Middle names

I have only one name which I never liked. As a reaction to this, I have given my children three first names so that they have a choice. None have so far changed their first name but I have several friends who did just that when they were younger and they use their second name rather than their first.

I have two first names as do both my children. two of my six grandchildren have two names-1 to carry a family name on. One also has a hyphenated first name. All are shortish names.

I've been doing a lot of family history lately and it really helps if people have a middle name, particularly if their surname is "Smith" or "Jones". Think of your descendants!!

Our granddaughters each have three forenames. The second ones are names from both sides of the family. I was particularly touched that they gave the elder one my mum's name as her second name. My husband and I, children of the 50s. each only have one name. I longed for a middle name and invented one when I was at primary school. When my mum saw it on my savings certificate book she got it taken off. We gave our son a middle name from my family but wish we'd given him a third.

Both my children have two names . Double barrel surnames have become more popular for children today because there parents are not married . So most unmarried parents decide to give there children both surnames . No arguments who's last name is going on the birth certificate .

I once went to a christening where 6 baby girls and one boy were being baptised. The first five girls all had Louise as their second name, and the sixth was Louise with nothing else! One could hear the muffled chuckles by the time the vicar got to number 4.

I only have one first name. I tell people there was name rationing after the war. Oh and that every fourth boy had to be called John and every fourth girl Susan.

I’ve got 3 forenames and often wondered why as both my sisters had 2.

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Most of the children I taught for the last two decades only had one given name.

Their parents' generation usually had one given name, but commonly had both their parents' surnames, with or without a hyphen.

My generation usually had two given names, and so did most in my parents' age-group, although my mother was christened Alice Catherine Elisabeth! In both my and my parents' generation some children did have their mother's maiden name as a middle name though.

I got my middle name from my mum’s middle name. My granddaughters both have middle names and only one as mine. My now ex daughter inlaw asked me if I minded her using it. She asked me and her mum at same time as we both had same middle name. She said she wouldn’t have done for just one of us. But wanted granddaughter to know she is carrying on her nans name. She is 10 now and thinks it is great to have our name.

No GC here but I understand that everyone in our family from my grandparents onwards has/had a fist name and one middle name with the exception of my eldest son who I gave 2 middle names.

I know a first born given a first name of peter and when another son came a year later he was named peter aswell....so first born was called by his second name quite unaware he was Peter. Indeed he married under his second name and it wasn't till hge applied for a birth certificate prior to going in the Navy that he discovered his real name. he was quite upset by this as his brother has his real name. hope that makes sense

My parents & siblings, who were born in the 1920s & 1930s, all just had the one name, but all their children had two names. My 2nd name was my grandmother's name and my sis got the other grans as hers. There were four of us and my dad made up a rhyme for each of us using both our names. Still know all the words today.

Four of my grandchildren have two names and two have three. My girls have three as I included my maiden name. My son has four

My girls have 2 names, my grandson has 3, one is a family name all the males in his family have, from his dad

Only 1 name for me and my siblings but on a slightly different note I have noticed in the last year that several US friends have suddenly become double barrelled using maiden surname as well as married one. All fashion I suppose.

OH and I both have two forenames. Our three daughters have three, the last being my mother's surname. The youngest married a double-barrelled husband, so dropped the third forename and my husband's surname. I wrote a book about names, published in the 1980s and long out of print. It's a fascinating subject.

It is practical to have 2 initials in a name, especially if siblings or parents have the same first initial. Many years ago my GP said please don't name your third baby with same initial as 3 others in the family. I realised how right he was when I took my 3-year old daughter to surgery and GP looked puzzled as he had a huge pack of my medical notes for my child aged 3. Obviously, he was given the wrong notes! ps. I did give 3rd baby a different name!

I have 2 forenames as does DH. We chose 2 each for our children, with DS having a family name as his second name. His elder son now has this as his middle name whilst the younger son has his mother's maiden name, Stanley, as his middle name.

I gave my children three each.

I only have 1 forename and have always felt jealous of those with two ?.
My granddaughter gave me a second name because I was the odd one out ....so I got the second name Rosie at 60!
My grandson has 2 forenames and a hyphenated surname. So I suppose my 1 name and 1 surname is easier to write on forms compared to how he'll be. So at least my boring name makes it easier for me ?

In my family both sides its traditional to have two or more middle names my three children and 6 grandchildren all have two or three middle names

I don’t have a middle name and as a child I was always pleased that I didn’t, as most of my friends didn’t like theirs.
As an adult whose hobby is genealogy, I wish more people had middle names as it would make it much easier to distinguish one Jones or Smith from another.

I have two names and I can remember one of my oldest fiends felt left out in primary school because she only had one, so she gave herself a second name!
No idea if she has ever made it legal by deed poll or anything.