Using a second name as first name?

[bringbackfonzi]

I'm thinking about using my dd's second name as her everyday name. Will this cause a lifetime of confusion? Has anyone else done it or know someone that does?

Yep me. I have always been known by my middle name, since I was a week old. Takes a quick bit of explaining to banks/jobs but I've never had a problem in 36 years!

I know lots of older people ie 40's+ use their middle instead of their first name.

Why didn't you just give her her middle for first name instead if you prefer to use it?

Thanks rocketeer. Can I ask why? Did your parents change their minds?

Both my dds use their second names, was our choice for long and uninteresting reasons. Causes me problems at the doctor because I forge which name they're regist under.

Don't do it! In my home country it is common to not have the given name first. I spend so much time trying to explain this and I hate that all my bank cards and flight tickets call me Ann. Its not the name my parents wanted me to be called!

My Grandpa and Uncle (and cousin and great Grandpa actually) are called Robert, but when my Uncle was a baby my Great Grandma said "Ooooh, Big Bobby and Little Bobby!" which drove my Grandma up the wall so she said "Actually, he's going to go by his middle name, Martin" so ever since that day he's been known as Martin by absolutely everyone. I doubt anyone outside the family knows he's called Robert tbh. He's almost 70 now!

Yep. I'm known by my second name, since birth, to give me a sensible set of initials rather than rude ones.
Its annoying when people think I should respond to my "first name", but otherwise no issues.
If DD has already been registered, it shouldn't be a problem.
If DD hasn't been registered yet, I'd switch them round, unless your going to end up with initials of SEX or similar.

I'm known by my middle name (actually, a shortened version of my middle name!). My husband and one of my brothers are also know my their middle names. It's fairly common in my experience. It can sometimes lead to confusion on official documents, job interviews etc but I think since it's fairly common people don't think it's weird and start using the know your actually known by.

Thanks everyone. Dd's name is already registered so she may be facing a lifetime of explaining at the bank!

How old is she, AFAIK (and I'm not 100%) in the UK you can have the birth certificate amended before the first birthday with not much fuss/cost.

(Google agrees with me)

I'm always called by my second name, always have been ! All my documents are in my second name even passport - not sure how think my NI number came from school records and that led to the passport ? it's just medical records that come from my birth certificate. So the only real problem I have is not hearing my appointment at the doctors.

I'd go for it and just make sure you register her everywhere using the name you use not her official name IYSWIM !

I've always been known by my middle name. Hasn't caused me too much bother.

The reason is that my cousin was born a few weeks before me and she was given the name my parents wanted for me. We have the same surname, so they couldn't use the same first name. My parents chose another first name beginning with the same letter, but I don't think they really liked it because they've always called me by my middle name - which suits me because I absolutely hate my first name.

All of the women on my Dad's side of the family have first name Elizabeth and then are called by their second name so this doesn't seem that strange to me. However, my parents broke the mould with me and his family were not impressed. I don't intend to revert to this tradition either. I do know quite a few people known by their middle name so if that's what you like best- go for it!

My parents did this to me and I absolutely hated it. I switched my names around by deed poll when I was 14 and put an end to my official name not being my own name.

I didn't find out til I was about 25 that my Grandma is actually call Mary as she had always used her middle name

It's a complete hassle. Plane tickets have to be booked by name on passport, which causes hassles at work with HR booking flights.

I don't like it either, I've always been known by my middle name and it's just annoying having to use my first name in the bank/drs etc.

So much so that as I'm getting divorced and reverting to my maiden name, I've taken the opportunity to do the whole thing by deed poll and have swapped my first and middle names over too.

In my work I book flights and sort out visas for colleagues- any name confusion makes everything twice as difficult- whether it's a first name/ middle name issue- married name used on some things and not others. It's a nightmare.

DH uses his middle name, has done since birth because it's actually the name his parents wanted to call him he finds it a right pain - he is a doctor so lots of paperwork trails at work, it worries patients when you are registered as Dr Bill but you turn up & introduce yourself as Dr Ben etc. He has ended up (age 33) accepting that he has to be Bill at work & Ben at home, which makes a weird split when work friends become home friends… Anyway long & boring explanation to say in our experience it is a pain in the arse.

Oh and also when we got married I had to make my vows to Bill when my relationship has been with Ben… It made it feel almost meaningless!

I wouldn't do it. Life will be much easier if her official first name is the one she uses as first name. Why complicate things?

I do. It's only a minor irritation. It doesn't take a lot of explaining - I simply know to use my full name for anything official.

I guess the only major thing is making sure that others know to book flights in my full name and not the name they know me by. Not that people book flights for me very often!

I had to make my vows to Bill when my relationship has been with Ben…

Didn't you make them to Bill Ben? XH made them to my full name which is still me. Having said that, he also clearly found them meaningless :o