Middle names - is it OTT to have more than one?

Both my sisters have 2 middle names although the rest of us only have 1. Certainly isnt something pretentious in my family. If you want more than one middle name I don't see why you shouldn't. If the kid doesnt like it they can always change their name to annoy you later in life ?

Personally I do think it's a bit OTT however if we had had a boy would probably have ended up with 3 names as H wasn't giving in on what he wanted for a middle name and I didn't like it so wanted a different one.

I do think though that if you give one child 2 middle names then all children should have 2 but I have no logic or rationale for that.

Most people have 2+ middle names, don't they? I don't think it's pretentious at all and wouldn't give it a second thought.

I think it depends on the names in question - if the names are quite a mouthful like Florentina Jocasta Hermoine then perhaps no as it could be erring on the pretentious side; however something a bit more restrained for the second names then yes. FWIW I think you have good taste in nameage anyway so I wouldn't worry too much ?

I think it's a bit OTT to be honest. I think the only time it's okay is when there are family members who simply must be placated by having their names used. My parents both have 3 names, of which 2 are family names. If that's not the case I'm afraid I'd just bite the bullet and choose one.

Pleeeeeease PM me and tell me what your names are? I have a guess at what the girl's name is!

Interesting.

meant to say - first child has only one middle name.

this is probably all v academic as I can't see MrB letting me choose more than one middle name anyway ? He would certainly say it was OTT. Out of about 25 choices I put before him, he liked about 3 (and none of them were my favourites ?)

One, two, I don't think it makes any difference in the scheme of things. Not worth agonising over, just do what you want

L
xx

If I have a child, I know I'm likely to only ever have one and thought I could give them all my favourite names.

Murray Fergus Blair Angus Charles Magic or Elspeth Isobel Shona Flora Martha Sadie Catherine Jane Magic anyone? ?

Seriously though, I quite like two middle names and don't think it's too much. I would like to use both my late grandmother and sister's name as a middle name for a girl, which would be Catherine Jane and think it sounds ok. I'd say life is too short to worry about it, go for it.

I picked two names as my confirmation name which was Isabella Clare and went through a phase of calling myself Firstname Winifred Isabella Clare Magic. ?

It depends on the names as to whether they are pretentious I would think. Something like Sarah Lousie Jane isn't pretentious at all. I just think it's more likely that one of them would become redundant at some point. There's often not space on form etc for two middle names.

I don't think it's necessarily pretentious, but it really does depend on the names chosen, and how they scan. I double-barelled my name when I got married which I know some people think is pretentious, but it has turned it into a better scanning name than either my maiden name or my husband's name on their own.

I do think though that long or 'flowery' first names sometimes need to be balanced out with a more plain middle name, but I would have no problems having two of them.

D

Nope - not pretentious. Both Camperkid and Camperbub have two middle names. Camperkid is named after both grandfathers and I wanted a particular name. Camperbub has her second middle name as it is a play on words and in memory of her Dad.....

Sophs - I would probs be using one of the two as a family name tbh.

oooh I'm really tempted to mail you. but am a bit scared. ? what if you hate the names? ? I suspect you probs know the girl one too.

The former Madam ONE had three.....

I don't think it's pretentious and would give my child 2 middle names - I think it's a good solution if you are having trouble deciding between names.

I should mention that I've not got a middle name (sadly) so maybe I'd be wanting to make up for that

WSS. It has never occurred to me to be pretentious, and if I encounter a person with multiple middles, I assume simply that either 1. the parents had a variety of names which they were keen to give to their child or 2. the child had one middle name at birth and acquired another as a confirmation name. I also think it gives child good scope for choosing which name to prefer as it gets older.

To be honest it really doesn't bother me either way. However, I would have liked at least 1 middle name as the rest of my 6 siblings all have middle names and I don't. I did, however, decide at the age of 13/14 that my middle name was going to be Sigourney, ss in Sigourney Weaver. I used it on my boots advantage card too ?

I have 2, but then most people in Belgium have 2 middle names. It's tradition there for the middle names to be the names (or variations) of the godparents.

So, no, I don't think it's a bit much.

Ah yes I meant to mention about confirmation names too. H has ended up with two middle names this way and it's fairly normal practice for catholics round here at least, and not in the least bit pretentious.

