I suppose the title of the thread is open to interpretation, because ‘outlandish’ is going to hold a different meaning for everyone – so answer as it makes sense to you.
Generally, I’m thinking of names like Wildflower, or Luminescence – not cultural, ancestral, or religious choices, but words that just have an appealing sound.
I see them used a lot (not necessarily those two specifically) in a lot of Nameberry combos and I love them; I use some unique words in my combos too, but when it comes down to actual usage, I don’t see it as often, and am very surprised when I do. I know someone who recently picked Christmas as a middle name for their child, and it caused a lot of discussion from people, both positive and negative. (ETA: Now that I’m thinking about it, I vaguely recall them changing it after the fact – not sure if it was related to the comments).
That being said, what’s your opinion on actually doing it, with a real child? Do you feel positively, negatively, or neutral about it?
Sorry if this is confusingly worded, but I’d love to hear what people think on the topic of outlandish middle names in general.
Feel free to provide examples of outlandish middles that you like or don’t like!
Ooh, this is such an interesting one. I myself would say I’m a brave middle namer, but then again, I’ve never actually named a babe. I do plan on using wild words in the middle though, but the majority of my favorites are my top favorites because they mean something to me. [name_m]Hummingbird[/name_m], [name_m]Cardinal[/name_m], [name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f], [name_f]Cavatica[/name_f], [name_m]Concord[/name_m], etc are all what I would consider “honor” names, but not in the sense that they’re family names for me.
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I feel so[name_f][/name_f] positive about it, actually. [name_f][/name_f] I think a wacky middle is just so[name_f][/name_f] stinking cool. But I’d probably only say that if said middle is paired with a more classic or widely expected name. And then there are some that I worry are still a bit unusable as a middle (Wildsprout, Ribbon, Forget-Me-Not, Halloween ).
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I agree, though. I don’t see a lot of brave middle naming around here. It seems like around me, you either go full classic or full tilt brave when it comes to naming.
Hmm.. I’m not sure I would fall into this category. [name_f]My[/name_f] son’s middle is
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N i g h t i n g a l e
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& I’ve certainly gotten comments on how it’s unusual (not always in a good way), but I don’t care that a few people think it’s an odd choice. Middle names, to me, are for the child and the ones gifting him/her that name. I put my more unusual, meaningful choices in the middle usually [name_f][/name_f] I actually love [name_f]Christmas[/name_f] as a middle by the way!
It’s not my own style, since I tend to lean more classic/historic with my names nowadays, but I like it for others! It can add a really whimsical storybook feel to a combo. But it also has to do with a) if it has any bad associations, and b) how name-like it sounds? Rosefich is totally non-established but sounds name-like, and birds are usually a positive association, so to me it works, whereas something like Jellyfish would be a no. Because the “fish” element sounds strange in a baby name and the association with jellyfish is mostly negative. I usually ask myself: as someone who used to be a shy teenager, would I have felt confident saying that name out loud, or embarrassed?
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So, my view of this trend is overall positive, but I do think there are situations where it’d be too outlandish for me!
I generally lean away from them, but there are a few I love! [name_f][/name_f] (Cyrus Lionheart [name_m]John[/name_m], for example, I adore!). Several years ago they were EVERYWHERE on here, which felt a bit OTT for me, but if done well, I think they’re really lovely. [name_f][/name_f] Lionheart, for example, would be for my nephew—I called him my little lionheart after he was born [name_f][/name_f]. There are a few others that I can’t tell if they’re in this category or just unusual names (like [name_f]Camellia[/name_f], [name_f]Wisteria[/name_f], [name_m]Rigel[/name_m], [name_m]Orion[/name_m], etc.). [name_f][/name_f] I am not opposed to [name_f]Wildflower[/name_f] or [name_f]Sunshine[/name_f] for girls, too.
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I know there was a berry who had [name_f]Sabina[/name_f] [name_f]Mayflower[/name_f], [name_m]Peter[/name_m] [name_f]Nightingale[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f], and [name_m]Bruno[/name_m] Hummingbird—I think they’re lovely, but I could never, myself. [name_f][/name_f] Lionheart is probably as brave as I’d get, and I’m not sure I’d go for it if it didn’t honor my nephew.
I guess my children’s names are… brave in general, but some of their middle names could definitely be considered outlandish. [name_m]Pythagoras[/name_m] is probably the most outlandish of them all
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I believe that for middle names, basically anything goes (with a few exceptions of course). It can add so much to a name: meaning, punch, a little sparkle… It feels like a little hidden, almost secret gift to your child. Not everyone knows their middle name(s), but they can share it with other people if they like. It adds a little extra love to their names.
