Calling baby by middle name

[walabw]

Hi there

I would love to know if anyone has made the decision to change their babies name to their middle name? Our baby is now 6 months old and since the age of about 1 month I have had regrets over her name, I wish we had called her by her middle name which I really love and she suits. (My husband preferred what is her first name but that would have been my third choice we just found it really hard to decide on names) I have tried to just carry on and forget about it but 6 months later I am still really regretting not using her middle name as her first. Would love to hear if anyone has ever felt the same and what they decided to do.

Thanks 🙂

I don't have any personal experience. However even though she'll probably be starting to recognise her name by now. she's still young enough to adapt to a new name. Alternatively with her being under a year old. You can legally change her name and get a new BC. Maybe you could swap the names round. Do it ASAP,though.

Hope my story helps so here it goes! My parents gave me a first name that they have NEVER used, I have always gone by my middle name, I've never really asked why they never used my first name but they just didn't. Apparently even when I was a baby they introduced me with my middle name and everyone just accepted it.

I also hate my first name, it's not that I'm not used to it but it's just I actually really dislike it. It's a very average name and I've never identified myself with it. My middle has always been my identity, even to the point that people are surprised to find I have a first name when they somehow manage to see an ID or when we were in school. It's only an issue sometimes because usually strangers will call you by your first name (mostly teachers, doctors appointments, etc) but there's also plenty of times when people will ask which name I prefer and that's it.

I think you could definitely start calling her by the middle name and it would be absolutely fine. I have managed to use my middle as my only name for almost 30 years and no one has ever thought anything about it

We call out DS (7) by his middle name. We couldn’t decide between his first or middle name when we registered him. I was a bit unsure about his middle name- I was going to say it was a bit unusual, but it really really isn’t, it’s just not a standard brutish name like James or Oliver. We often meet another child with the same....we’ve never met another child with DDs solid English name. Anyway, by the time DH had got back from the registry office we’d decided on using the middle name ( DM said ‘I’m sure I’ll get used to it). But I’ve always thought he looks like his first name, and sometimes regret not using that name. As pp said at the drs, dentist/anything official they call his first name (because that’s on the form they have) and of course he doesn’t answer!!

My dad is known by his middle name. I realised even DH (of 20 years) didn't have a clue. Change it now, no one will remember in a few months.

I know quite a few people who use their middle names. Just start calling him that. People just get in with it. On official forms like school forms etc put “Edward Ethan Smith known as Ethan”

I have always been called by my middle name as have my siblings and parents. It's a bit of a pain when starting new jobs and at school each year with a new teacher I had to to explain that I'm B not A bit other than that I like my name - people in day to day life only know me as B as that is how I introduce myself.

Start calling DC by their middle name and others will quickly follow though if your DH isn't as keen on it then that might be a sticking point.

When my daughter was born she was called her full name, nickname and her middle name until she was old enough to chose. Family and friends all inter changed. She answered to all. Her cousins are the same. It just seems to be something we do in our family.

Both my DH's cousins are known by their middle names. I was so confused at their weddings when they were called a different name. No idea why, I think it's some sort of family tradition.

For us it stems from Welsh heritage.

I go by my middle name and my sister uses both interchangeably. No issues here

Thanks that good to know it’s not a big deal! Did your parents call you by middle names from birth? I am just hoping it will be easy for people to start using her middle name and catch on.

Pretty much the same as @spacelab.

"My parents gave me a first name that they have NEVER used, I have always gone by my middle name, I've never really asked why they never used my first name but they just didn't. Apparently even when I was a baby they introduced me with my middle name and everyone just accepted it.

I also hate my first name, it's not that I'm not used to it but it's just I actually really dislike it. It's a very average name and I've never identified myself with it. My middle has always been my identity, even to the point that people are surprised to find I have a first name when they somehow manage to see an ID or when we were in school. It's only an issue sometimes because usually strangers will call you by your first name (mostly teachers, doctors appointments, etc) but there's also plenty of times when people will ask which name I prefer and that's it."

My name was something ordinary followed by an unusual name, so it looked like a middle name - think something like Julie Cassandra (but not). I hated the first name although it was ok on others. It would only be used at things like appointments and by a teacher I disliked. It had no part in my identity and I changed my name at 18.

My siblings had proper middle names to honour relatives.

What made it worse was that my father found it amusing that I hated it and would tease me. Bullying.

If I were you, I would change the birth certificate before he is a year old.

I noticed that colleagues would sometimes have had e-mail addresses and usernames allocated by full name, so [email protected] not [email protected].

You don't need a new birth certificate, just start calling him by his middle name.

Sorry, that should read 'by her middle name'.

my DS goes by his middle as does my Dad, Brother and aunt and non have had any issues really

a middle name is equally as valid as a first name and many people go by their middle names its just most people dont know and 'assume' it must be their first name

the only time my DS ever gets called his first name is on medical records everything else including school etc... all call him by his middle name

I was called by my middle name from birth. But she's so little it won't take long for people to get used to it.

I've always been called by my middle name. It's a minor pain when booking plane tickets (or rather when other people book them) but other than that it's fine. I answer to both if I am paying attention :)

I know a couple of family members who go by their middle names and a colleague too. And lots of kids at school- very common to have a Mohammed Hussein referred to only as Hussein, for example. Makes the fire register trickier than it need be but aside from that it's fine. Schools can record a 'known as' name that sorts out most of the administrative issues.

I think as this thread shows, it's quite common
My partners dad goes by middle name, I didn't know for quite a few years his first name.
Apparently he's just always been known as his middle name.

Meghan, the duchess of Sussex is known by her middle name. Her first name is Rachel.

I know quite a few people that go by their middle name actually. My nephew interchangeably goes by his first and middle name, his father’s family call him the middle name because it has family connections, his mothers side (my side) call him the first and at the age of 5, responds to both of them, and doesn’t seem confused at all.

If you're going to change it then change it now, my name was changed 3 times in 2 months so I don't notice, but my friends parents preferred her middle name to her first and so eventually she did but her friends were really confused when it was changed at about 10 years old so ended up switching between the two

Be careful. We were going to call my first daughter Adele (which he loved) and Emma (which I did). Had been sold on that for a couple of months when I was telling someone on the phone a week before I and must have just said it at a different speed. They said....you can't call her that....I didn't get it she said you cant call your child A DILEMMA :-)

My dad, one uncle and one grandad all used their middle name. All other grandparents used totally different first names from their real ones.

My friends daughter is known by her middle name. I assume nothing was officially changed, xxx

I had this. We named our first and months later, the name still didn't feel like it fit. So I asked other half if we could change it at the registrars. I looked into it and I'm sure you get a grace period. He said yes, I started second guessing myself and had a change of heart (I do wonder whether it was just me being an awkward bugger on some level).

Anyway, at 2 his eye colour and hair have changed completely and his first name fits perfectly.

If you want to call him by his middle name, of course you can.