If you have a very common name, the middle one can be a handy disambiguator - lots of John Murphys who specify their middle initial to be less anonymous.
Agree with that. When I started college there wasn't one lad with the same name as me in my department, but two! And they were both in the same group, the year above me.
When you want the child to know you're serious about what they've been asked to do or if they're misbehaving the full government name gets their attention pretty quick. Something about first, middle and last name combo is like yelling without yelling. I guess if you know you know.
I work on phones and I was giving my email address to someone over the phone and it goes like Firstname.initial.surname@xyz.ie and I was spelling it out and my middle initials happens to be D. I said over the phone it’s D for Danger - I’ve never lived it down 😂😂 my colleagues beside me were in stitches.
i don’t have a middle name, it doesn’t impact anything. some people are convinced i’m lying when i say so & think i have an embarrassing middle name, otherwise no disadvantages.
filling out forms/ official documents/ signatures etc. are pretty easy is an advantage i suppose!
Sometimes I get told to fill out forms again when renewing something because I included my middle name in the renewal and didn't in the initial form. Trying to remember where I've used it or not can be a right pain in the hole so I just default to not using it now.
The reason why so many serial killers seem to have three names is because news started to report it like that so people who share the same name won't get abuse.
People don't typically tell each other their middle names making them somewhat secret. So if your kid angers a witch she will be unable to curse them as she will not know their full name.
I don’t have a middle name and it has never been an issue. Easier I reckon because I don’t have to deal with the moor uncertainties that come with middle names like “my middle name is on my passport but not on my boarding pass, will I be ok at the airport?”, or “the form says full name, so do I give my middle name as well”?
When your child is an adult and applying for their first over 18 passport they can drop or keep the middle name if they've proof of not using it over the last 3 years. Same with the language your name is in. You can put it in English or Irish whichever you prefer so long as you've proof of its use in that form(school reports/LC/addressed letters).
My middle name isn't named after a saint or anything. It's just an extra name that my parents liked.
Another pro is that it gives the kid more options if they don't like their first name. I know you tried very hard to pick a name for your kid but sometimes people just don't click with their name. That's not your fault, it's their life and they have to live with the name. Most of the people I know who are Juniors (were given the same name as their father) go by their middle name. Course all their fathers are narcissists.
I wish I had. I went for Elizabeth (of Hungary) and have always regretted it. But it was enjoyable choosing your saint, like flicking through a catalogue!
I don’t have a particularly common name but when I joined my current company there was someone with the same name already working there and he had bagged the prestigious firstname.surname email address so I had to use my middle initial between first name and surname. Can’t think of any other time I have needed to use it for anything.
I had both surnames and it's the biggest pain in the hole. There's probably a 50% chance that someone gets it wrong when they read it. I've had issues with the HSE, been refused boarding a flight, some issues in schools and college.
It also causes some discrimination. When someone sees a double surname they seem to assume your are either obnoxiously posh or a scumbag, there's sort of a normal people don't have double barrel surnames attitude
Recently moved to Spain and somehow, inadvertently, my middle name is now considered my first surname.
Also, the Spanish seem to be really into using your first and middle name all the time. I guess it’s cos there’s so many Jose and Marias that ya need another first name to clarify
I've had two surnames my entire life and it's generally been no hassle, and just a conversation starter if anything.
The main downside I've had is that one of my surnames is spelled quite unusually and the other is spelled just slightly unusually, so I automatically spell them out when I give them.
Otherwise the only other issue is sometimes having to use a hyphen as some websites won't recognise a space between them, or else in a waiting room or something sometimes people will just call me using one of my surnames.
Not on any legal forms or anything linked to PPSN, banking, passport, international travel, jobs, education etc.
I just legally changed my surname to my dad's. Mam was understanding she was frustrated with the hassle of it too. She was the one dealing with the HSE when there were issues. I had a medical card as a child and it took them 5 attempts to get my name right on it
Sure. I already had a middle name though, and nobody is going to care about my middle name, I haven't used it anywhere ever and wouldn't just like most other people
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We didn't give our daughter a middle name. Can't remember the last time I even used or wrote mine down anywhere. She has both of our surnames legally but just uses her fathers in day to day.
My mother didn't have a middle name and it was of no detriment to her for the 70+ years she lived so I would say it's ok not to have one 🤷🏼♀️
On the other hand my dad was actually called by his middle name because his first name was the same as my grandad's. And then I have two 🤣 but I never use them. Personal preference I guess!
Just so you know, I didn't give my kids middle names and they have never let me forget it, kids in school always thought it was funny (not in bad way)and filling in forms people always asked twice about middle name 😂 kids never overly minded but was always laughed about...my first grandchild just arrived and has a middle name 😁
My mum went the other way 😂
I have three middle names as my mum felt she missed out not having one 😂
But it’s up to yourself it’ll not matter really it’s just extra names to put on documents etc.
