Why have a middle name?

[ScotsLassDownSouth]

It's just a thought, really . . . my two DS don't have middle names - just first name followed by surname. There are a few reasons - our surname is also a boy's name, choosing one name was hard enough, I didn't really see the need to use "family" names, I have never used my middle name, etc . . . I did quite fancy using my maiden name as a middle name (fairly common amongst Scots) but DH vetoed it . . .

I saw a list of full names at younger DS's school once and noticed that he was the only one out of 30 kids who didn't have (at least!) one middle name - fortunately, he doesn't seem too traumatised by it .

Am I weird?

I don't have a middle name and wasn't all that keen on DS having any when I was pregnant. However he was born prematurely on my late dad's birthday and it just felt right to give him his grandad's name as a middle name.

I do not have a middle name and neither does my sister.

My dds have a scottish family clan name from Dh as their middle name which actually acts more like a surname. Don't see alot of point in a middle christian name.

Also it does let you incorporate the slightly mad name that you love but know you can't inflict on anyone as a first name (eg. ds's middle name = Isambard - dh is from Bristol ).

Or the name you love but three of your mates have used it in the past year (eg. dd1's middle name = Madelaine).

Im thinking about this and im not sure.

I have a middle name, so did most of my friends at school. I just assumed it was the norm and thought anyone who didnt have a middle name was strange.

My son's middle name is his father's first name and my daughter's is the name I-sort-of--maybe-wanted to call her but didn't.

I am actually named after two of my dad's ex gfs, the cheeky sod. But it could have been much worse I suppose

I don't have a middle name, my first one was bad enough, well not the name itself but the abbreviations on it aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh !

Did keep my maiden name though and my ds has it too.

Lastbox ~ I so want to know your mane now !

Frosty yes I think it is - I always thought everyone did it!

I don't have a middle name and have always complained about it! I feel short changed.

Sorry!

Surely it's to use up some of the other fab names you had on the name list? Or, to use family names you couldn't bear to have as the first name!

It's a great way to pass down a family name from the mother's side.

We never even had a discussion about DD's middle name - if she was going to get DH's surname then the middle name came from my family. It was my middle name, my aunt's first name and my great-aunt's first name.

I know there are thousands of MN children on the board with such names, but I don't really get why people would use names like Mae (Louise was the late 70s equivalent, Jayne the early 70s equivalent) that are just padding. To my ears anyway - obviously these people just liked the name Mae and that's entirely fine.

I agree with ninedragons. DS has his dad's surname. His middle names (2 of them) are his maternal grandfather and great grandfather's, both of which are foreign names.

I wanted ds to know about his family on my side and to feel a connection to it even though his grandfather is quite old and is likely to die before ds is fully grown up.

I already talk to him about his middle names as it is an opportunity to say things like xx was your great granfather's name and he was born in xx and did xxx and so in. He likes hearing about it all.

My kids both have one middle name each, now having number 3 and wouldn't not give 'it' one incase it feels left out (esp if its a girl, think girls more bothered about stuff like that , boys not so much!)

First 2 just have middle names that we liked the sound of, this time this one will have a name after my lovely wee gran who i lost in April this year. Baby will have her first name as a middle name if a girl and surname as a middle name if a boy.

When i was little i always wanted my middle name to be my first as i prefered it!

I think there is something missing to a name without a middle name. Too short and plain for me. But I have two middle names, which I like, but is a nuisance on forms, because they often just give one space for initials, and then I feel that they haven't got my name right (credit cards and that sort of thing). So my children have just the one middle name. Good as others have sad for telling off, the children like having long names, and I think gives a better roll of the tongue for formal occasions. ds's middle name was to balance his name out, but dd is called after one of each of mine and dh's grandmothers, so one name wouldn't have worked.

My son has 3 middle names and its a great way to tell him off when i use all 4 names in an extremely loud voice

My girls have one middle name each, but their first names are slightly unusual or even made up some might saybah!!. So they use them if we find personalised items which i know we would never find for their first names.

Maybe be its just me but I usually see MNs as in the religous connection? I didnt have a MN neither did DH so we didnt see the point in giving our kids MNs as we arent religous- I know you dont have to be of a certain faith to have a MN but thats what I immediatley think of.

Think that's just you no religious connotations to middle names. Were you thinking perhaps of confirmation names? Those are supposed to be your special saint really, and have no formal meaning (although I chose Zita specially to add a Z to my initials!)

I donot have a middle name Dh does and we chose not to give Dc's a middle name as it there didnot seem any point . I never minded not having a middle name but then my first name is not really common so it means that there are not likely to be two of us in a room anyway. mind you if you were called Jane Smith you may wish you had a middle name too.