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.

Neither of my parents had middle names. My father worked in the US for a while and some forms couldn't cope with the lack of middle names. One official form had him down as Firstname N. M. I. Surname. The NMI stood for no middle initial!

Ours are family names with meaning.

I know someone who has four daughters all with the same middle name, named for someone special.

A bit like fifthtimelucky above, I have an American friend who has a middle initial. It doesn't stand for a name but the parents gave him the initial just to make his name sound more formal/complete.

I feel like it completes the name. Both my DC have one middle name, named after family members but I'd still have given them a middle name even if I had nobody special to name them after.