I really want to honour my DH's granddad by giving our son his name as a middle name but his name is....

[GoodEggy]

Donald

He's the loveliest man ever and I'd really like to honour him like this but I'm just not sure I can do that to my son!

How bad is it?

As a middle name, it's absolutely fine.

People rarely use middle names, rarely know the middle names of friends / acquaintances, and besides, the worst you can say about Donald is that it's a bit old fashioned. So someone seeing an old fashioned middle name is likely to assume "family name" rather than anything else.

I did momentarily wonder when I saw the thread title whether his name had been something like Dick (I have met a few elderly Dicks, presumably named before Dick had the connotations it has now). Now that really would be awful.

I'm with Bluesky, Donald is much better than your shortlist which have that trying too hard to be different feel.

I really like Don, as an abbreviation. My friend's dad is called Don - it's a great name.

I really like Donald. Somehow it's so much better than Ronald - bizarre how that works. Anyway - Donald is a classic, solid sort of name. Nothing wrong with it at all.

I quite like Donald!

Lorcan was top of the list for all 3 of my daughters . Its hands down my favourite of your first name list. With regards to Donald - its not my cup of tea but the sentiment behind it is lovely, middle names are so very rarely used. I heard my 5 year olds middle name said out loud by passport control last week, I honestly think its the first time its been uttered since her christening! I'd go for it.

I love Donald! Though Lorcan Donald is quite the moniker.

Donald's not too bad esp as a middle name ds got great uncles name but it's dreadful with our surname so made it a third as Mrs Hathaway said ..ds like having 3 names as its unusual and the family connection....so would go for it... Although doesn't really sit well with your shortlist...

Something else Scottish to start would make sense....Fergus, Alexander...

My DS has got his grandfathers absolutely dreadful middle name. I just never mention in

You've all made me feel a lot more positive about it, thank you. Both my children have middle names from either friends or family, as do I and my sister, it's what middle names are for I feel so I want to do the same for no.3 and Grandypops is so ace he's the obvious choice.

Please no more negative comments on our first names list though, we're struggling enough to agree and I think those names are fab but I'm also pregnant and sensitive

Donald is fine as a name.

Given the ellipsis in your title, I was hoping it was going to be Prince

Tristan Donald is nice.

I don't think Dexter Donald would work. Dexter James Donald or something would be better.

So someone seeing an old fashioned middle name is likely to assume "family name" rather than anything else.

Yes, I agree.

But sometimes you have that excruciating conversation:

"What have you called the baby? Oh. Gosh. Is it a family name? No? Oh, I see."

Middle names don't matter really. In my family its traditional to give a child a 'family' name as a middle name, I would never just pick a random name I liked. My middle name is my nanas name and my DS's is my grandads name. Both are 'old person' names and not the type that are trendy now, but in my family it's more important to honour a loved one than have a pretty middle name. Nobody uses middle names anyway!

Oh and I think Donald is fine! I'm in Scotland though...

I think Dexter Donald xyz has a nice ring to it though I'm less convinced it works with your other first names.

My other suggestion is Donovan, maybe as a first name?

My DS has Donald as a middle name, after a relative. It's one of two middle names. I think it's totally fine, he won't really use it, and who knows, it'll probably be really trendy by the time they are older.

Old fashioned middle names are the best.

One of mine bonded at school with another little boy with the same old-fashioned middle name, as he'd never met another.

Any of your names bar Dexter would work fine (though, yes, you could chuck a James in there to split them up - even Dexter James Donald Egg works OK!)

I know lots of young Donald's, it's pretty popular kids name in Scotland

There is nothing wrong with it

Another approach...

Ask grandypop to choose a middle name.

" we are thinking of calling him lorcan Donald, do you like this?
Or would like to choose a different middle name?"

Donald is fine as a middle name.

I know infant age siblings with Dorothy and Walter as middle names.

Assuming your surname isn't something like MacDonald, then I really don't see anything wrong with Donald at all.

Soupdragon " Donald McDonald" lol

I think there are many ways to honour your grandad without saddling your child with a name you don't really like. To be blunt, grandad is dead, he won't know/care. If you don't like thr name do not use it.

Sorry just realised grandad isn't dead! Huge apologies! 😂💐

We used my late MIL's maiden name as a middle name for DS and although it's different. I'm so glad we did. Keeps her alive for us all.
On a different point, my DH never ever uses his middle name. Not even on his passport so if your DS really hates it then he can drop it but at least he has the choice.