Two middle names and a double barrelled surname?!

[Catlady90]

My partner and I are due our first (and probably only) child soon. We aren't married - were actually due to be last year but this was postponed due to covid.

I am thinking of keeping my surname when we get married. Initially I was going to change it but only because I don't have much of a connection to mine, it's my dads and he wasn't a very nice person. However, it's my name and its the name I earned my degree in etc...I'm leaning more towards keeping it.

We are thinking of giving baby both surnames, and letting him decide later on if he wants to drop one or keep them both. The issue (possibly not an issue but I'm looking for opinions on this!) is his middle name. He was due to have my grandads name as a middle name. He died around 8 years ago and was such a lovely man. However my partners grandad recently passed away and he feels it would be nice to honour him by also giving his name as a middle name. I don't have a problem with this at all of course, but I'm wondering if we are bordering on too many names?! In this case I was wondering if it's better to go with one middle name (partners grandads name given his recent loss) and leave it at that.

Writing this down it sounds like some kind of battle in 'fairness' but neither of us feel that way. However I'm worried that it looks this way to others if we were to go with all these names!

Any thoughts much appreciated!

In real life day-to-day he's only going to use his first name and last name(s).

If either or both, yours or your DP's last names are very common then double barrel means his name won't be common. If neither are that common it's just over kill and you just give him yours. (Your partner doesn't have a choice in naming your child as you aren't married.) If you then get married you can change his last name when you register him as a child of the marriage.

In regards to middle names give him one, two, four or ten it doesn't matter as he won't use any of them unless he has one very common last name. However you will need to give all your children the same number of middle names.

Btw my DD has the same number of names as you are proposing for the reasons I've already highlighted.

I saw a name today that had 3 middle names and a double-barrelled last name. It might be best if the middle names are fairly short if possible as a lot of computer fields don't let you put a lot in! But they can get round that using initials.

And as you said it's likely to be your only child then I'd go for it

I think it's fine. Clarissa Dickson Wright had 10 middle names!

As we used both our surnames for the Dc, we did without middle names.

They don’t seem to have much point, and I am not personally a fan of giving a child a name in memory of anyone. They are their own people.

I think it’s fine.

It's fine.

I know plenty of people with long names. Both my DC have 2 middle names and it wouldn't bother me if we decided to double barrel their surname too.

Girl twin has an incredibly long real name, simply because it's frilly, French and beautiful. Syllable wise, she's:

Da-dum-da-dum, Da-dum, Da-dum, Da-dum.

Day to day, she's Da-dum Da-dum.

That sounds ridiculous, you know what I mean

My dd has 2 middle names and a double barrelled surname. Sounds fine. Her first name is 3 syllables too, so her whole name is 8 syllables. But remember middle names aren't really used after they go on the birth certificate.

My husband has 2 middle names and since we married a double barrelled surname, it's absolutely fine.
Middle names aren't really used day to day, and official documents have plenty of space.

Thanks everyone- 2 middle names it is!