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thread: Middle names - is it too late??

  1. #1
    2013 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Oct 2012
    453

    Question Middle names - is it too late??

    I had a middle name picked out for my DS1, it was just a name I'd always liked, it was also the middle name of my step-brother & my step-dad, although neither of them really came into mind when I picked the name. As I said, I had always liked it. DS1 ended up being born on step-brother's birthday... I felt it was too much having the same b'day and same middle name, so I ditched the name and poor DS1 was never given a middle name.

    Fast forward 12 months and DS2 comes along. DS1 didn't have a middle name, so the decision to not give DS2 a middle name was easy.

    Now we're picking a name for bubba #3, our first girl, due in a few weeks. I want to give her a middle name. There is a family name I want to use. Seems wrong to give her a middle name when the boys don't have one?? I'm now thinking is it too late to have my boys' names changed to include a middle name? There are two family names I've picked out for them.

    Has anyone changed/added to their kids name this late in the game??

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Sunny Qld
    14,682

    I haven't however just wanted to comment that my girls have two middle names each but my son only has one.

    I don't think it matters if they don't have middle names but she does

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Hork-Bajir Valley
    5,722

    I wouldn't have thought it matters. I have one, my brother has 2 and my other brother has 3.
    personally I love middle names tho so Spock and any future children will have 2 but that is purly personal preference

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jun 2010
    Tiny Town
    4,675

    I don't think it matters. A friend of mine has a tradition in her husbands family to not give boys middle names, so her two don't have one. No such tradition for girls though, so her daughter has one

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Dec 2010
    588

    It's not too late, why should it be? If you want them now to have a middle name give them a middle name. Make it official of dont make it official. It's really your choice.
    I love middle names and my ex husband didn't have one and neither did his twin but I think his four elder siblings did (and that was just the start of the things the twins who were a surprise missed out on)

  6. #6
    Senior Moderator

    Nov 2004
    Chickens.
    4,989

    My elder brother had two middle names.
    I am 12 months younger and only have one. It's been a big issue for me. I know it sounds weird but it has.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Oct 2010
    Gold Coast
    2,638

    Myself and my older siblings and younger sister have 1middle name but my younger brother has 2 I never really thought about it and neither have my other siblings

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Jul 2007
    melb
    8,498

    Myself and 1 brother have 2 middle names each (after each grandparents on each side) youngest brother only has 1.

    My boys have 1 each.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Sep 2005
    In the middle of nowhere
    9,362

    FWIW My DS has a middle name (his father's) but neither of my girls have middle names. Any other son we get will have one but and more girls won't.

  10. #10
    2013 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Oct 2012
    453

    Thanks for your opinions! I was kinda worried about them feeling 'left out' - they do sometimes ask about their middle names now that they are in school. I don't imagine it's a huge playground topic, but it must come up at some point for them to ask me questions.

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Jul 2010
    Melbourne
    2,737

    Peekaboo, when have you ever had to use your middle name? (provided you have one of course) I don't think I have ever really had to use my middle name except maybe on government forms. So I don't think it would really matter if you do or don't

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Hork-Bajir Valley
    5,722

    I choose middle names to give Spock more choice later in life. more names she can choose to be called if she doesn't want to use her full first name.
    plus they are names I love but I feel are too common to be first names.

  13. #13
    Registered User
    Add sepata on Facebook

    Sep 2011
    Sydney
    615

    Yep we chose two middle names for ds for the exact same reason as tt. The problem I'm having this time round is that dh and I can't even agree on one name for a first name let alone middle names!

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    7,197

    Our DD has one middle name and DS has 2 and I dont think it matters either way but if you feel you want to change it go for it!!

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Jun 2009
    in the Capital
    1,478

    aah....middle names......

    My mum doesn't have a middle name and it's scarred her for life! Coupled with the fact that she never liked her name, it was her mum's name and her mum wanted to call her something else, but her father went and filled out the papers while her mother was still in hospital so it was done and dusted. FWIW, if I ever have a daughter I'm giving her my mum's name. It's old and it's gorgeous and there aren't too many around.

    DH doesn't have a middle name. Again, scarring. All the first born sons in on his pateral side of the family where given the name W. His mother decided that she wanted to buck tradition and gave him a different name. To add insult to injury to a long line of W's she didn't even give him that name as a second name - she just named him P. He still holds it against his (deceased) mother.

    DS1 has two middle names. His first name is N because I had a crush on an N when I was in year 3 at school (he's probably fat, bald and completely ugly now). His second name is for my pop (the man in question for giving my mother her name) and his third name is for my father's grandfather because I thought the name was completely cool but didn't have the guts to give it to DS1 as a first name. I wish I had now because it's a completely awesome name!!

    DS2 has one middle name - actually he has my father's name, although there will never be any confusion because all the men on my father's side of the family go by their middle name and not their first name. The first name is the "proper" name and the ones after that are the preferred name that they really wanted to call their sons but didn't because they had to give them the proper one.

    Confused much?? Me too!!

    Oh, what was the question......?

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Dec 2010
    588

    My eldest daughters name is Jemima her middle name is Alice but she tells people it is Puddleduck because I call her that so often. Alice is a family name but also from Alice in wonderland a name I loved but not for a first name.
    She loves her name and she is only 6.

    My youngest first name is my grandmothers and my mothers name hyphenated and her middle name is my middle name Cherie
    I think with a hyphenated first name it was important to also give her a middle name so people didn't think her name was just the first part of the hyphenated name.

    Baby in belly will have hubby's middle name if a boy and a random name we like if a girl, it helps keep it flowing because our surname ends in a eeee sound so any first name that ends in a eeee sound needs a buffer.

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Jun 2005
    USA
    3,991

    I don't think it's too late if you want to add middle names but you will need to pay to change them by deed poll. And will that effect the way they have to fill out forms all their lives? Will they have to put in a 'previous' name? Perhaps ring BDM and ask?

  18. #18
    2013 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Oct 2012
    453

    I have already looked into the fees, and I would be okay with paying them. Though it does make me wish I'd just given them middle names in the first place lol

    I'd never thought about filling our forms for the rest of their lives, so thanks for bringing that point up. It's something I can ask if/when I take it further. In saying that, I have no issue listing my previous/maiden name on forms - it's only an extra 5 seconds or so!

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