Do you think middle names are important?

[ncfortoday]

Just that please!

I quite like having three initials, and would always use LTC rather than just LC, but apart from that my middle name isn't particularly important. (In real life it isn't 'the', but it might as well be!)

No. I don't know any of my friend's or colleagues middle names.

I'd only use one to honour somebody.

Not important, but I wanted to give my children two middle names and I thought quite a bit about it. It's one of those things that's sort of pointless but also nice.

My mum always said that if you were ever in hospital about to have an op, a middle name would help differentiate you from another patient with the same name.
Maybe not an issue if you have a very unusual name but there are lots of Dave Smiths etc where it might be helpful.

Mind you, my mum then saddled me with the most boring and predictable combination of first and middle name which would distinguish me from precisely no one. I guarantee that if ever I was in a hospital with someone who had the same first name as me, there is a 50% chance they'd have the same middle name

My brother and sister both have Irish middle names. Dad's English and stepmum has lived here since forever so they wanted to give them English first names but they also wanted to recognise their Irish heritage. I think that's nice. My middle name is just a random name that my parents liked. It's nice enough but I never use it or give it much thought.

Since I got married I'm the only person in the world with my name (according to Google). I have a classic English name with an Arabic surname. No problems in hospital for me now, except the fact they can't work out if I'm the brown woman or the white woman in the waiting room 😂

I used to be A. Smith, that always raised eyebrows at hotels I checked into with my boyfriend (who is now DH). If you're a Smith don't give your child A as a first initial.

Since I got married I'm the only person in the world with my name (according to Google). I have a classic English name with an Arabic surname. No problems in hospital for me now, except the fact they can't work out if I'm the brown woman or the white woman in the waiting room 😂

I used to be A. Smith, that always raised eyebrows at hotels I checked into with my boyfriend (who is now DH). If you're a Smith don't give your child A as a first initial.

Jeez double post, I'm having problems with this today. Sorry!

I don't have one and haven't missed not having one. I find it a bit strange when people always use more than one name like Carol Ann. Ellie May John Paul etc, and find hyphenated names puzzling unless you're French (Sarah-Jane, Ellie-Mae, Lexi-Rae etc). Names joined together just strike me as mistakes (Ellalouise, Sarahjane, Jonmartyn etc).

Each to their own I suppose.
How about when people have several names and surnames?
e.g. Evie-Kate Florence Sophia Madeleine Adams Wolseley-Snipe (I made it up but ykwim)

I always loved Clarissa Dickson Wright's name...

Blimey! Was she an only child?

I don't have a middle name and have always resented it. Tracing my family tree how I wish that my ancestors hadbeen a bit more imaginative in their naming so I could identify which of the 15 James Coopers or Frank Williams was which!

Saying that, there is little point in bestowing a "safe" middle name, like Louise or Jane in the 70s, and Grace, Rose or May now because chances are anyone else with the same first name will have the identical combination of first and middle.