Are middle names necessary if we cannot find one we like?

[BrightonBuzz]

We're not giving our DD a middle name. There are almost no names that sound right with the sort of first name that we've chosen, and I refuse to use a basic one (Rose, Grace, Mae, Anne, Marie, etc.) that I dislike just for her to have one. However, my mum is insisting that we give her one but cannot articulate why we should. I have never used my middle name and only know the middle names of a handful of people in my life (my parents, my DH, my siblings, my nieces and nephews, my best friend). Outside of the tradition of it, they seem rather useless. Surely, they wouldn't be optional if it was that important? Thoughts?

DH hasn’t got one and we didn’t give DS one. Makes it a lot easier for filling in forms , we do have a fairly unusual surname though

My relative has a perfectly normal first name, (e.g. Victoria). Yet from a young age she’s been known by her middle name, Ruth. Her parents don’t really know why this happened, but Ruth seems happy with this name.

I dont have a middle name, its never been a problem. My boyfriend found it a bit weird I dont have one at first but that's because its uncommon to not have a middle name.

I don’t have one

I quite like this idea, actually. Maybe her middle 'name' could be the initial of my maiden name.

This is helpful to know. I can now see how it may be useful or convenient in certain situations.

You could always go down the Harry S Truman or Jo K Rowling route and add a letter in adult life if you fancy

Personally I've not felt the lack. Nor have my parents not kids.

I am grateful that I have a middle name. I had a fairly uncommon first name and an uncommon surname… but I got married and changed my surname to one of the most common UK surnames. My work email is initial(s) then surname. There is a man who has the same initial as me and my common surname so I often get his emails.

I agree. I'd never use one that I didn't like.

I’ve never had a middle name and can’t say I’ve missed out!
Mind you, both my first and surname have 10 letters in each, so quite long enough without!

I’m the same as you. I find middle names totally and utterly pointless unless it’s in honour of someone. They’re just filler names that are usually overdone and overused.

Her middle name could be your maiden name, that was a convention at one point. Makes doing your family tree easier 😀

I always wanted a middle name as a child but I'm not bothered I don't as an adult.

I did give my children a middle name. I liked the eldest's but the second's was purely a filler. 😳

I've got a middle name but it seems utterly pointless. I only use it in very official forms like passport applications so don't feel any connection to it.

We didn't give dd a middle name. She's a young adult now and has never said that she would have liked to have had a middle name.

It could go either way. It's a classic/traditional hyphenated name (not one of the modern ones), and we intend to call her by the full name. Every middle name sounds a bit odd paired with it because it's already two names.

My mother doesnt have one, she always felt it. Made up her own. It sort of felt like a lack of effort somehow especially as her brothers all got two.

I don’t have one.

All of my kids each have two 😂

A middle name can be a way of honouring a relative whose name you wouldn't want to give as a first name.

And to distinguish between two people with the same first and last name.

There was someone with the same not very common first and last name as me who was under our local hospital out patients at the same time as I was when I was a child. She also had an account at the same bank as I had when we were adults. We had different middle initials, so I could tell when it was her not me. (We never met and I don't know if she knew of my existence as I was aware of hers.)

I like my middle name more than my first name! I wouldn't deprive her of one.

Please give your child a middle name. I don't have one and feel like I missed out.

I don’t think they are essential at all. Depends on the situation. We have a very common surname (think Smith/Jones) and I have a very common first name so it was useful at work to have a differentiator in email ids and the work directory. So people could differentiate between ‘Susan Anne Jones’ and ‘Susan Louise Jones’

I think the other reason is if you want to honour a family member (Grandparent / Great Grandparent ) but don’t want their name as a first name (‘Susan Edie Jones’ or ‘Samuel Richard Jones’

But they are absolutely not essential.

I don’t have one, never had anyone so much as comment or raise an eyebrow. It’s completely optional.

I’d split them. I’m struggling to think of a hyphenated name that would be better than a first or middle.

Also, if you decide no middle name for this child, don’t give any future children one!

I don't have one and I've never missed not having one. I can't see the point unless the name is something like Olivia Smith or Oliver Jones.

Mines Louise , quite offended by that 🤣
I was born around the same time as Louise Brown the first ivf baby so my mum chose it as a nod to that
Think every girl of the 80s is either Louise , Anne , Jane or Marie though