Two Middle Names

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I just wanted to see what you thought of having two middle names. We are having a baby soon and I wanted to use two middle names. I am just worried that this sounds to pretentious, or could be confusing as the child grows up. I wanted to use Benedict Augustine as the two middle names, I think. Augustine was one that I looked to during my conversion this year. Benedict after our Holy Father, as I see great peace and wisdom in him. God Bless.
 
All five of my children have two middle names apiece. It has not really been a problem except for Baby #5. Her name was too long (not from number of names but number of letters) to fit on her Social Security card, so only her first two names are on that. Everyone else’s fit. And their names are really long. 👍 Go for it!
 
My son’s name is Paul Michael Anthony. He used to go by Paul Michael when he was younger, but now that he’s getting older, he prefers just Paul, unless dad’s around and it causes confusion. I guess maybe that makes it two middle names, although it used to be two first names? :confused:
 
Our youngest son has two middle names - rolls off the tongue! The only places where his name has been written in full - sofar, he isn’t married yet!! - have been on his University degree, his military enlistment documents and his Police Commission paperwork. Three names do not fit on the drivers’ licence or the medicare card, but as they use initials, it doesn’t matter.
 
All of our childern have long names the second middle name is an American Indian name.
 
I have one middle name and my entire name is short. Just keep in mind that your child will have to write this name several times a day for most of his/her life. A cute baby who has the name Timothy Michael Bernard Willimson may sound sweet and poetic and cute but its alot to write. Plus, a name of the child’s choice is added in Confirmation.

As someone who runs a business. Its a pain when people with long names have to sign their credit card slips. It takes FOREVER. Alot of the polish people know this and will only sign the first 4 or 5 letters and then a squiggly line.
 
My son has two middle names, so his name reads Gregory Edward-Jude. Now that he is confirmed his name count has gone way up, since he added John Bosco. On his graduation papers and enlistment he used both middle names. When it needs to be shortened up for letter count, it becomes either E.J. or he will use only the Edward.

The only time we ever had any one make a remark about it was at his baptism. The priest made a joke about the baby’s crying. He laughed and said it was because he was wearing a “dress” (his great-grandmother’s baptismal gown–they all wore it) and his double middle name. To which, the baby’s grand-uncle joked back: well this was a fine thing coming from a man who made his living wearing a “dress”; and what was wrong with two middle names, as this uncle had two also!

I wouldn’t worry about it sounding pretentious at all. There is an old folk saying about how the more names and nick-names a child has, the more they are loved.👍
 
purplesunshine said:
I have one middle name and my entire name is short. Just keep in mind that your child will have to write this name several times a day for most of his/her life. A cute baby who has the name Timothy Michael Bernard Willimson may sound sweet and poetic and cute but its alot to write. Plus, a name of the child’s choice is added in Confirmation.

As someone who runs a business. Its a pain when people with long names have to sign their credit card slips. It takes FOREVER. Alot of the polish people know this and will only sign the first 4 or 5 letters and then a squiggly line.
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Most kids do NOT have to write their entire full name several times a day. Most kids write just their first name. With your example above, the child may very well just write “Tim” on his paper.

How many people sign credit card slips with their full middle names??? I know I don’t. Neither does my husband. That is what initials are for!

I say if YOU like it, go for it. That is one of the advantages of having kids…YOU get to name them!!!👍 So who cares what anybody else thinks!!!
 
I have two middle names. It’s mildly annoying, but not terrible.
 
I have two middle names, and I’ve always liked it. It’s only been a problem here in Korea, where the space to write your name is itty-bitty-tiny-weeny (95% of Koreans have a one-syllable family name and a two-syllable given name). I’ve always liked having four names, and I’m a little unsure of what I’m going to do when I get married and take my husband’s name, too. Five names? (They sound fine together) Drop one name? Which one? Plus, I’m still not confirmed, and I’m not sure whether that’ll bring me up to six names… it could get excessive…

My boyfriend has four names, too. So do all his siblings and all mine. It just seems normal to me.
 
mkipp said:
I just wanted to see what you thought of having two middle names. We are having a baby soon and I wanted to use two middle names. I am just worried that this sounds to pretentious, or could be confusing as the child grows up. I wanted to use Benedict Augustine as the two middle names, I think. Augustine was one that I looked to during my conversion this year. Benedict after our Holy Father, as I see great peace and wisdom in him. God Bless.
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How long is the first name you have picked? I ask because, those are already two long (very nice) names, 6 syllables together. Might work OK with a one syllable first name (think John, Mark) but anything longer might get…a bit much. BUT whatever floats your boat!

My son has 2 middle names he’s Henry Everett John, so 5 syllables altogether. Still, the John does tend to get dropped off, he uses just E as a middle initial, not EJ. But his name still has meaning and significance to us even though no one else really cares. So, pick what you like:) And congratulations!
 
Totally up to you.

That said, my sister gave her children two middle names. Two of them are now adults, both have told me that they wished she would have stuck with one middle name. The next in line, in age, when I asked her, had forgotten that she had two middle names. She never uses it. 🤷
 
i dont know anyone with 2 middle names, is it a cultural thing or regional?

that said i really like the sound of the 2 you picked and say if you think its normal or you like it then do it. but seriously if anybody knows if it is regional/cultural i would be interested to know.
 
aggiecatholic05 said:
i dont know anyone with 2 middle names, is it a cultural thing or regional?

that said i really like the sound of the 2 you picked and say if you think its normal or you like it then do it. but seriously if anybody knows if it is regional/cultural i would be interested to know.
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It wasn’t cultural for me. I had made a promise to St. Jude about giving my first son the middle name “Jude”, to honor him for his intercession when a friend of mine had leukemia. So, our son was going to have the middle name of Jude. At the last minute, his father asked if his name could be used as a middle name. We talked it over, and decided to use both! The young man thinks it is pretty cool, because his sisters only have one middle name each.
 
Peggy_in_Burien said:
It wasn’t cultural for me.** I had made a promise to St. Jude about giving my first son the middle name “Jude”, to honor him for his intercession **when a friend of mine had leukemia. So, our son was going to have the middle name of Jude. At the last minute, his father asked if his name could be used as a middle name. We talked it over, and decided to use both! The young man thinks it is pretty cool, because his sisters only have one middle name each.
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We made the same “deal” with St. Anthony!
 
I like two middle names! I hope though that your child will never live in East Asia and have to fill in official forms here. The space is tiny since most people have 4, or at the most 5, kanji.
Gearoidin
 
aggiecatholic05 said:
i dont know anyone with 2 middle names, is it a cultural thing or regional?
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I’m not sure if it’s cultural or not. In my case, my parents are of British heritage (although they took the long way getting from England to Canada) and I know my mom was pushing for two middle names because she didn’t have any and felt slighted all her life. My boyfriend’s family is Filipino, and they all have four names, but I don’t know whether that’s cultural or just a family preference thing.
 
My youngest has 3 middle names :o She loves it, the other daughter says if we loved her more she would have more middle names, lol.

I don’t think there is a problem with it, lots of people have more than one middle name.
 
Lots of people have a string of names. My aunt worked in Spain, and she said many of her friends there have names like Maria Consuelo Esperanza Teresa Sofia Rosa (Surname) y (Surname). I always liked it. I know people with several names in the states as well, from many backgrounds.
 
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