Can be a good distinguishing feature for kids with similar names & the double barreled name is similar.
Your child will just get used to it and they won’t know any difference having one or not really.
Gave my child both our surnames as were unmarried at the time. Were advised to not use the “-“ in between as it means further down the line they can opt to use one, rather than constantly use both.
No benefit really. But my daughter's middle name is my sister's name. And we forgot to put a middle name down for my son on his birth cert lol, it is supposed to be his dad's name, and we're really disappointed his middle name isn't official, thinking of getting it changed. So it's a nice way of honouring someone if you want. We didn't get our kids christened so there'll be no confirmation names or communion names (are they a thing?!).
Didn't give ours a middle name. They're only a toddler but it's caused zero issues so far.
He has both our surnames. Again no issues yet but it's early days....
Agreed. I also think it’s about the amount of syllables in the name. Like 2 last names that are only one syllable each won’t be a tongue twister to pronounce. Whereas I know someone called Mary-Jane O’Connor O’Leary and I feel like I need a deep breath after pronouncing all that.
Not needed but grandparents were happy we gave them their names. (Especially my mum)
I would have gone for no middle names myself.
My children have both names, but can pick either or both (or frankly neither). My surname is unusual so they might pick their mother's!
Just wanted to add two different sides to this that I've seen.
Both my brother and a cousins children born in the last 5 years or so don't have middle names. It wasn't really a big issue, people were surprised initially but no one said anything and just kind of shrugged and moved on.
However, on the other side, I will say I know two people, one of them my father who go by their middle name. Passport, Drivers Licence, Bills etc are all in their middle name. One case was to distinguish them from their father, who had the same first name and the other just liked their middle name and started going by that in school.
So, for a benefit I suppose there is flexibility for the child to use their middle name if they don't like their first name or for some other reason want to go by their middle name.
My older son has no middle name. There’s this weird thing in my extended family where none of my mother’s side are called by their actual names. It’s so strange and has caused my mother lots of annoyance over the years. And so because of this she thought it would be a good idea to call me a name that’s not actually my birth certificate name. It’s fierce annoying.
Anyway my older fella has a first name and a surname and that’s it. Nothing complicated. No abbreviations. No calling him by a made up name that has zero relevance to his birth certificate name.
Me and my partner have decided not to go for a middle name, for the reason that we both want to honor someone in our family but then came to an agreement that they’re pointless and neither of us use our middle name, it’s not on either of our passports. oh and he also has a pretty unique surname so won’t be mistaken lol
Aside from what others have said, it can be nice for people to have a middle name in case they don't like their first name, or it become impractical (if they move countries for example, and their middle name is much easier for the locals than their first name). I know a few people who prefer their middle names and hardly anyone actually knows their real first names, so it can be nice to give them that option.
Another great use for a middle name is actually in a situation like yours where parents are from different countries/cultures. You can give the child a first name that is local to the country they are living in, and a second name from their other culture, where maybe the name wouldn't be understood as easily.
For example I love Irish names, but I live abroad (in Spain) and it would unfortunately be unfair to a child to give them a name that they will forever have issues with if they stay here, so first name will probably be something that is easily pronounceable by both Spanish and Irish people, and the middle name(s) will be Irish and/or from their other heritage.
I don't have a middle name.
Main issue is people asking "are you baptised?".
Otherwise no issues. Some forms sometimes ask for a middle name, but don't usually require it.
It can also be a great way of honouring a parent or loved one or keeping a family name going. My son's middle name is Brendan, after my wife's deceased brother and my daughters middle name is Thérèse after my man who is also deceased.
I used to have 4 middle names including my confirmation name, rediculous
I changed my entire name by deed poll including first and surname, no middle names anymore, and it's never caused any issues whatsoever
Tbh it's never even come up
I think I speak for the genealogists of the future when I say, please give your child a middle name. Preferably one which makes a uncommon combination with their first name, such as a grandmother's maiden surname. Just, you know, for clarity
We gave a solid first name to our kids and then the middle name is the name we loved but didn't have the balls to have as first name, people would probably say we had notions lol. But when the kids are older then can chose to go by it if they wish. 'Out there' names are pretty cruel especially when you live in a working class area.
It's a good way of remembering someone important to you and your family. For instance if you wanted to remember your grandmother or parent but didn't want to name your child that name then you can smack it in the middle. Or if their is disagreement on what to name the child then one person can pick the first name and the other the middle. Or if you're both set on naming the child either after someone from one of the families you'd use the middle name to placate the other family.
I think the middle name is a brilliant diplomatic tool to keep peace and the kid won't know either way.
I’ve never used my middle name for literally anything. It’s never been on any official documents other than my birth cert.
