Why are middle names not used? The tradition was spread to America as people started to immigrate overseas. As time went on, people started to stray away from religious middle names and get creative with the second name of their child.
Why do some people have multiple middle names?
Why do some people have multiple middle names?
- 'Everyone has a middle name, don't they? The kids might feel left out, if they don't
- Other people expect it.
- To honour a family member.
- To give children some choice, in case they dislike their first name, or just prefer their middle name I have listed some .
Is it normal to not have a middle name?
To answer your question, yes it's is unusual. Depends how common your name is. I don't have a middle name, but neither of my names is particularly common, so I've never had too much of an issue. That said, while having no middle name is uncommon, it's certainly not unusual. So if any organisation gives you trouble for it, complain.
Why do Americans have middle initial added to their names?
Why do so many Americans include a middle initial in their names? ... they added a middle initial to set them apart. Professionals in other fields do the same thing to distinguish themselves from ...
What are some popular middle names?
Top Middle Names
- Rose Heart. Rose is derived from the Latin rosa, which referred to the flower. ...
- James Heart. James is an English derivation of the Hebrew name Jacob. ...
- Henry Heart. ...
- Grace Heart. ...
- Thomas Heart. ...
- Mae Heart. ...
- Alexander Heart. ...
- Jane Heart. ...
- Elizabeth Heart. ...
- George Heart. ...
Is there a point to middle names?
Today, as Wilson notes, middle names serve much the same purposes they always have: they're a way to keep family names going and thus preserve relationships; they're a way to try something new or “put old names out to grass” without cutting the cord entirely.
Is it normal not to have a middle name?
Nope. It's really up to you. In responding to our survey, 9 in 10 parents said they gave their baby a middle name – but there's no downside to going without. Some parents say no to the middle moniker based on family tradition: "I have a double first name and no middle, and my daughter will have the same," says one mom.
Is it OK to use your middle name?
In day-to-day life, you can use your middle name instead of your first name if that's what you prefer. However, to use only your middle name on legal documents, a court has to officially grant a change of name.
What cultures do not use middle names?
ScandinaviaThe naming convention of the Scandinavian countries do not use given names as middle names. ... In Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, the legal term middle name refers most often to names that are originally surnames, but not part of the last name of the name bearer.More items...
Is middle name mandatory in USA?
While there is no strict rule about how many middle names a citizen can have in the US, there are limitations to the number of characters in a name in certain states. Numerical digits are prohibited by naming laws in several states.
What is the benefit of middle name?
The benefits of having a middle name It provides a point of differentiation for people who have a common first name and/or surname. It's a great way to compromise if you and your partner can't agree on your baby's name, or if you like more than one name..
Why do people call their kids by their middle name?
The best explanation seems to stem from Southerners' penchant for keeping a name going down the line, especially for males. You end up with John Smith Jr., III, and IV in one family, and calling a child by his middle name is an easy way to distinguish between him and his father.
Why do people have a second name?
But the way we use middle names today originated in the Middle Ages when Europeans couldn't decide between giving their child a family name or the name of a saint. They eventually settled on naming their children with the given name first, baptismal name second, and surname third.
Can you call yourself by your middle name?
Illegal from a criminal standpoint, no unless you are declaring something under the penalty of perjury. From a civil standpoint, it is very common for people to use their middle names, and it would only present a civil problem if it was determined...
Does Japan allow middle names?
It is very uncommon for Japanese people to have a middle name. This concept is not followed or legally recognised in Japan, except in the names of foreigners. Japanese law requires married couples to have the same family name.
Do British people have middle names?
Many British also have a 'middle name', which is a secondary given name written between the person's first name and their family name. For example, Emily Claire TAYLOR's middle name is 'Claire'. Middle names are optional and are rarely used in daily life. However, most British have one or multiple.
Why do the British say our before a name?
This usage is/was common in parts of England, mainly northern England as far as I'm aware. The "our" is effectively referring to 'our family'. In the examples given from Keeping Up Appearences, the words are usually being spoken by Rose's mother or father, and hence "our Rose" would refer to their (joint) daughter.
Can a child have no middle name?
For many parents, middle names arise because the couple cannot decide on one name—the top two become the child's first and middle name. But, indecision between the two names also can lead to a child being without a middle name. Harry S. Truman is a famous example.
Does everyone have a middle name UK?
Many British also have a 'middle name', which is a secondary given name written between the person's first name and their family name. For example, Emily Claire TAYLOR's middle name is 'Claire'. Middle names are optional and are rarely used in daily life. However, most British have one or multiple.
Are middle names common?
Rewind more than a century and just one in three people (37 per cent) sported a middle name according to an audit of the 1911 census. Yet today, more than three-quarters of children are given second names (80 per cent) and one in 10 new babies (11 per cent) is given two or more middle names.
