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Middle names

(106 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?

Calendargirl Wed 09-Jun-21 06:53:54

I only ever had one name, so did my husband. He came from a large family of 9, some had two names, some one, which seemed odd to me as I would have done the same for all of them.

Our two children have two names, as do all the GC.

Double barrelled surnames used to suggest you were ‘posh’.

No longer the case.

Katie59 Wed 09-Jun-21 07:02:48

Two forenames are most usual but you can have as many as you want I’m really surprised that sometimes the name used bears little connection to the birth names.
I had a Aunt Peggy, it was the only name ever used, her forenames were Margaret Lysbeth .

ginny Wed 09-Jun-21 07:10:31

Two forenames for most of our family. My Mum had three.

Grandma70s Wed 09-Jun-21 07:13:01

My grandchildren have three forenames each. I have two, my brother only has one, as did my father. I think it’s good to have a choice, just in case you happen to dislike one of the names.

One thing I find irritating is that I am known by the second of my two forenames, but of course officialdom uses the first one. I answer to both.

Shelflife Wed 09-Jun-21 07:14:07

I have two forenames, my parents had one. DH has three as do our children and grandchildren.

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.

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.

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.
?

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

All my family have two including Grandchildren.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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!

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.