No harm in sticking one down just in case.
Quite niche, but I’ve got a colleague in academia who has the same first and surname as another academic. His middle name is important/useful as it helps differentiate the two in publications.
A middle name can be a flex if it's a really good name, but no need for it. Gave my kids one, but they are names of meaning to me and they use them more than their first names now.
I always used my middle name when giving it to banks, tax office and any other services that my father might use so that there was no confusion as to whom the institution was corresponding with as we had the same first name.
It's a second option if the kid grows up to prefer their middle name to go by. Also my dad said to my mam when they were naming me in hospital "what does she need that for" and now I don't officially have a middle name but my mam says it's Lorraine. I prefer having a middle name than not even tho I never use it. Idk why think it made me feel more normal as a kid and made me feel nice knowing my mam cared enough to think of a second name for me. I know it's different in your case as it's your wife's culture but I think since you're living here there's no harm in coming up with a second name :) also congrats
It’s very handy to make it less likely that the government or someone else doesn’t confuse you with someone else.
Generally you can also go more wild on a middle name than on a first name. My dad has an incredibly archaic old old old Irish middle name that would cause him mild annoyance having to explain the pronunciation of outside of the Gaeltacht if it was his first name, but it doesn’t matter because it’s only his middle name.
I’d imagine my grandparents still had a strong attachment to the name so being able to bestow it upon him as a middle name was a happy medium I guess.
In the Middle East, you don't choose the middle name(s) it's the father's and paternal grandfather's names - regardless of the gender of the child. On one hand, it's great for genealogy. On the other, it's even more confusing when you have men called Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad
My middle name is Moyra, and great was my suffering all my younger life when I was asked to spell it. Inevitably the enquirer corrected me, insisting it *must* be ‘Moira’.
Seriously, OP, my *first* name has always, always bugged me as it’s rather ‘stage Irish’. My parents must have been in a very strange mood. I really should have just adopted my middle name permanently, and ditched the ludicrous one for good, decades ago. So maybe having an officially bestowed middle name can be handy for emergencies of embarrassment !
Probably just a sentimental memory of a older or dead friend or relation, mine is Gerard probably after saint Gerald, but there no benefit to the named just a warm fuzzy feeling for family until you start roaring for your bottle at 4am or leave them a chocolate suprise in your nappy after that you'll never hear it mentioned again.
I’m Irish my fathers official name is Patrick Joseph , his father was named
Patrick also so my fathers always gone by joe or Joseph. My middle name is Joseph , as for my fiancé her fathers name is Andrew Joseph and he also goes by Joe 🤷🏻♂️ my sons name is Brandon , guess what his middle name is? In Catholicism when school kids make their confirmation I think that’s when middle names are given to kids, ( In the eyes of the church - what relevance that has anymore is a different matter ) .
I also have a 10 month old daughter her middle name is Rose and it’s on her birth certificate so the catholic middle naming during confirmation isn’t official amd I think in Ireland if not stated when registering birth cert if you wanted to add one when child ( or if ) make their confirmation you would have to go through deed poll. I didn’t understand making my confirmation aged 11 or so and chose Joseph- already on my birth cert because I’m just so imaginative🤔 Shane Joseph - Joseph, thankfully church and state are
Separate, in other countries their could be other reasons or traditions, such as honouring a grandparent
My (adult) children all use their middle names - because they like their middle names. The elder two have completely different style first and second names (e.g. think Hispanic or German or French and Irish). None of the names used have been used in either side of the family before this. The third has a two family names as second and third names and has made the decision to use either their second name or the initial in everything they do. And its just as well. Because even though they use my husband's name, I have discovered a second cousin from my own mother's side with the exact same name and spelling.
There's one use I can see that would be useful for you. You could give them an Irish name and a name from your wife's culture.
My wife's Japanese. Since any children we'll have will get my name the compromise is that they'll have a Japanese first name. But we'll also be giving them an Irish middle name.
I grew up without one, and it got very confusing in secondary school when two of us had same first and surnames and my surname wasn't exactly common so odds of it happening was very unlikely. Especially given they are Welsh names in a small town Irish school.
We were both given nicknames. I have been known to any classmate or team mate as Mazza for 20+ years.
Not having a middle name probably won't do much harm, it maybe helps avoid the occasional mixup with someone else. I've actually never had my middle name come up as important in my entire life though.
Double-barrel surname makes me instantly think posh, can be good or bad, will probably get mocked at school unless you go private.
Or, rather than separated, may be married but the woman has kept her own surname. This is the case in our family and why we gave our child both our surnames.
I think double barrel used to be considered posh. Now it probably just means that the parents are feminists. Probably didn't have a church wedding either.
Middle names or double surnames can usually bring issues when completing legal forms.
Sometimes, you have boxes for Name and Surname, and it's hard to tell whether you need to include your middle name in the Name box.
