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Middle names

(107 Posts)
watermeadow Wed 09-Jun-21 06:49:19

There seems to be an assumption now that children are given two forenames. I read lots of references to “the second name”.
I know that two has been the commonest number for many years. Many people now also have double-barrelled surnames.
It used to be mostly the aristocracy who had several names, though my mother and her sisters (very humble) had three each.
My brothers had one each and so do two of my children. I thought it a bit special as it was less usual and their single names were quite long.
Have all your grandchildren, like mine, got two names?

Nannagarra Wed 09-Jun-21 17:11:03

My parents and DH’s parents had one name. My second name was my grandmother’s first name. Likewise our sons’ middle names nod to previous generations. DH has always wanted a second name...for fun, I sometimes give him one!
I recall years ago a gentle neighbour of whom I was extremely fond considering a newborn’s proposed name. She privately questioned the wisdom of the initial letters for David Edward Andrew Davies.

Westcoaster Wed 09-Jun-21 10:58:33

I have 2 names and am known by my middle name as are my siblings. We got the family names first, then our own. Actually quite annoying as I can't just drop the first name as I could had it been in the middle.
DGC both have their own name plus a family one but it the "correct" order.

MiniMoon Wed 09-Jun-21 10:24:49

I have two forenames but my younger sisters have one. I was given two because an aunt of my father died the year I was born, and my grandfather asked that I should be given her name. Therefore I was named for my great aunt and also had the name my parents chose.
I gave both my children two names. All my grandchildren have two forenames too.

anna7 Wed 09-Jun-21 10:02:21

I have two forenames and I wish I didn't. I was known my my middle name by my family and by my first name at school, work etc. Mainly because when I started school at five the teachers insisted on calling me by my first name although they had been advised by my mum that I was known by my middle name. I was too shy at that age to correct them so it stuck. It's a pain in the neck to be honest. I detest my first name. It was just too much hassle to change it . Even my husband calls me by my first name because I met him when I was still at school. My mum, sister and brother use my middle name. My niece and nephew don't know what to call meconfused

henetha Wed 09-Jun-21 09:45:16

It's useful to have a second name for purposes of identification.
I've got two names and much prefer the second one to the first one.

threexnanny Wed 09-Jun-21 09:29:19

OH and I have two each and we gave our children two names. GC also have two names each. Having researched the family tree for several generations most seem to have been given two names which is helpful for research purposes as some names get handed on from generation to generation. None one in our family came from the aristocracy.
I thought three names was more often a Catholic tradition and would include a saints name?

Ladyleftfieldlover Wed 09-Jun-21 09:14:25

OH and I have one Christian name each - my brother and sister have two. My children have three each and my granddaughter has three. My father had two names and mum just one.

Froglady Wed 09-Jun-21 09:08:48

Both my parents only had 1 name. My mum was an only child but my father had two brothers who both had 2 names - my father was a twin and his twin died, I think, at birth.

jusnoneed Wed 09-Jun-21 09:07:35

I have two, as does my OH. Neither of my children do, they both have short names which cannot be made any shorter (although some people do assume one really has a longer name and call him that - until told no). Never saw the point of middle names, just an annoyance when filling in forms.

Lin52 Wed 09-Jun-21 09:03:31

Born in the 40s was given three first names, after my great aunt, my mum, and both Grandmas. Remember at school we had to add all the letters of our names together, with my surname, had the most.

JackyB Wed 09-Jun-21 09:03:28

We all have 2. My father was raised a Catholic and took on a third name at his First Communion. I remember that was still the custom when I was at a Catholic Primary school.

Two of our DS were given their main name as their second name, as DH thought it scanned better. They have cursed us for this ever since.

dragonfly46 Wed 09-Jun-21 08:55:33

My DS, however, has 3 names as I thought they had a nice ring to them and his first name is only three letters ( I don’t like giving long names then shortening them).

dragonfly46 Wed 09-Jun-21 08:52:32

I have two and wish I didn’t.
I love my first name and hate my second!

Marydoll Wed 09-Jun-21 08:48:28

I have two names, they make me sound like a nun! ?

baubles Wed 09-Jun-21 08:46:23

I have two but have always been known by the second one.

I was told as a child that my names were A then B but it was only when I saw my baptismal certificate that I discovered it was actually B then A. There were no names at all on my birth certificate, my mother had them added for my 50th birthday.

LullyDully Wed 09-Jun-21 08:28:44

Just is many of us have Anne as a middle name.

Anniebach Wed 09-Jun-21 07:52:45

I have three first names , my three sisters have two, my brother
has three, he and I have family names.

My two daughters have three first names, my grandchildren have two

nanna8 Wed 09-Jun-21 07:49:15

We all have 2 , our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. A few old aunties preferred their middle names and used them rather than their first names.

Greyduster Wed 09-Jun-21 07:44:36

I only have one first name; of my three siblings, only one had a first and middle name, and she wasn’t known by either of them!
My son has three first names and my daughter two, and her son, my GS has two.

Charleygirl5 Wed 09-Jun-21 07:36:46

My second name is my grandmother's maiden name. I am not sure if that was a Scottish custom when I was born. My parents had one name each.

Shelflife Wed 09-Jun-21 07:33:53

My first name is not a family name , my parents simply liked it. I am happy to have a second name although didn't like it when I was a child. Thought it very old fashioned,- has become quite popular now!! My second name is after my lovely auntie, and I now appreciate being named after such a generous hearted lady.

tanith Wed 09-Jun-21 07:31:38

All my family have two including Grandchildren.

Urmstongran Wed 09-Jun-21 07:20:17

I have one. Himself has one. Our daughters have one each. Our grandchildren have one each. Two seems superfluous to me and I don’t see the point to be honest.
?

NotSpaghetti Wed 09-Jun-21 07:19:22

We gave our children two first names so they could choose easily which they preferred without actually changing their name.
I know several people who use their second name as their first.

Lexisgranny Wed 09-Jun-21 07:17:29

I think all the girls in my class at school had two names and Ann or Anne was by far the favourite for the second name, then came Jane.

Most of my family on the paternal side had two surnames marking the marriage of two great (x?) grandparents in the 1700s, no idea why, or why the custom faded out, however the actual surname used was that of the father, and the other became a third Christian name. (Hope that makes sense!).

I have noticed that double barrelled surnames no longer seem to be hyphenated and often indicate that the parents have not married - I am not being disapproving, I believe that people should be able to make their own choices.