Anti Middle Names

I love middle names it adds to a child’s identity. I also agree a middle name allows you to use something you wouldn’t use as a first name for whatever reason .

With a middle name you can be creative, traditional, sentimental ect. You can even use two middle names.

I do understand and respect cultures that don’t use them.

I would always use a middle name.
I do quite like how names appear without a middle but then you don’t always have to write the middle down. It does give the person more identity. I’ve always been against two middle names (I feel its the new ‘trendy’ thing to do, every newborn seems to have two middles these days) however as I want use family names I think I’ll end using two myself!

I don’t have a middle name, as it is a tradition in my mum’s side of my family not to have one, but for the past few years, I’ve wanted one. I’m not very fond of my first name, and it would have been nice to have another option as I’ve not really had a nickname in years either. It also feels strange, because I have a brother and sister on my dad’s side of the family, and they both have middle names, and when I see the names together, it just looks so odd.

If/when I have children, they’re definetly have a middle name, possibly two.

I have a middle name and am 100% pro middle name. Most of my family have middle names too, although one of my great-aunts didn’t have a middle name and all of her descendants don’t either. I always thought that was rather surprising, however I guess they’re following a family tradition in themselves and I respect their choice - I’d never make any comments about their decisions.

I think middle names are a nice idea because:

  • You can honour someone in the middle name spot if you were unable to do so in the first name spot
  • You can have a wider choice of names, e.g. you can give your child your second favourite name as their middle name
  • Your child always has another name to fall back on if they dislike their first name (however, if they disliked their middle name as well, that would be a bit of a problem…!)
  • You can become more adventurous in the middle name spot (some people, like me, occasionally have more adventurous names in the middle name spot such as modern word names like [name_f]Snow[/name_f])

I made a little list because it was easier to type than a paragraph. :slight_smile:

I feel like middles make a name feel more complete. I agree they add more to the child’s name and identity, and make the name much more special. I would give my kids middle names.

I like middle names, although I was just discussing this with my partner who doesn’t particularly like them. Oddly enough, we both happen to have family last names (maiden names) for middle names. I think that since the middle name isn’t something the child is going to go by very often it’s a good chance to sneak in a more bold name. I think one of the best uses for a middle name is to fit in an honor name that you just don’t like enough as a name to put in the first name spot. I am planning to use middle names, but definitely would prefer to choose names with family significance.

I think it shows a decided lack of imagination.

I’m all for middle names because they do add individuality. I’m one of God knows how many Emmas in the world at this point. My middle name (Julaine) is so rare it doesn’t even have a page on this website. It’s my grandma’s name, and I think it’s pretty cool when people ask what my middle name is and tell me they have never heard of it.

I have two middle names, and I love them both. I plan on giving my kids two middles as well.

My grandmother didn’t have a middle name, she was the only one of her TWELVE siblings who didn’t have one. She was born very soon after her sister died, and she always said that her parents were too sad to pick a middle name for her.

She always hated her first name, and because she had no middle, she had nothing to fall back on. I imagine she also probably felt pretty ripped off, being the only one of her siblings not to get a mn.