Anonymous wrote:
Americans are so ridiculous. Of course it’s fine. Anyone who bats an eye at this has been living under a rock for the past 50 years.

+1

My kids all have 2 middle names. They use the first initial of the second name for the MI on forms

I have 4 names (first, middle, maiden last name, and married last name) and so do both my kids (first, middle, my maiden name, my husband’s/the family’s last name).

It is not an issue. Passport and of course birth certificate list all 4 names. My drivers license only has 3 (first, maiden, last) but I think it varies by state for drivers licenses. If there is only space on a form for one middle, I use my maiden and my kids use their first middle. If asked for initials, we typically use their first middle initial only. But it really has never been complicated or difficult or annoying at all. I like that my kids have my maiden name as part of their official name even if they hardly ever use it.

Americans are so ridiculous. Of course it’s fine. Anyone who bats an eye at this has been living under a rock for the past 50 years.

agree about mashing together names. also OP is this the only kid you are going to have? Don't use up all your names!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I should add that the first middle name is a cultural birth name and the second is the same name all our kids have (my last name because I never took DH’s). It has been recommended to keep the birth name in some form (DH doesn’t care about using it) and since we’re not using it as the first name, 4 names is the only option I see.

Name #1 is “birth” name but don’t plan on calling the kid by that name? I assume it’s your dh’s first name, but he doesn’t care.

Name #2 is your maiden/surname name name shared by all your kids.

Name #3 is what you actually want to call your kid?

Name #4 is your dh and rest of kids surname.



Drop name #1 and name your kid what you want to call him.

No it would be:
1. New given name
2. Birth name
3. My last name
4. Last name

DP. We did something like this. It's been fine. Years later (kids are teens now) I am glad we did it. Kids like having it and use all four initials. I am surprised how much I like having the name connection and not having my identity erased from their names. I feel more strongly about it now than I did when they were born (it was DH who encouraged me, and I am glad).

One thing I did do was have the middle two names be something that could be shortened to an initial nickname. So pretend my maiden name was Thompson, we did something like: Andrew John Thompson Smith. Kid shortens the middle two to Andrew J.T. Smith when he wants. He sometimes uses J.T. as an alternative name.

Anyhow, it has been great, I am glad we did it, and my kids seem to like it so far.

My second middle name gets dropped a lot (sometimes entirely, sometimes just to an initial) as most forms only have room for 1. so my birth certificate does not match all my other legal documents (DL, passport, etc). I’m a fed and so far having all these aliases has not been a problem with obtaining background checks, clearances, etc so it’s not really been THAT big a deal.
It also gets dropped if I’m writing my formal signature because putting the two initials just sounds too pretentious to me.
But at the end of the day I’m still glad it’s legally a part of my name because it was my parents way of passing down my moms last name.

Sorry, this is for an adopted kid? I would keep the birth name.

I think it's needlessly complicated. If you have a very good reason for it -- like, it's your only child and you really want to honor multiple relatives -- then ok. But otherwise, just because you like two middle names? Nah.

Anonymous wrote:My child has 3 middle names. We only use all 3 middle names when her "full legal name" is needed on an official form. Otherwise we just use first name, first middle name, last name.

For middle initial, which one do you choose?

My child has 3 middle names. We only use all 3 middle names when her "full legal name" is needed on an official form. Otherwise we just use first name, first middle name, last name.

Anonymous wrote:I have four names (two middle names) and I never use my second middle name.

I gave my son four names, two of them middle names. It is the naming tradition in my husband’s culture. I fill out the whole thing when there is space. His passport, for example. But I just use an initial of the first middle name when there’s only room for that.

It’s really not a problem.

Not a big deal at all.

My uncle has 9 first names, and then a multipart family name. Now that takes some time to get across to my home country’s gov employees!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I should add that the first middle name is a cultural birth name and the second is the same name all our kids have (my last name because I never took DH’s). It has been recommended to keep the birth name in some form (DH doesn’t care about using it) and since we’re not using it as the first name, 4 names is the only option I see.

Name #1 is “birth” name but don’t plan on calling the kid by that name? I assume it’s your dh’s first name, but he doesn’t care.

Name #2 is your maiden/surname name name shared by all your kids.

Name #3 is what you actually want to call your kid?

Name #4 is your dh and rest of kids surname.



Drop name #1 and name your kid what you want to call him.

Sounds like this child is adopted so was born with a name they want to keep. I’d do 4, OP. I have 4. It’s not a problem. Sometimes I have to drop my first middle of it doesn’t fit but it usually does.

+1

You have an actual reason to use 4 names.

Most places where you have to give middle names will ignore the "second" middle name and only put down the "first" middle name.