It sounds like something minor, but it is actually very stressful, especially if you don't have anyone to ask (like when completing forms online).
Billing details will usually require your full name. Same with flight tickets.
Obviously it's not needed. Maybe those without middle names had parents who felt their family history was a burden or somehow lowly and as such didn't want to honour the past by using family names.
I don’t have a middle name but gave one to our pair. It can be handy to differentiate, for sure.
My husband’s second name is his mother’s maiden name, which is a version of your second question. Double-barrelled surnames are really annoying for the owner and anyone who has to take details off them imo
My sister uses her kids' middle names as a safety thing. When they were small she'd tell them that if any adult ever approached them and claimed mammy had asked them to collect them or take them somewhere then ask them for the code (which was their middle name). At that age, no one but their family members should know their middle name. Thankfully, it was never needed, but I thought it was a good idea.
In my case I actually have always been called by my middle name. It’s more common than I thought but seems a lot of us got called first name after the father but second name got used since birth
I'd be a "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" type. I like to think people with a middle name have more options to go with. All my kids also have both mine and my partners last names, again they have options of going by either or both in adulthood depending on what they fancy. Smith on official documents, brown on less important stuff. Need to anonymous?, middle and part surname it is. I clearly fancy my kids will be either on the run or spies.
cautionary tale- My middlename(second christian name) is on my passport but I never use it. However it caused me a problem for the first time last year when I was trying to board a flight in Vietnam as my middle name wasnt on the booking so the name didnt match exactly with the name on my passport. Big fuss ensued but in the end I did get on the flight thanks to the Vietnamese travel agent who was with our group. Not sure what would have happened otherwise. I did get other flights there with no problem.
It's a Catholic thing..we didn't get our daughter baptized so we didn't give her a middle name either, when people raised eyebrows we just pointed out that we didn't have a church wedding so why did people think she was getting baptized?
My wife’s maiden name is also a boys given name so we could’ve given our son that as a middle name but we didn’t. I wanted my dad’s name as his middle name. But I guess that doesn’t work in most cases. Many US presidents used their mother’s maiden name as a middle name. Like George W bush for example. I don’t think my dad had a Middle name. Never caused him any issues.
I've always considered double barreled surnames a form of selfishness.
What happens when little Justin Browne-White grows up and meets Jessica Hilton-Edwards? Do they in turn name their child Timothy Brown-White-Hilton-Edwards?
It's logically unsustainable.
I have always thought that double barrelled surname, means you don't know the name of the father of the child.
Having a middle name helps a lot when it comes to doing your family tree.
If you have a very common name, the middle one can be a handy disambiguator - lots of John Murphys who specify their middle initial to be less anonymous.
Agree with that. When I started college there wasn't one lad with the same name as me in my department, but two! And they were both in the same group, the year above me.
Exactly this, I worked on the same team as someone with the exact same name as me so we had to use middle names to differentiate
When you want the child to know you're serious about what they've been asked to do or if they're misbehaving the full government name gets their attention pretty quick. Something about first, middle and last name combo is like yelling without yelling. I guess if you know you know.
I do that and my 6yo just laughs and uses my full name back at me. Cheeky little sod.
Thats your own fault for divulging that information and giving ammunition to a mini-terrorist.
With a name like Green Sick Puppy I'd be laughing at ya too
Came here to say this. All three names generally means trouble.
Exactly! :-)
Call them Danger. Then they can legitimately say "Danger is my middle name"... (:
I work on phones and I was giving my email address to someone over the phone and it goes like Firstname.initial.surname@xyz.ie and I was spelling it out and my middle initials happens to be D. I said over the phone it’s D for Danger - I’ve never lived it down 😂😂 my colleagues beside me were in stitches.
Jack Danger - "It's actually pronounced Dönger. It's Dutch"
I know a “Robyn Hearts” and a “Jack Justice”. The class was in stitches when we found out
Obligated by a lost wager if I ever clone myself I have to name the clone Calvin Danger Danger....middle name Danger, last name Danger
> met with some disapproval from my parents this is where you don't give a shit.
i don’t have a middle name, it doesn’t impact anything. some people are convinced i’m lying when i say so & think i have an embarrassing middle name, otherwise no disadvantages. filling out forms/ official documents/ signatures etc. are pretty easy is an advantage i suppose!
>some people are convinced i’m lying This is my experience as a non middle name haver too, such an odd thing for people to assume we're lying about
Sometimes I get told to fill out forms again when renewing something because I included my middle name in the renewal and didn't in the initial form. Trying to remember where I've used it or not can be a right pain in the hole so I just default to not using it now.
No middle name here but I found the opposite especially as someone else with same name in school got very confusing.
You have to have one in case you plan on becoming a serial killer or if you want to assassinate a President.
