Middle name - anyone else considering not giving a middle name?

[Anonymous]

I do not have a middle name and never really felt the need for one. When I got married, I changed my last name and chose to continue not having a middle name. Now, I'm trying to decide if I really want to give my DD a middle name. My husband and I had a hard enough time coming up with a first name. Anyone else thinking of not having a middle name for their child?

[Anonymous]

I was the same way--never had a middle name growing up. But when I got married, I chose to keep my maiden name as my middle name.

We did, however, choose to give middle names to our children. Their middle names all come from my side of the family.

[Anonymous]

I was in similar boat - no middle name because I have a long first name, and I kept my maiden name as my middle name upon marriage. But I have been asked 25,000 times "you don't have a middle name??" I was the only person I knew without one. It's not a big deal in the scheme of things, but I definitely will give my children a middle name. Just seems more fun that way -- another unique identifier.

[Anonymous]

mine both have 2 middle names...I get asked all the time...why so many names?

[Anonymous]

I changed my name when I got married and am planning on giving my baby my maiden name as middle name.

[Anonymous]

My husband is from a culture where they do not have middle names. He has two sisters - and all three of them HATED not having middle names. Throughout their lives, people would ask - what's your middle name...and they didn't like that they didn't have one. As soon as his sisters found out I was pregnant they asked me to please make sure the baby had a middle name. I know everyone is different - but just thought I'd share another point of view. Also, as far as marriage - if you have a girl, she can always drop her given middle name and make her last name her middle name - I had three friends do it.

[Anonymous]

Since names are sometimes seen as a gift from parent to child, I think that not giving a middle name may seem to some a bit "cheap"--like the parents are being frugal with names!--and maybe even uncaring. (Obviously, that wouldn't be the case in a culture where two names was the norm...)

What about your names (first or maiden). Or a beloved parent's or grandparent's name? In my opinion, that's a lovely way of connecting the baby to past generations and saying, "you belong to this family"!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband is from a culture where they do not have middle names. He has two sisters - and all three of them HATED not having middle names. Throughout their lives, people would ask - what's your middle name...and they didn't like that they didn't have one. As soon as his sisters found out I was pregnant they asked me to please make sure the baby had a middle name. I know everyone is different - but just thought I'd share another point of view. Also, as far as marriage - if you have a girl, she can always drop her given middle name and make her last name her middle name - I had three friends do it.

I am also from a culture where middle names are not given. I too hated, and there was a period where I made up a series of middle names. Now legally, like Op, I am First Name Maiden Name Husband's Last Name.

I gave my daughter a middle name.

[Anonymous]

I have no middle name. Nor does my brother, my dad, or any of my grandparents (my mom does - but she never uses it).

It doesn't bother me, or anyone else in my family. I never really think about it.

What I hate HATE HATE is having a name that people misspell.

[Anonymous]

We gave our DD a middle name because it flowed better when saying the name (sorta needed that extra syllabel). It became part of her first name - like a Mary Anne type name.

[Anonymous]

We considered not giving middle names, but figured there's a chance our kids might hate their first names when they're older. A middle name provides another option.

[Anonymous]

I never had one and hated it- I used to pretend mine was "marie"

[Anonymous]

Funny how everyone sees things differently. I never had a middle name and loved it. I like simplicity and find it easier to not have an extraneous name that never gets used anyway. I have always liked how I only have two names to sign on legal documents and important paperwork. It never crossed my mind to resent my parents for not giving me extra baggage.

[Anonymous]

I'm also from a culture where we don't have middle names, but I have two last names (one is a family name and one is a place). I never missed having a middle name, and neither did my brother or any of my other relatives. My husband is American and has a middle name and a confirmation name. We've decided to give our child my husband's last name, a first name from my culture, and no middle name. It never occured to me that someone would resent not having a middle name!

[Anonymous]

I didn't change my name when I got married and we decided to give each child my maiden name as their middle name.