Middle names

[FlorenceIsland]

My husband and I have decided on Ivy if we have a baby girl. However I'm struggling with middle names. I want a family members name to be the middle name as it's sort of a family tradition. I unfortunately didn't meet my grandparents so feel like the names aren't connected to me as much as I would like. I really want to use my mums name as a middle name as if we have a boy we will be using my husband's dads name for the middle name. Unfortunately my mums name just doesn't go with the name. My mums name is Tracey. I think because they both end in an "e" sound with two syllables it sounds weird. I can't think of anyway to incorporate it. I don't know if we do two middle names to make it sound better? do I just have to give up on it being a middle name? Do I find a first name that goes with it? Help please.

Could you use your mum's middle name?

Agree Ivy Tracey sounds wrong. I really like Ivy and you will use the first name way more than the middle so whilst it’s nice to honour your mum, I would find a middle name that goes with Ivy instead.

I think long names work well with Ivy so Victoria, Elizabeth, Georgina, Florence, Annabelle, Katherine, Alexandra, Philippa, Samantha, Charlotte, Rebecca all sound nice

Ivy Tracey is fine. Middle names are rarely used, and it's far more interesting than the Rose/Grace/May-type filler middle name.

Posters say 'names are popular for a reason' all the time, and given the number of Tracey/Tracys I know, it must be a fine name.

She won't be Ivy Tracey, she'll be Ivy Island most of the time, Ivy Tracey Island when the full name is needed.

I don't think Ivy Tracey is that bad tbh. It's not like she's going to be using her full name a lot, just on official stuff.
Other option would be your mum's middle name if that works.

Be careful of having a middle name that begins with a vowel as sometimes it creates a word that you might not wish.

My initials were HAP and I was known as Mishap. My sister was in a worse situation as hers spelt SPIT. Beware!!

You could also have 2 middle names and make Tracey the second one

What about your mums middle name? Or does your dad have a first or middle name that is unisex?
I used my mums middle name for my sons middle name (it's unisex, just spelt it the male version of spelling for my sons middle name)

I definitely think having a first name you love is more important than a specific middle name, as you don't know most people's middle names. Using your mum's middle name is a good idea as other people have said. Other options are your/her maiden name that's quite common for middle name, or something related to her like birth month flower or birth stone if it's a name. Or you could find something a bit adjacent to her or your dad's name but less rhymey, although Tracey is hard the only one I can really think of without a y at the end is Grace.

Can you give both your mothers' names and hope that it flows better? (As long as your MiL isn't called Sharon)

Two middle names?
Ivy Elizabeth Tracey
Ivy Louisa Tracey
Ivy Alicia Tracey
Ivy Abigail Tracey
Ivy Gabriella Tracey
Ivy Isobel Tracey
Ivy Jemima Tracey

Tracey is a surname too, and wouldn't sound bad as a second middle name.

How about Ivy Beatrice (which incorporates most of the letters of Tracey)?

Ivy Beth Tracey
Ivy Tracey Rebecca
Ivy then your mother's middle or surname.
Ivy then your grandmother's name.

Ivy Elizabeth

Many good ideas in this thread.

And I agree with some of the previous posters, Ivy Tracey sounds good! Nothing wrong with it at all.

I actually quite like the sound of Ivy Tracey. Maybe the likes of Ivy Tracey Murphy would be a bit much, but Ivy Tracey Jones is perfectly fine.

If the baby has your DH surname use your surname/maiden name as middle name