What's the point of having a middle name?

[smurphy]

Im the fourth generation Sean Murphy so it would be difficult without the middle name. I usually sign my name Sean W.Murphy in order to differentiate from my father and grandfather.

The W stands for William which was the first name of my grandfather on my mothers side. This way i bear the first names of both my grandfathers. My confirmation name is Matthew which I NEVER use.

[Furore]

I have three middle names.
One is the name of an ancestor, another the name of my family's patron saint (historically tied to a branch of my family) and the last my confirmation name.
Hooray for having five names all up?

[Clint]

Middle names don't identify people with the same first and last names. Many people don't even use their middle names when referring to themselves, and people referring to people with middle names hardly ever use that person's middle name to identify with that person.

For example, there are two Jeb Stuart's I know about. I don't know their middle names; I just know them as Jeb Stuart. I identify one as General Jeb Stuart of the Confederacy, and the other as Jeb Stuart, that guy who wrote Die Hard. Middle names don't mean shit. Occupations, and what people are known for, do.

[Furore]

And what if the middle name relates to something a member of the family did?
That's how one of my names that I'm traditionally supposed to pass down works.

[winterborn86]

I got no idea why we have middle names, but mine is Jane because it was my mums middle name, unoffically anyway, my mum was Emma-jane but she has NEVER put her name down like that on anything, but that was how I got my middle name, my lil sis has Jane as her name too but unlike my mum she has unoffiacally linked her name to Sarah-Jayne instead of Sarah Jane, don't ask me why she decided to stick a 'y' in there I have no idea, my other lil sis linked her 1st and middle names too.

My daughters middle name has no meaning what so ever, I just thought that Maria and Courtney went nicely togther. My son on the other hand has Ryan for his middle name, after my brother, my lil bro has very serious heart conditions and we nave know what will happen to him, and cos he my only brother it ment something to me to have my lil boys middle name the same as my brothers.

[Block]

My middle name is James after my mothers father James Cooper. I feel that middle names are a good way to separate yourself from others with the same last name and possibly first name too. For example I have a friend on facebook who is only my friend because our first and last names are the same, but I'm a James and he's a Steven (I think). Helps separate us out, especially if you have an overly common name, like Matt Johnson or something.

[Sinister]

All the male members of my family are fated to have the same middle name. It's a tradition. I'm told that I absolutely HAVE to give my son(should I chance to have one) the same middle name. Which I can tell you right now is bullshit. It isn't happening. I dearly love my first and last name. But my middle name, despite it's traditional nature, is horrible.

For those who are curious, my middle name is Wade and it dies with me.

-Sin

[Maridia]

It's a comedy thing. My full name is Joshua Ryan O'Neill. But if my middle name was like Lex then it'd be J-LO and then that opens up a can of worms I don't need. Or if your initials were BTO (Bach Turner Overdrive) it would be treacherous.

I don't have a good answer though...

[Dodie16]

Something I remember my parents telling me when I was little. My birth mother wanted to name be Scarlet O. My middle name would have just been the letter "O".

Also, my full name would have been Scarlet O Harry.

Hooray for random stories!

[Tiffany]

I don't think there is a point, per se. Its personal preference. I know people who don't have a middle name, have one or (like my and my guy) have 2 middle names each. I always thought it was a nice way to honour friends and family, to have their names as your children's middle name(s).

My middle names are after my grandmother, and great gradmother.

My guy's middle names are just names that his mother liked

Claire's middle names are after my guy's best friend who passed away a few years ago, and my great grandmother's middle name.

[Shadow Of Darkness]

yeah, I was alwasy interested why you people have middle names.
I dont, I think thet european people dont have names.
does your middle name has any effect on ur lives?
whats the purpose of it?

[The Dark Crystal]

Well my example for the purpose of a middle name would be. (Which has already been stated by other)

My Name: Eric -Michael- Callahan
My Uncle: Eric -John- Callahan
Grandpa: John -Eric- Callahan

To tell our names apart my grandmother calls me Eric Michael which i hate My uncle..Eric, and they called my grandpa..John.

[SquallMLeonhart]

It's to be used when you've done something horrible. The entire name is meant to send chills down your spine. That is why nobody has a decent middle name.

[Meigumi]

I've always thought middle names were used to tell us apart. Now, I did some more thinking about it. Maybe middle names tell people which family we're from, or who our ancestors are?