Is it possible to not have a name?
It is illegal. A baby cannot leave the hospital without a name. The legal system can change someone's name in certain circumstances but will not remove it.
Why do we have middle names?
Some people might answer, “It’s so my mom has three names to yell at me so I know I’m in trouble.” But there is actual history behind it, and it dates back to ancient Rome.
Where did the middle name originate?
But the way we use middle names today originated in the Middle Ages when Europeans couldn’t decide between giving their child a family name or the name of a saint. They eventually settled on naming their children with the given name first, baptismal name second, and surname third. The tradition was spread to America as people started to immigrate overseas.
Why do people give their children long names?
This tradition of multiple names spread over to Western cultures in the 1700s. Aristocrats would give their children long names to show their high place in society. Spanish and Arabic cultures would give their children paternal or maternal names from previous generations to be able to keep track of the child’s family tree. Learn more about the middle name traditions in 8 countries around the world.
Do people have middle names?
Today, some people don’t even have middle names, some prefer to be called by their middle name, and some never even use theirs. But just be grateful that we don’t trace our lineage back with multiple cognomina like some aristocratic families used to and end up with 38 names. That would be a mouthful! Next, check out more explanations for things you’ve always wondered about.
Why do people have middle names?
Middle names also served the purpose of being able to pass on a family name without, you know, making it a name anyone actually had to call you. And in some countries a person’s middle name connects them to their paternal lineage. This is very common in places like Russia.
When did people start giving middle names?
Being the copycats that we humans are, by the 1800s all of the social classes began giving their kids middle names. This was partially done just so we could tell people with the same first and last names apart. Now we’re getting somewhere.
Where did the first people have more than one name?
According to Origin of Everything, social history author Steven Wilson notes that at first having more than one name was popular largely among the Italian elites in places like Florence, Perugia, Venice, and Rome.
When did middle names start?
The modern tradition of inserting a middle name (or two) into a child's moniker most likely began in the Middle Ages when parents gave babies a personalized first name and a saint's name for a middle name, followed by a surname.
When did the military start using middle names?
The idea of a middle name took hold in the U.S., and by the advent of World War I in 1914 , official enlistment forms became the first government documents to request applicants' middle names. Middle names were so much the norm that when computers became routinely used for U.S. citizen documents, they were programmed to recognize three names. Not two. Or four. Only three. If a middle name wasn't entered, the program would automatically insert NMI, which was a military abbreviation for "no middle initial."
How many names did people have in ancient Rome?
In ancient Rome, people often had five names. The first three names were like today's modern surname, middle name and last name. The last two names usually revealed the person's place of origin or clan of origin.
What does NMI mean in computer?
Middle names were so much the norm that when computers became routinely used for U.S. citizen documents, they were programmed to recognize three names. Not two. Or four. Only three. If a middle name wasn't entered, the program would automatically insert NMI, which was a military abbreviation for "no middle initial.".
What is a middle name?
In several cultures, a middle name is a portion of a personal name that is written between the person's first given name and their surname. A middle name is often abbreviated, especially in the United States, and is then called middle initial or just initial . A person may be given a middle name regardless of whether it is necessary ...
When did middle names start being used?
English. It is certain that among royalty and aristocracy middle names have been used since the late 17th century (and possibly earlier), as exemplified in the name of the Stuart pretender James Francis Edward Stuart (1688–1766).
What is the de facto given name?
In such naming systems, the de facto given name is the last character of a person's full name. Even if that was the case most of the time, sometimes the person's given name is the middle character and not the last.
What does N.M.N. mean?
The abbreviation "N.M.N." (no middle name) or "N.M.I." (no middle initial), with or without periods, is sometimes used in formal documents in the United States, where a middle initial or name is expected but the person does not have one.
What is it called when someone is called by their given name?
It is called a patronymic . Russian language and culture, for example, has certain norms for when someone is to be called by their given name plus patronymic versus a title plus the surname (for example, Nikita Sergeyevich versus Mr. Khrushchev ).
What is a patronymic name?
A patronymic that comes to English from any of various Slavic languages, including Russian and Bulgarian language, such as Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev, is not normally considered , or called, a middle name by people familiar with Slavic cultures. It is called a patronymic. Russian language and culture, for example, has certain norms for when someone is to be called by their given name plus patronymic versus a title plus the surname (for example, Nikita Sergeyevich versus Mr. Khrushchev ). The distinction is analogous to the T–V distinction and is not shared with English; if it were, calling him Nikita Sergei's-son versus Mr. Khrushchev would be the analogue (but English does not happen to work that way).
How many characters are in Chinese names?
Further information: Chinese name, Generation name, Courtesy name, and Art name. Traditionally, Chinese names consisted of three characters—the surname, followed by a two-character given name ( ming ), which is not separated into a first and middle name in usage.