I like the idea of a bold, outlandish middle [name_f][/name_f]- especially with a more grounded first. I think it provides a kind of ‘secret’, exciting name to be revealed, and allows you to use something super rare that you might worry about using in the first spot.
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For what it’s worth, I have encountered people with these wilder middles [name_f][/name_f]- especially through work, where I often get to see student’s middle names. Some I’ve seen include: [name_f]Ivory[/name_f], [name_f]Sunshine[/name_f], [name_m]Forest[/name_m] (g), Heartland, [name_f]Bali[/name_f], [name_m]Mars[/name_m], [name_m]Wise[/name_m], [name_f]Etoile[/name_f], [name_m]Solaire[/name_m], [name_m]Bravery[/name_m], [name_f][/name_f] Herkules (g)
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But I guess they’re not quite [name_f]Wildflower[/name_f] or Luminescence
Could not have put my thoughts to text any better than this! Middle names aren’t used often at all where I’m at, so I would be fine to run wild with middle names without worrying about it impacting my child’s life very much.
I like the idea of bold and fun middle names, of course as long as they are not offensive. I generally think the middle spot is allowed for this as nowadays in most cases, middle names are rarely used.
Replying because everyone made such unique and interesting points…
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@readingreverie[name_f][/name_f] I’ve noticed the same, I feel like people tend to swing fully one way or the other (with classic vs brave). As for your second list, I think Forget-Me-Not may[name_f][/name_f] be pushing it a bit [name_f][/name_f] But your ideas really are so fun and I’d be pretty stoked to see them in usage.
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@love.endures[name_f][/name_f] Your son’s middle name is incredible! I’m not surprised you’ve got some mixed comments, but you’re right that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. How did you come to choose it? [name_f][/name_f] And I quite like [name_f]Christmas[/name_f] too, it’s a striking choice!
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@tallemaja[name_f][/name_f] I do love your historic combos! You make a good point with associations, and I hadn’t thought of that at all. It’s interesting how one letter can change the entire appeal of a name (e.g. Rosefich → Rosefish would be questionable!)
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@ashthedreamer[name_f][/name_f] I love Lionheart, it’s always been such a GP of mine, I don’t know if I’d ever be brave enough to actually use it, but I do admire it. You’re right that these sorts of names used to be everywhere on here; I feel like it came shortly after the trend of “Wren” being the recommended middle name for every combo, so quite a jump!
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@Rosebeth[name_f][/name_f] I remember when you picked [name_m]Pythagoras[/name_m], I loved it from day 1 but I can see how it might catch some people off guard haha. Does he have any opinions of it yet? It really does add such a sparkle.
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@Greyblue[name_f][/name_f] What a cool list of student middle names! [name_f]Ivory[/name_f] is actually my goddaughter’s first name so it’s fun to see it on your striking list. [name_f][/name_f] Herkules is really intriguing, I wonder how that one is pronounced? Is it pronounced like [name_m]Hercules[/name_m] in the mythological sense?
I totally misspelled Rosefinch as Rosefich there [name_f][/name_f] But I think the point still stands, some very similar sounds can have entirely different vibes and usability levels imo!
Personally I use middle names as an opportunity to honour loved ones when coming up with genuine combinations to bestow onto a child so with my daughter I chose names that honoured family. However this is a tradition within my family and what my personal preference would be. Still I think the middle name slot is an opportunity for my parents to be creative if they want to be and I love these word names. I think some are a little outlandish for real life for example [name_f]Snapdragon[/name_f] I wouldn’t personally use but middle names like [name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f], [name_f]Bluebell[/name_f] or [name_f]Meadowlark[/name_f] are gorgeous with a melodic sound so I would totally embrace them if paired with the right first name.
[name_f]My[/name_f] take is a bit different because in my culture we call our children by their religious names, which are a different language altogether. That’s considered their ‘real name’; their legal name is purely meant for legal purposes, and much less (if any) deep significance is really given to their legal names, it really can be whatever we want.
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I’d never mess with their religious names [name_f][/name_f]- those are sacred and come with a lot of significance and weight. Their meanings, origins, virtues and [name_f][/name_f] namesakes etc. are reflected in those, and they aren’t to be messed with.
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That being said, I think ‘outlandish’ legal middles are pretty cool, as long as they’re not ridiculous, as too long and ridiculous just isn’t my personal taste. To me ‘different’ could be really cool [name_f][/name_f]- and we can risk a ‘guilty pleasure’ legal middle, or even first, since it’s not being used regularly anyway.