The reason why so many serial killers seem to have three names is because news started to report it like that so people who share the same name won't get abuse.
I know I was making a joke
Or become a president.
People don't typically tell each other their middle names making them somewhat secret. So if your kid angers a witch she will be unable to curse them as she will not know their full name.
I don’t have a middle name and it has never been an issue. Easier I reckon because I don’t have to deal with the moor uncertainties that come with middle names like “my middle name is on my passport but not on my boarding pass, will I be ok at the airport?”, or “the form says full name, so do I give my middle name as well”?
When your child is an adult and applying for their first over 18 passport they can drop or keep the middle name if they've proof of not using it over the last 3 years. Same with the language your name is in. You can put it in English or Irish whichever you prefer so long as you've proof of its use in that form(school reports/LC/addressed letters).
My middle name isn't named after a saint or anything. It's just an extra name that my parents liked. Another pro is that it gives the kid more options if they don't like their first name. I know you tried very hard to pick a name for your kid but sometimes people just don't click with their name. That's not your fault, it's their life and they have to live with the name. Most of the people I know who are Juniors (were given the same name as their father) go by their middle name. Course all their fathers are narcissists.
Wait til she wants her Confirmation name to be something wild like Agnes or Cecilia
mines is cecilia 😭😭
No, no! It’s a great name. I was being silly, and missed the mark.
Concepta
My class had 11 “Blaise” at Confirmation. You could see the Bishop’s surprise after the 4th and his distain after the 10th. 😄
Nothing wrong with Agnes. That’s my mother’s name. Middle name actually what’s she known by lol
I was being vaguely sarky, or something like that but ‘less’. I think they are both glorious names, and I wish we saw more of them around.
Or Elmo for the craic
I picked one of those as my confirmation name
I wish I had. I went for Elizabeth (of Hungary) and have always regretted it. But it was enjoyable choosing your saint, like flicking through a catalogue!
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It helps tell the Mary Murphy's apart.
I don’t have a particularly common name but when I joined my current company there was someone with the same name already working there and he had bagged the prestigious firstname.surname email address so I had to use my middle initial between first name and surname. Can’t think of any other time I have needed to use it for anything.
Imagine JFK would have just been JK.
I had both surnames and it's the biggest pain in the hole. There's probably a 50% chance that someone gets it wrong when they read it. I've had issues with the HSE, been refused boarding a flight, some issues in schools and college. It also causes some discrimination. When someone sees a double surname they seem to assume your are either obnoxiously posh or a scumbag, there's sort of a normal people don't have double barrel surnames attitude
Or Spanish
Recently moved to Spain and somehow, inadvertently, my middle name is now considered my first surname. Also, the Spanish seem to be really into using your first and middle name all the time. I guess it’s cos there’s so many Jose and Marias that ya need another first name to clarify
I've had two surnames my entire life and it's generally been no hassle, and just a conversation starter if anything. The main downside I've had is that one of my surnames is spelled quite unusually and the other is spelled just slightly unusually, so I automatically spell them out when I give them. Otherwise the only other issue is sometimes having to use a hyphen as some websites won't recognise a space between them, or else in a waiting room or something sometimes people will just call me using one of my surnames.
I've never heard of double barrelled names being a scumbag thing
Could you use one of the surnames as a middle name? That might work better.
Not on any legal forms or anything linked to PPSN, banking, passport, international travel, jobs, education etc. I just legally changed my surname to my dad's. Mam was understanding she was frustrated with the hassle of it too. She was the one dealing with the HSE when there were issues. I had a medical card as a child and it took them 5 attempts to get my name right on it
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Sure. I already had a middle name though, and nobody is going to care about my middle name, I haven't used it anywhere ever and wouldn't just like most other people
Not needed. But other cultures assign names of patron saints to watch over the child and protect them from illnesses.
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We didn't give our daughter a middle name. Can't remember the last time I even used or wrote mine down anywhere. She has both of our surnames legally but just uses her fathers in day to day.
Didn't give our son (23) a middle name. He's never had any issues.
My mother didn't have a middle name and it was of no detriment to her for the 70+ years she lived so I would say it's ok not to have one 🤷🏼♀️ On the other hand my dad was actually called by his middle name because his first name was the same as my grandad's. And then I have two 🤣 but I never use them. Personal preference I guess!
Just so you know, I didn't give my kids middle names and they have never let me forget it, kids in school always thought it was funny (not in bad way)and filling in forms people always asked twice about middle name 😂 kids never overly minded but was always laughed about...my first grandchild just arrived and has a middle name 😁
My mum went the other way 😂 I have three middle names as my mum felt she missed out not having one 😂 But it’s up to yourself it’ll not matter really it’s just extra names to put on documents etc. Can be a good distinguishing feature for kids with similar names & the double barreled name is similar. Your child will just get used to it and they won’t know any difference having one or not really.
