boy will be first name, my surname (kept on marriage) as middle name, DH's surname. I travel a lot and live overseas so wanted to ensure that my name was included for administrative and legal reasons.

Tessa617 · 08/05/2012 03:06

DS has my maiden name as his middle name. I didnt change my name after marriage (and never will, not getting on a soapbox: just dont see the point and Ive just renewed my passport so that would have been the time to do it) so its nice that someone else in the family shares one of my names! No administrative issues: just filled out given name, middle name and surname and we were done!

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