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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Are three names + surname too many?

44 replies

PirateWeasel · 10/08/2018 15:20

The reason I ask is because DH and I both love two different potential middle names for a girl and rather than one of us losing the coin toss we were thinking we should perhaps have both. But would four names be overkill? Our surname is very boring and only one syllable, which simplifies things a bit. I just wonder whether four names would be a bit faffy for her when she gets to the stage of filling in forms for school, work etc. Or am I just really lazy?

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ThroughThickAndThin01 · 10/08/2018 20:06

It’s fine

Mousefunky · 10/08/2018 20:12

My DS has two middle names and two surnames so .

Theweasleytwins · 10/08/2018 21:19

I have two middle names and places like banks never use the second one

ZebraKid71 · 10/08/2018 21:22

Both my kids have two middle names, after deciding in first names dh and I both picked a family name from each side for their middle names. It's totally fine.

MelisandeMortmain · 10/08/2018 21:23

I actually use one of my middle names in preference to my first name – so I'd say the more the better. As a pp said, however, do write the initials down. Mine spell a very rude four-letter word (too outing to say what, but it's not a 'mild' swear, that's for sure)

Glaciferous · 10/08/2018 21:25

I have two middle names. Fortunately one of them is quite short or I would struggle to fit them all on forms where they have separate boxes for each letter. Other than that, it has not made any difference to me!

Ginger1982 · 10/08/2018 21:26

My DS has 4 names total. Just do it. So not an issue.

Glaciferous · 10/08/2018 21:26

Also, you can get banks to use both middle names if you specifically ask them to do so. I did and have both on my account. And all three initials before my surname on my bank card.

Asmallrole · 10/08/2018 21:37

My DD has 3 names because DHs grandma died the week before she was born so we added Jane for her. The 3 names flow beautifully and she loves them. My next DD was given two names because there was nobody to honour but I always regretted it and when she was 7 I added my DMs maiden name (Brooke) as a third name. She loves it and loves the story.

QuickWash · 10/08/2018 21:58

My siblings, dh, me and all our dc have 3 given names and double-barrelled surnames. It's never caused any issues for any of us!

penguinpurple · 10/08/2018 22:13

My ds has 2 middle names despite me always saying it was pointless and unnecessary to have 2 middle names 🙃
To be honest I still think it's a bit silly but there were family reasons for both names and I realised it didn't actually bother me (even if I think it's silly) we don't go round calling him by his full name and I do like all the names so why not. If we have another I would probably go for just one middle name unless there was a special reason for having two.

EyeDrops · 10/08/2018 22:23

My dd has two middle names. Both and surname are all one-syllable names though so it rolls off easily!

JurassicGirl · 10/08/2018 22:30

My friend has 4 names & a double barrelled surname (before marriage)! Her name has 13 syllables!

My sil has 3 names her surname - 10 syllables!

BonnieLass5 · 10/08/2018 22:32

No, that's definitely not too many names.

ithoughtisawapuddycat · 10/08/2018 22:55

I have three names, surname and a religious first name (which I never use) and I like it.

Actually don't like my first name and wish I could change and go by one of my middle names.

foxtiger · 12/08/2018 18:59

My DS have three names each. The first time it was the only way out of an impasse where neither of us wanted to give up our preferred middle name. The second time we planned it that way so neither of them would feel it was unfair. Our surname is also quite long, but it doesn't seem to have caused our DS too many problems. None of the individual forenames is particularly long (maximum 6 letters and 2 syllables). I would probably be wary of three long names in a row - Benjamin Jonathan Alexander Dunstable is always going to have a job fitting his name on a form, but ours are more along the lines of something like Peter James Arthur Dunstable.

Threeandabit · 16/08/2018 21:11

I am so glad we did this. Go for it!

AnElderlyLadyOfMediumHeight · 16/08/2018 21:13

My dc have two middle names each. Why ever not?

We live in Germany and it's a bit of a thing here (possibly only in the former east?) to give children very short names with no middle name. I just think it's so joyless and a wasteof an opportunity to give lovely names.

Flamingo84 · 16/08/2018 22:42

DH has 4 names + surname and he hates it! The middle names are all 2-3 syllables and it’s a faff in general. All forms we have to fill out end up either not having enough boxes or the letters produced chop off half of the last middle name.

His passport doesn’t even hold his complete name as it’s too long. It has the first 3 names in full, the initial of his 4th name and his complete surname. Similar with his driving license.

If she wants to double-barrel her surname when she’s older it will be even longer! I think it depends on the length of the 3 names as to whether this would be something that frustrates her as she gets older.

Don’t mean to be negative, just wanted to show the other side of the argument.

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