Middle names

6 replies

sunshinegirl28 · 05/12/2013 14:33

Hi all,
Expecting my first baby soon and we are choosing names at the moment! Just wondering what the purpose is of a middle name? I have one that I never use, why do people give their babies middle names? I am considering only giving the baby one name but not sure if I am missing something!

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drspouse · 05/12/2013 18:27

DH has no middle name. He doesn't feel the lack! I have one and it was to keep my DGM happy, and DS has one, because we wanted to honour my deceased FIL.

Only1scoop · 05/12/2013 18:33

I only have one name. Dd only one name ....long hyphenated surname though.

DeckTheHallsWithBoughsOfHorry · 05/12/2013 18:37

Middle names are for honouring people, and/or to give a child options for the future.

JassyRadlett · 05/12/2013 18:38

A lot of reasons I think - honouring family traditions, giving kids options later on if they decide they loathe their first name, and increasingly important I think is at least slight ability to differentiate from people with the same first and last.

My DS won't have the last problem (he is the only person alive with his surname as far as I can tell as DH's surname is v rare) but has a family middle name to honour a family tradition.

Middleagedmotheroftwo · 05/12/2013 18:43

I think it's to reduce the chances of someone having the exact same name as someone else.

louise3louise3 · 05/12/2013 18:52

Sometimes middle names are chosen to remember family members and I used my grandmother's names for my daughters' middle names; I've got relatives and friends who've used their maiden surname as their child's middle name. My grandmother wanted to call my mum Annabelle but my grandfather (a factory worker in South Wales) thought it was too posh so registered her with Anne as a middle name. For their next 3 children, they didn't bother with middle names and it caused a lot of friction. I was in a class at school with 5 Jane's and 3 were Jane Smith; so the teachers used to refer to them as Jane Claire/Jane Tracey/Jane Susan to tell them apart (this was the 1960's). All a matter of choice. My (Irish) best friend was given 5 Christian names and had to add one for her (Catholic) confirmation. She absolutely hated having so many names but I was secretly jealous as my own name was very dull. I don't think you are missing anything, it's personal choice and naming a baby is a lot harder than you realise until it comes to it. Good luck.

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