Middle name

Many people's names include one or more middle names, placed between the first given name and the last name. In the West, a middle name is effectively a second given name. A middle name is usually substituted by the middle initial, as evidenced George W. Bush and John F. Kennedy. Also social security cards and most state driver license only have the middle initial for better organization purposes.

Anglo-Saxon

Middle names are chosen by parents at the same time as the first name. Popular middle names are identical to those of first names, such as John, James, David, etc., with an emphasis on biblical figures (again, like first names).

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In the U.S. and UK, a male's middle name is sometimes his father's first name. Alternatively, a male's first name may be the same as his father's, in which case the middle name may be used as if a first name so as to distinguish him from his father. People who are known primarily by their middle name sometimes abbreviate their first name, rather than their middle name, to an initial (e.g. F. Scott Fitzgerald and H. Ross Perot).

Related Topics:
U.S. - UK - F. Scott Fitzgerald - H. Ross Perot

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American Southerners are often referred to familiarly by both their first and middle names, such as Billy Joe and M.E. (Mary Elizabeth); this is common in the North when the first name is the very common name Mary. Also, a substantial number of Southerners use their middle names in place of their first names, particularly if their first name is the same as their father's; this practice appears to be less common in other parts of the United States. Sir James Paul McCartney is the full name of Paul McCartney.

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Some middle names sound antiquated because they are chosen from those of the family's ancestors, as the parents may have chosen them by glancing over the family tree.

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Aside from the most popular middle names taken from first names, surnames (such as Hall or Walker) may also be taken as middle names, sometimes to commemorate a relative. For example, it is quite common to use the mother's maiden name as the middle name as a way to acknowledge the mother's (and maternal grandparents') family name.

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Sometimes in popular references, only the first letter is used (e.g., John A. Macdonald), or the middle names are unmentioned (Herbert Hoover). Occasionally, while the middle is given in full, only the first letter of the first name is used (e.g., W. Somerset Maugham) or unmentioned (e.g., Woodrow Wilson). Rarely, individuals are only given initials as middle names, with the initial(s) not explicitly standing for anything (e.g, Harry S Truman). However, this practice is common among the Amish, who commonly use the first letter of the mother's maiden name as a solitary initial for the sons and daughters. Thus, the children of Mary Miller (who married a Zook) would use the middle initial M. In such cases, using a period after the "initial" is incorrect, since a period denotes an abbreviation.

Related Topics:
John A. Macdonald - Herbert Hoover - W. Somerset Maugham - Woodrow Wilson - Harry S Truman - Amish

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Examples of multiple middle names: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor (Queen Elizabeth II), J. R. R. Tolkien, George_H._W._Bush and V. V. S. Laxman. The English upper classes are traditionally fond of taking multiple middle names; this practice is hence often seen as pretentious.

Related Topics:
Queen Elizabeth II - J. R. R. Tolkien - George_H._W._Bush - V. V. S. Laxman

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