[fierytempest]

For me, I have an extremely generic first AND last name. There're always tons of "me". I have a really unique middle name, though. It helps tell me apart.

But I guess middle names are just to make your name sound better? Although I guess there really isn't any point. I was actually thinking about this the other day, too.

[Howling Wind]

I agree with the people that say the middle name is for scolding because that's the only time I hear it. >>;; seriously its like.

KRISTEN MORGAN (INSERT LAST NAME HERE) DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO PICK UP THAT FORK???!

[fierytempest]

^Haha, yeah. Same for me.

Whenever my stepdad yells at me and uses my middle name I want to slap him. I love my middle name, but it's just so annoying.

[T.G. Oskar]

Sometimes, it's to make a first name have meaning. When you have something like John, or Peter, or a short & common name, a middle name is added to reinforce what's commonly seen as a weak name. When you have a very common name, it is usually represented as a weak name unless it's unusually long (such as, say, Jacques) or it's foreign (again, Jacques). Thus, a middle name is chosen to reinforce the first name.

Another reason is for thematical links. Joseph is perhaps a common name in both English and Spanish. Mary, as well, is pretty common in English and Spanish. Joseph is a male name in both English and Spanish speaking countries, and Mary is a female name in the same countries. Finally, Joseph is usually considered a weak name, and one that particularly mingles with others as a first name or as a middle name (specifically on Spanish), as well as Mary. Being the names of Jesus' terrestrial parents (according to Christianity), particularly strong Catholic countries tend to use both names as part of a child's name, without any concern for gender. Makes little sense in English to call a male "Joseph Mary" and perhaps less concern to call a female "Mary Joseph", but it's common to see people in Spanish-speaking countries called Jose María (males) and María Jose (females). In fact, sometimes a tad too common.

Finally, linked somewhat to the second reason; cultural or religious traditions. Some people take a meaningful name, or the name of someone who's particularly well-acquainted with the person, and the child is given that person's name as a form of gratitude, and perhaps even respect. It may be the name of a grandparent who was well-liked by the family, or a good friend of the family, or even someone whom the family doesn't know, but because of its actions given their name. Most of the time it's a first-name choice, but it becomes a middle name when the parents have decided on a particularly strong or important first name.

Now, on my particular case...almost none of the above apply. Nor the idea of separating my name from my father's name, since both the first and the middle name are identical. There's no need to do that kind of separation since Spanish-speaking countries use both the father's and the mother's last name for virtually everything, although only both paternal names are passed to the child. My first name is not particularly common, and much less weak (even though it has a different pronunciation, due to having the stress at the "a" and not at the "o"), so it's not seen as a weak name. My middle name is also pretty strong, and can exist by its own with no problem. I was raised on a Catholic school, but my family shifted to Protestantism very early in my life (though in the case of my mother, she was never Catholic to begin with) so there's no attachment to religious traditions. Which is a BIG relief, since when the child was a male and the patron saints of the child's birthday were female, the child was given a male version of the name. And I'd *shudder* at the idea of the Spanish male versions of Margaret and Gertrude. Good riddance the practice was abandoned time ago. My name has some meaning (I'm the third member of my family that has my name, and about the fourth or so that has my first name, out of five), but not relevance to persons in particular as much as I know of. And there's no thematical link between my names, so...it's a bit of an enigma.

Though, for the curious...my middle name is Guillermo. It's the Spanish version of "William". So I have a reference to a weapon and a reference to a piece of armor in my names.

[Polk]

The point of my middle name is so that I can have myself a sweet-ass rap name.

MC Knox in the motherfizzucking hizzouse!

[Howling Wind]

For me, I have an extremely generic first AND last name. There're always tons of "me". I have a really unique middle name, though. It helps tell me apart.

But I guess middle names are just to make your name sound better? Although I guess there really isn't any point. I was actually thinking about this the other day, too.

I know right? Its like I like my middle name but whenever I hear it its because I'm in trouble which automatically makes me not even like hearing my middle name. If only parents would realize how annoying that is!

[Zargabaath]

I thought the middle name was given if "you" ever went into the porn industry. Ya know, take your middle name and then the name of your first pet or the name of the first street you lived on. Isn't that why middle names were invented - and we all know they had porn back in Egyptian days... ... just live. . . always.

Mine would be Francis Elvis or Francis Iris. lol