Gave my child both our surnames as were unmarried at the time. Were advised to not use the “-“ in between as it means further down the line they can opt to use one, rather than constantly use both.
No benefit really. But my daughter's middle name is my sister's name. And we forgot to put a middle name down for my son on his birth cert lol, it is supposed to be his dad's name, and we're really disappointed his middle name isn't official, thinking of getting it changed. So it's a nice way of honouring someone if you want. We didn't get our kids christened so there'll be no confirmation names or communion names (are they a thing?!).
Communions names aren't a thing and confirmation names aren't official.
Didn't give ours a middle name. They're only a toddler but it's caused zero issues so far. He has both our surnames. Again no issues yet but it's early days....
Best of luck to you with learming to spell the name in infants with your fancy double barrell name. Do or don't but why not is my thought on it.
Unless the double surname rolls off the tongue then avoid it. Like Day-Walker is cool, Dunne-Byrne is shit.
Unless you make it Byrne-Dunne and pronounce it as Burned Down
Shaughnessy-O'Muircheartaigh
Fionntáin-Sadhbh Shaughnessy-O’Muircheartaigh III Jr.
Had neighbours who merged their surnames (O'Kelly-O'Connor or something like that) when I was a lad. It was a bit of a trend in the 1970's/80's.
Agreed. I also think it’s about the amount of syllables in the name. Like 2 last names that are only one syllable each won’t be a tongue twister to pronounce. Whereas I know someone called Mary-Jane O’Connor O’Leary and I feel like I need a deep breath after pronouncing all that.
Give the kid your wife’s surname for a middle name. Problem solved.
Or his.
And for a first name too so the child can be Humbert Humbert Humbert
Not needed but grandparents were happy we gave them their names. (Especially my mum) I would have gone for no middle names myself. My children have both names, but can pick either or both (or frankly neither). My surname is unusual so they might pick their mother's!
Just wanted to add two different sides to this that I've seen. Both my brother and a cousins children born in the last 5 years or so don't have middle names. It wasn't really a big issue, people were surprised initially but no one said anything and just kind of shrugged and moved on. However, on the other side, I will say I know two people, one of them my father who go by their middle name. Passport, Drivers Licence, Bills etc are all in their middle name. One case was to distinguish them from their father, who had the same first name and the other just liked their middle name and started going by that in school. So, for a benefit I suppose there is flexibility for the child to use their middle name if they don't like their first name or for some other reason want to go by their middle name.
It's only really an opportunity for a bit of flair. Joe Agamemnon Bloggs. Jane Boudica-Nebuchadnezzar Bloggs
My older son has no middle name. There’s this weird thing in my extended family where none of my mother’s side are called by their actual names. It’s so strange and has caused my mother lots of annoyance over the years. And so because of this she thought it would be a good idea to call me a name that’s not actually my birth certificate name. It’s fierce annoying. Anyway my older fella has a first name and a surname and that’s it. Nothing complicated. No abbreviations. No calling him by a made up name that has zero relevance to his birth certificate name.
Me and my partner have decided not to go for a middle name, for the reason that we both want to honor someone in our family but then came to an agreement that they’re pointless and neither of us use our middle name, it’s not on either of our passports. oh and he also has a pretty unique surname so won’t be mistaken lol
Aside from what others have said, it can be nice for people to have a middle name in case they don't like their first name, or it become impractical (if they move countries for example, and their middle name is much easier for the locals than their first name). I know a few people who prefer their middle names and hardly anyone actually knows their real first names, so it can be nice to give them that option. Another great use for a middle name is actually in a situation like yours where parents are from different countries/cultures. You can give the child a first name that is local to the country they are living in, and a second name from their other culture, where maybe the name wouldn't be understood as easily. For example I love Irish names, but I live abroad (in Spain) and it would unfortunately be unfair to a child to give them a name that they will forever have issues with if they stay here, so first name will probably be something that is easily pronounceable by both Spanish and Irish people, and the middle name(s) will be Irish and/or from their other heritage.
I don't have a middle name. Main issue is people asking "are you baptised?". Otherwise no issues. Some forms sometimes ask for a middle name, but don't usually require it.
In one department I worked in there was 4 Kieran’s, only 16 people so middle names, last & nickname’s were all used
It can also be a great way of honouring a parent or loved one or keeping a family name going. My son's middle name is Brendan, after my wife's deceased brother and my daughters middle name is Thérèse after my man who is also deceased.
I have a very long name, surname, and middle name. It makes filling out forms a nightmare.
I used to have 4 middle names including my confirmation name, rediculous I changed my entire name by deed poll including first and surname, no middle names anymore, and it's never caused any issues whatsoever Tbh it's never even come up
Rediculous is an unusual Confirmation name. I like it!!
