How many middle names?

[Dalrymples]

We're expecting our first child and for me, it's normal to have one middle name. However, for family reasons, it might be nice to have a family name from both sides, so as to have two middle names.

What do you think? Is this ok, or is this a bit Royal Family?

Two is fine. The royals have loads don't they?!

DS1 has 2
DS2 has 1

Yup, Prince William has three middle names (William Arthur Philip Louis) but their eldest has two (George Alexander Louis).

I'm just wondering if it would be pretention to have two middle names.

If we have a girl we are planning two middle names as both have meaning but our DS1 just has 1. Don't think it's pretentious but think about how log the names are. Two long middle names might be a bit much!!!!

Ds1 has 2 middle names ( 2 gf ) ds2 has 1 , they barely use them other than filling in forms so it really doesn't matter

Loooooooooads of people have 2 middle names. Never thought of it as pretentious

Not pretentious at all; my mum gave my older sister two for the same reason (one from each side of the family, she didn't want to offend anybody). By the time I was born she didn't give a crap and just gave me one, not a family name, that she liked.

Our upcoming DC will have two, though the second will be my surname (unless we decide to hyphenate).

Use as many or as few as you want, but bear in mind form filling and if you have more than one DC you might run out of names you like.
A compromise is Firstname Yourmaidenname Surname or Firstname Middlename Yourmaidenname Surname.

Try to avoid filler middle names like Rose/May and Jay

Our son has one. Tbh we would only use one.

Our decision was middle names were after our closest friends. So when I was pregnant we didn't want to find out the wedding until the birth. So we agreed if it was a boy his middle name would be my husbands closest friends name. And if we had a girl hers would be my best friends name.

We thought it was nice that our first son would be named after his dads closest friend, and our first daughter would be named after my closest friend).

My husband has one. I don't have any but I have a hyphenated first name so don't need one

Depends how many surnames the baby has.
I always think four names total is plenty.
I have two surnames and one middle name, so I've done the same for my DCs.
They have one surname from each side (mine and DH's), DC1 has a middle name from my side and DC2 has a middle name from DH's side. Worked out nicely

If your DC will just have one surname, I don't see the harm in two middle names, but you don't need a middle name from each side given that the surname will be from one side only.

My son has 2 middle names, it wasn't planned but we couldn't decide between the two first names that we had so he ended up with both plus the middle name we'd already decided on!
We're currently trying to decide whether to follow the same theme with our second.

It's not pretentious it's ok.
5 middle names might be a bit much but it even that wouldn't traumatize your child vor anyone else for that matter.
I don't think anyone would blink twice at 2 middle names. I know people with 3 and don't dwell on it. Do think of filling out forms etc though.

Family tradition on my side and DP side to have 2 middle names.

I have 3 kids and none of them have a middle name

My DC don't either and neither do I.

Me, my siblings and my dc all have 2 middle names.

Just give all your dc the same number of names. 70 years later, DM is still feeling shortchanged that’s she only has one middle name and her brothers have 2.

I like 2 middle names — 3 initials then the surname look well balanced to me and it is easy to find 3 names that flow together. In my family we all had 2, I gave Dd 3 names and she has given her DD 3 names.
At school their classmates with fewer names said they wished they had 3.

A more practical issue over sheer preference is that one has only to do a little research on social media to find that names one would think were very uncommon are actually quite popular. Just why parents with a certain surname mostly seem the favour the same given names is a mystery. It is not unknown for mistakes to be made regarding identity when medical, tax etc files have the same names. A colleague had her tax rebate ( in the days when cheques were sent) delayed because it was sent to a woman with the same 2 given names and surname And DOB. So a third name may make all the difference.

I think two is absolutely fine but I would personally find three too many. I definitely don’t think two middle names is pretentious.

Emily Anna Marie Smith sounds ok.
Emily Anna Marie Jane Smith sounds a bit like a list.

My children have two middle names as do most of their cousins.
They love it and always say they'll carry on the tradition.

I love 2 middle names. That's because I love names. A relative of mine has given her children 2 middles and their names work very well. Not unusual really and it's just your preference, and sounds like you have good reason to do so. Do what you want - I don't get this 'pretentious' thing, but I'm not British.

Just remember the poor child will be filling in forms until the end of time. So Jacquline Emmeline Consuela Fotgerington-Smythe is a lot different to John James Jack Smith.

DD has 3
DS has 2

I’m going to give my new baby 2 middle names - I don’t think it’s OTT lots of people have two and it’s a good way to honour family/include special names

I gave my dd two middle names - I love names so why not! I've only got 1 middle name and always felt like I'd like 2 - it feels sort of fancier!!!