My friend has just given her new baby girl the middle name....

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Douglas!

Is it just me, or is this a boy's name?

[Lulumama]

are you sure you did not mishear???

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

No, I've just had an email!

[3Ddonut]

Is it a surname?

[MAMAZON]

maybe they are pronouncing it differently?
maybe its just a joke?

maybe they are total and utter freakazoids

[Ledodgy]

Luckily for her Douglas is also a surname so people will probably just assume she has a double barrelled surname.

[Lulumama]

oh !

is it a traditional family name and they don;t have a boy to give it to?

[fatzak]

Not her maiden name or anything?

[Hulababy]

Is it one of their surnames - rather than having hyphanted surname perhaps?

[Slubberdegullion]

I have several friends who have used their maiden names as a middle name for their DC.

Douglas is not the prettiest name in the world though.....

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

That's a plausible theory 3Ddonut! I don't know of it being in her family, but it might be.

She is American, does that help explain it?

[TheFallenMadonna]

Family surname as middle name? One of my Grandad's middle names was Lamb for that reason, and stepdad's family also all have an extra surname as a middle name.

Otherwise, yes, it's a boys name.

And I think if you're doing the whole surname as middle name thing, probably best not to pick one that doubles as a first name, for the opposite sex...

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

They already have a double-barrelled surname so people will be assuming it is a triple barrel!

[belgo]

In Belgium it is the tradition to give the new baby as second and third names the christian names of the godfather and godmother.

Hence many boys have got girl's names as middle names and vice versa.

Maybe they are following some tradition?

It really doesn't matter much if it's a middle name.

[MrsDandOllie]

My American friend gave her daughter a passed down family name as a middle name (I think my friend has the same middle name). Its Hayden, which I thought was a boys name as well.
I think it is defeinitely an American thing!!

[QuintessentialShadow]

I have first name, middle name and a double barrel surname. I hate spelling out my name, it takes for ever, I was alway envious of Liz Smith.

A friend of mine had 3 first names, and 2 surnames. When she married she kept the first name which was Anna, and took her husbands surname which was very simple. Makes sense.

These days, I am fed up with my long name, and cut both my middle name and the first of the barrels.

Many names makes great palaver.

[Sunshinemummy]

I believe this is also something if a Scottish tradition too. I know of two women with surnames as their middle names.

[ggglimhoho]

A bit off topic but I had lunch today with friends who were all commenting on my ds's funny middle name - "Caesar".

I had sent out a text with his name, then caesar(for caesarean!)......

[belgo]

pmsl gggglimpopo!!!

[Ledodgy]

rofl GGG!

[Anna8888]

Both my parents have first name (=normalish first name) second name (= family member first name and a bit odd) third name (=family member surname and very odd) and then surname.

Douglas as a middle name for a girl isn't terrible by those standards, frankly

[Vacua]

I had a friend at school whose middle name was Allen, she had a very pretty first name and an ok surname (Taylor). That was a family name thing, maiden I think.

[edam]

Ooh, I'm sure I've come across a female Douglas somewhere. Going away to rack my brains.

[edam]

Might have been a character in a novel.