Middle Names - Why?

[FreakyToes]

Hi All,

I've seen a lot of threads where people are struggling to think of a middle name to go with the first name. Why do some people feel it's necessary (or just want) to add a middle name?

I'm not being funny, I'm genuinely interested.

I understand having a middle name if it has meaning, like the name of a family member or loved one that you want to honour, but I don't understand why people stress themselves out trying to think of a second name which isn't necessary. I don't have any middle names.

I think middle names are fun and make a name feel complete. Its cultural to add one. I dont understand when people have like three middle names though! And I've surely met people without middle names, they are optional. My husband think they are kinda a waste also but I personally think it's fun to pair a name! It adds more of a vibe to a first name for me.

"I understand having a middle name if it has meaning, like the name of a family member or loved one that you want to honour"

I'm with you on this. I think the point of a middle name is to honour a relative or loved one. I also think it's good to give the child a back-up option just in case they hate their first name for some reason. Particularly important if you give them an "out there" first name!

PS I will say that I think it's weird when people give lots of middle names. Personally I think it's best to have no more than 4 names in total. ie first name, middle name and two surnames (my preference) or first name, two middle names (including one from family whose surname isn't used) and surname.

For me middle names were to put in a family name and a fun one that I liked but didn’t want as a first name.

I have two middle names so I carried on the tradition with my own children.

Well some people prefer to use their middle name. Sometimes first is a formal name, or sometimes the middle is a family name. I have 2 middle names including one which is a family name. It can be usefult to have a middle name like at school when we had 2 Paul Davises in the same year so one always was refered to using his middle initial.

We gave one to DD, DH wanted her to have an African middle name since her first name isn’t African. I can get on board with this logic but generally think middle names are a bit pointless. That might just be because I don’t like my own middle name though!

I know three people within my fairly close family that go by their middle name rather than their first names (we are all boring English people btw incase anyone is thinking this is a cultural tradition or something, it isn’t).
So I view middle names as an alternative option for a first name.

Well if you have a surname like “jones” or “smith” it is highly recommended as it is easier when it comes to cases of fraud etc etc.

Thanks ladies, all very good reasons!

Most people I know with middle names are those of their parents, grandparents, etc. I don't think I know anyone with a middle name that doesn't have a familial connection.

I like the thought of using a middle name that ties the child to their parents roots if one parent is of a different nationality/culture.

I personally love out-there names for my children, but fully appreciate my children when they are older may not, and therefore can use their more traditional middle names if they desire

It's so your child knows when they have been really naughty.

DD has two middle names. Her second middle name is a family name on her dad's side. We also have a stupidly common surname so it may help with identification going forward.

Also, without any middle names at all, how do you know when you're really in trouble.

I don't have a middle name. Never missed not having one!

My middle name isn’t a familial connection. However, I have a very common first name and a very common second name. When I worked for a national organisation with about 10,000 employees - there were two of us with the same first and last name. My email (as I joined after) was FirstName.MiddleInitial.Surname@... The organisation I’m in now had two women who had the same name, so they one her got middle initials in their emails. We have two men with the same name too (it’s not that big of an organisation but it’s a common surname) but without middle names, the one who started later has been given a middle initial of ‘x’ for the email.

That should say...

The organisation I’m in now had two women with the same name, so for the second one they used her middle initial for her email...

DH has only one name. He couldn’t understand why middle names were needed. When DS was born he said he’d like to give him only one name. I was ok with this as we found it hard enough agreeing on a name we both liked.
Recently DH was lamenting on how he wished we’d given DS his name as a middle name

I haven’t met many people who don’t have a middle name, it’s just traditional.

It might have been nice to have my grandmother's name as a MN, but I've not missed having one. I don't really see the point of them unless you have a popular first name and surname.

Don't really see the point of having several firstname middle names or filler ones like Rose, Grace or May (or Anne, Jane or Louise if you're older).

I don't have a middle name. I've never missed not having one.

i’m in south korea and middle names aren’t a done thing here actually, however, i still gave my dc middle names because their first names are short and they felt a bit like nothing names on their own 🤷🏻‍♀️

I understand having a middle name if it has meaning, like the name of a family member or loved one that you want to honour

Agree. No need for middle names unless to honour somebody.

Sometimes all the angst on here over finding the 'right middle name' is a bit over the top.

I don't know anybody's middle name, or even if they have one.

Don't really see the point of having several firstname middle names or filler ones like Rose, Grace or May (or Anne, Jane or Louise if you're older)

What happens when the “filler” name IS the family name

We chose more everyday type names for our two daughters middle names for two reasons: we wanted to have a link to some strong female characters we loved growing up and just in case they grew up hating their classic goddess first names and wanted to use something else. They are simple names and we dithered a lot, dd1 didn't have one until she was 11mo as we weren't sure which name to choose (if any) and we didn't know if we particularly cared enough. We had three characters we liked and used one name for dd1 and one for dd2. I don't have a middle name and it's never been a huge issue, though my sisters and I were the only people I know who haven't got them, even both parents have middle names!

@JacquesHammer with you there! If we have a girl her middle name will be Rose after DH's grandma who recently passed away. It also happens to be my middle name (and also had a special meaning to my mum, it wasn't just a 'filler'). Everyone will probably just eye roll at another 'something Rose' but I couldn't care less!

Jacques, They often are! People were more conservative with names in the early 20th century so names like Jane and Anne were popular.

I was thinking of names like Aurora Francesca Rose Smith or something.