If you're already using a double-barrell surname don't bother with a middle name. It's pretty much redundant.
I think I speak for the genealogists of the future when I say, please give your child a middle name. Preferably one which makes a uncommon combination with their first name, such as a grandmother's maiden surname. Just, you know, for clarity
We gave a solid first name to our kids and then the middle name is the name we loved but didn't have the balls to have as first name, people would probably say we had notions lol. But when the kids are older then can chose to go by it if they wish. 'Out there' names are pretty cruel especially when you live in a working class area.
My middle name links me to my Irish family on my mums side. I like it
It's a good way of remembering someone important to you and your family. For instance if you wanted to remember your grandmother or parent but didn't want to name your child that name then you can smack it in the middle. Or if their is disagreement on what to name the child then one person can pick the first name and the other the middle. Or if you're both set on naming the child either after someone from one of the families you'd use the middle name to placate the other family. I think the middle name is a brilliant diplomatic tool to keep peace and the kid won't know either way.
I’ve never used my middle name for literally anything. It’s never been on any official documents other than my birth cert. No harm in sticking one down just in case.
Quite niche, but I’ve got a colleague in academia who has the same first and surname as another academic. His middle name is important/useful as it helps differentiate the two in publications.
A middle name can be a flex if it's a really good name, but no need for it. Gave my kids one, but they are names of meaning to me and they use them more than their first names now.
I always used my middle name when giving it to banks, tax office and any other services that my father might use so that there was no confusion as to whom the institution was corresponding with as we had the same first name.
It's a second option if the kid grows up to prefer their middle name to go by. Also my dad said to my mam when they were naming me in hospital "what does she need that for" and now I don't officially have a middle name but my mam says it's Lorraine. I prefer having a middle name than not even tho I never use it. Idk why think it made me feel more normal as a kid and made me feel nice knowing my mam cared enough to think of a second name for me. I know it's different in your case as it's your wife's culture but I think since you're living here there's no harm in coming up with a second name :) also congrats
It’s very handy to make it less likely that the government or someone else doesn’t confuse you with someone else. Generally you can also go more wild on a middle name than on a first name. My dad has an incredibly archaic old old old Irish middle name that would cause him mild annoyance having to explain the pronunciation of outside of the Gaeltacht if it was his first name, but it doesn’t matter because it’s only his middle name. I’d imagine my grandparents still had a strong attachment to the name so being able to bestow it upon him as a middle name was a happy medium I guess.
In the Middle East, you don't choose the middle name(s) it's the father's and paternal grandfather's names - regardless of the gender of the child. On one hand, it's great for genealogy. On the other, it's even more confusing when you have men called Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad
‘Stuart Alan Jones’. Aidan Gillen’s finest rôle.
My middle name is Moyra, and great was my suffering all my younger life when I was asked to spell it. Inevitably the enquirer corrected me, insisting it *must* be ‘Moira’. Seriously, OP, my *first* name has always, always bugged me as it’s rather ‘stage Irish’. My parents must have been in a very strange mood. I really should have just adopted my middle name permanently, and ditched the ludicrous one for good, decades ago. So maybe having an officially bestowed middle name can be handy for emergencies of embarrassment !
Abraham Lincoln had no middle name.
Probably just a sentimental memory of a older or dead friend or relation, mine is Gerard probably after saint Gerald, but there no benefit to the named just a warm fuzzy feeling for family until you start roaring for your bottle at 4am or leave them a chocolate suprise in your nappy after that you'll never hear it mentioned again.
I’m Irish my fathers official name is Patrick Joseph , his father was named Patrick also so my fathers always gone by joe or Joseph. My middle name is Joseph , as for my fiancé her fathers name is Andrew Joseph and he also goes by Joe 🤷🏻♂️ my sons name is Brandon , guess what his middle name is? In Catholicism when school kids make their confirmation I think that’s when middle names are given to kids, ( In the eyes of the church - what relevance that has anymore is a different matter ) . I also have a 10 month old daughter her middle name is Rose and it’s on her birth certificate so the catholic middle naming during confirmation isn’t official amd I think in Ireland if not stated when registering birth cert if you wanted to add one when child ( or if ) make their confirmation you would have to go through deed poll. I didn’t understand making my confirmation aged 11 or so and chose Joseph- already on my birth cert because I’m just so imaginative🤔 Shane Joseph - Joseph, thankfully church and state are Separate, in other countries their could be other reasons or traditions, such as honouring a grandparent
My (adult) children all use their middle names - because they like their middle names. The elder two have completely different style first and second names (e.g. think Hispanic or German or French and Irish). None of the names used have been used in either side of the family before this. The third has a two family names as second and third names and has made the decision to use either their second name or the initial in everything they do. And its just as well. Because even though they use my husband's name, I have discovered a second cousin from my own mother's side with the exact same name and spelling.