I don't really get middle names anyway - do they have a useful purpose? [genuine question icon]

Although I do always feel a bit sorry in a snobbish way? for people that don't have a middle name at all. It's quite common amongst the poshers to have the third middle name as a family name (surname) though isn't it, which I don't think is pretentious. Hmm... [ponders]

I just have one but H has two, one of them being a family name (used as a middle name for all eldest boys in the family - I think that's a nice tradition). If we ever have a son we will give him this middle name and one of his "own" as well.

I don't think there's anything OTT about it even if it's not a family name, though. I think once you start imitating the Royals with five or six it might be a bit much, but two is hardly unusual.

Thanks Flump. When I was a lot younger I hated he fact that I don't have a middle name. Woe is me, just Ruth. I did think that Ruth Sigourney sounded nice ?

I usually think middle names are a great way to incorporate family history if possible. For example, MrCrookshanks has three, two from both Grandfathers and the last is an old family surname, which I think is rather nice. I have just the one but it is family-related.

Nah I don't think they do have a purpose really. In our case, we chose a name we really liked and might have used as a first name but it was a bit too popular for me. I really wanted to use a shortening of the middle name as a pet name but it didn't ever stick.

I'm not sure we'll do the same this time, I think it's more likely that we'll pick names that are only ever going to be middle names. Although there's one I like in particular which would give rise to a cute nickname, but I think I might steer away from that purely because it didn't work out last time.

Although Flumpster, in your sister's case, she ended up using her middle name as a first didn't she? (or am I getting muddled up?)

I wish I could. Am off for more acupuncture this pm. am so fecking miserable ?

The point of a middle name is so that when you marry someone with an awkward to spell surname, and you want to launch your business, you can name it crantockmiddlenamephotography.com instead of crantockuglyawkwardsurnamephotography.com. At least, that's my understanding.

However, as I have two common names I can't even use crantockmiddlename as a crap photographer has stolen the .co.uk domain and I don't want people thinking I'm her. Boo!

Oh, and MrsB, use as many as you want (or as many as MrB allows ?) - BabyB will either use them in later life, or hide them. I think 3 initials looks fab, R's an RJG Hxxxxxx and it's so much nicer than just RJ (He decided to add his 2nd middle name, in tribute to his grandad after he died)

Pleeeeease email me, MrsB. Pretty, pretty please? Foxy did and I never breathed a word, and even if I wanted to steal it I wouldn't have time ?

Me too - Kate, just Kate ? When I was about 10 I decided that my middle name should be Natasha for some unknown reason....

It doesn't bother me now though - no one in my family has a middle name which is a tradition in itself I suppose!

(it wasn't me you thought you had offended was it? if so worry not, you didn't ?)

The girls do, but mostly for religious reasons. I wanted to give them both a pagan name but didn't want to make it too obvious and wanted to give the option of pretending it doesn't exist if they so choose.

I don't think it's pretentious, in fact I don't really get the pretention aspect at all these days. My middle name is my given name, not my choice my Dad wanted me to have the same initials as him, but they preferred my middle name to my first. Over the years I have lost count of the people who have asked me why I don't use my "real name" - er it is real, it's on my birth certificate!

My mum has two middle names, one is a family surname and I recall my nana being upset that it will die out with her as neither my sister nor I have it in our names (although after one or two Bombay Sapphires my nana was always dropping it as an earworm in case of my sister or myself multiplying in the future!)

SB has only one middle name but as his Christmas present to his grandmother is considering adding her family surname as a middle name, so instead of A J L he will be A J D L. Unfortunately the 'D' doesn't stand for danger, much to my chagrin!

I say go for it if that's what you'd like to do, why not?

Puss no lovely, it wasn't you. although I did feel bad when I remembered yours had 3 names. thing is with you it didn't occur to me, because they were religious names

now I'm feeling bad I'm even considering, because Tabitha will feel all hard done by. I should have given her a third name - Megan - after my beloved grannie but it just didn't feel right at the time. weird.

sophs, will mail ya.

I have one middle name and my brother who is two years younger than me has 3 middle names. If you feel as though you want more than one middle name then go ahead and do it.