@kasatka[name_f][/name_f] ooh, that’s cool that [name_f]Ivory[/name_f] is your goddaughter’s name! It’s rarely heard where I am, and I think it stood out especially as her first name is very popular and classic? [name_f][/name_f]I think Herkules might be like hehr-koo-lehs or heh-koo-lehs [name_f][/name_f]- if i’m remembering rightly, her surname seemed [name_m]German[/name_m] [name_f][/name_f]- while her first name was very international/popular [name_f][/name_f]- think [name_f]Emilia[/name_f], [name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Sophie[/name_f]
I generally really like them. I used to lean totally in the camp that I wanted very outlandish middle names for my kids, now I’ve gone a touch more boring, but I think I could go back to outlandish names !!
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Some I could see using are [name_f]Selkie[/name_f], [name_f]Zenaida[/name_f], [name_f]Vesper[/name_f], Nocturne, [name_f]Solstice[/name_f] for girls and [name_m]Mariner[/name_m], [name_m]Finch[/name_m], [name_m]Oleander[/name_m], [name_m]Altair[/name_m], [name_m]Cosmos[/name_m] for boys.
L. will be 5 next month. He doesn’t really have an opinion on names yet, but we have talked about their middle names. To him, the fact his middle name is [name_m]Pythagoras[/name_m] because his dad loves maths is just more proof that his dad is “really smart”, as he always says
Oh, thank you! There were a lot of reasons we ultimately went with N i g t i n g a l e [name_f][/name_f] We loved its nature ties & melodic quality. It’s meaning “night singer” paired well with his 1st
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S o l o m o n
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(who wrote many poetic scriptures in the Bible). It’s also a subtle honor name for myself, as the last portion of his middle name is also my middle name
I personally love using wild middle names to balance a.more traditional full name and give a child more flexibility to choose their identity as they grow. I’ve known so many people who love or have actively chosen a highly unique name for themself. My wife also works in admin, and a distinctive name can be practically helpful. James Balthazar Williams is less likely to get mistaken for another person than James Daniel Williams.
But for me it’s about balance.
Sylvie Wildrose, Odette Lullaby, and Finnick Hyacinth could all go by their middle names if they chose or keep them to themselves if they felt too bold.
One the other hand, Sereia Violet, Annegret Emily, and Evening Anna all have middles that I love but are deeply popular and their unusual firsts ensure they won’t be one of three in their class.
Overall, I’m more likely to go truly unusual in the middle. Middle names are great because they’re so secret and rarely used. It’s a great opportunity to give your children a gift that they almost never have to share and as a result I think most things go.
[name_f]My[/name_f] family has a legacy of brave middle names so I definitely plan on continuing that, to some degree. But I think, for me, the name has to mean something to me rather than just a name that I think sounds cool (i.e. I would use [name_m]Wise[/name_m] as a middle or even a first name because it is related to the meaning of my grandmother’s and niece’s names but I wouldn’t use [name_m]Galaxy[/name_m] even though I think it sounds really cool because it doesn’t honor anyone and doesn’t mean enough to me for me to consider using it)
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Some “outlandish” names I would use: [name_f][/name_f]Baleen (Alice Baleen nn Alba) [name_f][/name_f][name_f]Lupine[/name_f] (Linnea Lupine) [name_f][/name_f][name_m]Mako[/name_m] (I would use the Japanese pronunciation of MAH ko rather than in reference to the western pronunciation of the shark MAY ko because [name_m]Mako[/name_m] in Japanese can mean sincerity depending on the kanji but I also love the shark connection [name_f][/name_f]- [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] [name_f]Lupine[/name_f] Mako) [name_f][/name_f][name_f]Selkie[/name_f] (Juniper Selkie) [name_f][/name_f][name_f]Valkyrie[/name_f] (Kendra Valkyrie) [name_f][/name_f]Folk (Jethro Folk)
[name_f][/name_f] I think a wacky middle is just so[name_f][/name_f] stinking cool. But I’d probably only say that if said middle is paired with a more classic or widely expected name. And then there are some that I worry are still a bit unusable as a middle (Wildsprout, Ribbon, Forget-Me-Not, Halloween 
).
[name_f][/name_f]. There are a few others that I can’t tell if they’re in this category or just unusual names (like [name_f]Camellia[/name_f], [name_f]Wisteria[/name_f], [name_m]Rigel[/name_m], [name_m]Orion[/name_m], etc.). [name_f][/name_f] I am not opposed to [name_f]Wildflower[/name_f] or [name_f]Sunshine[/name_f] for girls, too.
