MIDDLE NAMES

A free online resource crammed with advice about making an important choice...

Middle names - A Safety Net?
Giving a baby a Middle name , as well as a First name has become a custom in the Western World. Some people view this as, perhaps, a 'safety net' in case they make a mistake with their choice of first name. The logic is that should someone intensely dislike their first name that they can simply use their middle name instead! There are no statistics available which provide any information of how often this situation occurs. Statistics do, however, reveal that approximately one person in ten regularly use their middle name. Check out the Name Meanings and the Names Dictionary Sections!

Middle names - Avoid Family feuds!
Arguments can be avoided by the use of these! Old fashioned family names can be incorporated in a new baby's name with very little impact on the recipient. Many a family dispute has been settled by the use of these!

Traditions...
Middle names provide a great vehicle to carry on a tradition in the family. These often include the Maiden name of female members of the family. Thus, many of them are often the same as surnames.

How Many?
There are no legal reasons to restrict the number of middle names given to a baby. In practice this is usually limited to four. However, advantage has been taken of the scope that they have to offer. More than one child has been given middle names which have been taken from a whole football team! The normal number is in fact usually limited to just one!

Finding Baby Boy & Baby Girl Middle names - Any differences?
Is there a difference between the selection criteria used when finding a Baby Boy and Baby Girl name? Yes, there is a difference. Parents tend to choose a less flamboyant first name for boys than they do for girls. The choice of a traditional name are balanced by a more unusual type of middle name for a boy. Conversely, parents are happier giving a more unusual, exotic or unique first name to a girl. They balance this choice by finding a more traditional Girl Middle name!

Sound reasons for giving a Middle name to a baby
A sensible idea for quite a few reasons:

Middle names are viewed as the 'norm'
People without them often feel that they have been disadvantaged
They help to identify family members who often save the First and Last name
Confusion regarding posted letters to holders of identical first and last names in the same household are lessened by them
For Americans a Middle name is nigh on essential!!

An American must!
Giving a Middle name to an American is highly recommended. Middle names, or initials are expected. The absence of such a name can result in the initials NMI being added. John Smith would therefore be identified as J. Smith NMI. The NMI stands for No Middle Initial. Adopting an arbitrary initial to a name, devoid of a Middle name, does not fare much better. John X Smith is often clarified as John X (only) Smith. Oh Well! It keeps the Bureaucrats happy!

Enjoy the choice!
The task and responsibility of choosing a firstname is fraught with potential disaster! Not so with Middling ones! So enjoy the wonderful range that you can select for your baby. We hope that the information and advice offered in www.babynames.org.uk Site Map will help you with your selection. Check out a unique baby name for a boy or a girl then we have a host of unusual and foreign ones to choose from. Click the link to the Unique Baby Names to continue your search. The Unique Baby Name section might also prove to be of additional help... Have fun and watch out for the pitfalls!

Middle Names

"A Name isn't just for a Birth Day - it's for Life!"

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