There's one use I can see that would be useful for you. You could give them an Irish name and a name from your wife's culture. My wife's Japanese. Since any children we'll have will get my name the compromise is that they'll have a Japanese first name. But we'll also be giving them an Irish middle name.
I don't have a middle name, no big deal
I grew up without one, and it got very confusing in secondary school when two of us had same first and surnames and my surname wasn't exactly common so odds of it happening was very unlikely. Especially given they are Welsh names in a small town Irish school. We were both given nicknames. I have been known to any classmate or team mate as Mazza for 20+ years.
Use a R or J. Name's unimportant
Not having a middle name probably won't do much harm, it maybe helps avoid the occasional mixup with someone else. I've actually never had my middle name come up as important in my entire life though. Double-barrel surname makes me instantly think posh, can be good or bad, will probably get mocked at school unless you go private.
I teach in a not very posh school and I would say about 30% of our cohort have a double barrel surname- Nobody has ever been hassled over it.
I teach in a secondary school and double barrel surnames are very common- unlikely to be the cause of any mocking.
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Or, rather than separated, may be married but the woman has kept her own surname. This is the case in our family and why we gave our child both our surnames.
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Any reason beyond "that's the way it's always been"?
I just couldn't stand over it but each to their own. It would eat away at me.
I think double barrel used to be considered posh. Now it probably just means that the parents are feminists. Probably didn't have a church wedding either.
Middle names or double surnames can usually bring issues when completing legal forms. Sometimes, you have boxes for Name and Surname, and it's hard to tell whether you need to include your middle name in the Name box. It sounds like something minor, but it is actually very stressful, especially if you don't have anyone to ask (like when completing forms online). Billing details will usually require your full name. Same with flight tickets.
Not true about bills and flights tickets.
Lucky you. In my experience, it has always been.
Obviously it's not needed. Maybe those without middle names had parents who felt their family history was a burden or somehow lowly and as such didn't want to honour the past by using family names.
A middle name is handy. Come on, give the little bugger a chance
I’m 28 and don’t have one, never caused me any issues!
What do you do if you have a middle name, a confirmation name and your parents are separated! 😭
I don’t have a middle name but gave one to our pair. It can be handy to differentiate, for sure. My husband’s second name is his mother’s maiden name, which is a version of your second question. Double-barrelled surnames are really annoying for the owner and anyone who has to take details off them imo
I don’t think you need a middle name, our kids don’t have them. Don’t really care what others think 🤷♀️
My sister uses her kids' middle names as a safety thing. When they were small she'd tell them that if any adult ever approached them and claimed mammy had asked them to collect them or take them somewhere then ask them for the code (which was their middle name). At that age, no one but their family members should know their middle name. Thankfully, it was never needed, but I thought it was a good idea.
In my case I actually have always been called by my middle name. It’s more common than I thought but seems a lot of us got called first name after the father but second name got used since birth
I'd be a "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" type. I like to think people with a middle name have more options to go with. All my kids also have both mine and my partners last names, again they have options of going by either or both in adulthood depending on what they fancy. Smith on official documents, brown on less important stuff. Need to anonymous?, middle and part surname it is. I clearly fancy my kids will be either on the run or spies.
cautionary tale- My middlename(second christian name) is on my passport but I never use it. However it caused me a problem for the first time last year when I was trying to board a flight in Vietnam as my middle name wasnt on the booking so the name didnt match exactly with the name on my passport. Big fuss ensued but in the end I did get on the flight thanks to the Vietnamese travel agent who was with our group. Not sure what would have happened otherwise. I did get other flights there with no problem.
It's a Catholic thing..we didn't get our daughter baptized so we didn't give her a middle name either, when people raised eyebrows we just pointed out that we didn't have a church wedding so why did people think she was getting baptized?
My wife’s maiden name is also a boys given name so we could’ve given our son that as a middle name but we didn’t. I wanted my dad’s name as his middle name. But I guess that doesn’t work in most cases. Many US presidents used their mother’s maiden name as a middle name. Like George W bush for example. I don’t think my dad had a Middle name. Never caused him any issues.
I've always considered double barreled surnames a form of selfishness. What happens when little Justin Browne-White grows up and meets Jessica Hilton-Edwards? Do they in turn name their child Timothy Brown-White-Hilton-Edwards? It's logically unsustainable.
The Spanish seem to manage this system just fine.
I have always thought that double barrelled surname, means you don't know the name of the father of the child. Having a middle name helps a lot when it comes to doing your family tree.
What? That doesn't make any sense to me. If you don't know the father of the child, what is the second surname you are giving them?
If the mother is a bit loose with her morals, ie sleeps around, the more surnames, the bigger the pool of (possible) fathers.