In the US, what is the 2nd name about ?

[luiz]

I'm surprised to see that in much of the world there in no pattern for the middle-name.
In Brazil it's perfectly clear: the parents make-up the first name, the middle name is the last name of the mother and the last name is the last name of the father. Of course parents have liberty to change it, but they rarely do.

 

[Riesstiu IV]

That's nothing! Romans used to have multiple names. Emperor Claudius full name was Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus. Try saying that five times fast...

 

[kulade]

Harry Trumans middle name was S!

 

[Zarn]

Like everyone else said, it's just the second name. Wives also have maiden names, but that has nothing to do with the second/ middle name.

I also know that Catholics have a confirmation name (at least here). The Catholic/ Confirmation name isn't in legal documents, but if put into the full name, it becomes the third part of it (First, Second/Middle, Catholic/Confirmation, Last). Aren't there Confirmation names in France?

 

[jack merchant]

That's still quite weird. How can anyone would like to give to his/her son names as awckward as Delano, Walker, Rodham or Fitzgerald ?

I don't know about the other ones, but Rodham actually is Hillary's surname -she originally did not take Clinton's name when she married. However, she adopted the Clinton name too in the early 90s as the electorate at the time apparently wasn't ready yet for an independent but married woman who kept her own name.

 

[Duddha]

Some parents just pick a middle name for their kid that they just like and some use the mothers maiden name. It means whatever you want it to mean.

 

[kulade]

I don't know about the other ones, but Rodham actually is Hillary's surname -she originally did not take Clinton's name when she married. However, she adopted the Clinton name too in the early 90s as the electorate at the time apparently wasn't ready yet for an independent but married woman who kept her own name.

Yes, Women often use then last name after marrige as a middle name if they like it more than the one they had.

 

[Johann MacLeod]

Well yeah I guess... but what is it about ? Do all of Americans have that 2nd name, do we pick it at random or is there a rule ?

i can think of quite a few europeans with middle names Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Charles Edward Stuart, Jean Baptiste Burnadotte, François Marie Arouet, William Pitt Chatham. though i guess its more standard in Britian and the US (Canada too)

 

[Marla_Singer]

I don't know about the other ones, but Rodham actually is Hillary's surname -she originally did not take Clinton's name when she married. However, she adopted the Clinton name too in the early 90s as the electorate at the time apparently wasn't ready yet for an independent but married woman who kept her own name.

Yeah, I think you're right. Rodham is Hillary's birth surname, before she married Mr. Clinton.

I also know that Catholics have a confirmation name (at least here). The Catholic/ Confirmation name isn't in legal documents, but if put into the full name, it becomes the third part of it (First, Second/Middle, Catholic/Confirmation, Last). Aren't there Confirmation names in France?

Yes, you're right, traditionaly we have a second "first name". However, we usually don't make up that name, it's usually christian, hebraic or muslim first names.

For instance, Chirac's full name is Jacques René Chirac, not Jacques Waterlilly Chirac. However, there's more diversity in French surnames than in US surnames. As a consequence, we very rarely use that second name. For instance, I had to find out on google what was Chirac's second name on a biography. I've never heard of it before.

 

[Marla_Singer]

i can think of quite a few europeans with middle names Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Charles Edward Stuart, Jean Baptiste Burnadotte, François Marie Arouet, William Pitt Chatham. though i guess its more standard in Britian and the US (Canada too)

Actually Jean-Baptiste is a christian traditional first name, Baptiste is not a second name.

Jean-Baptiste comes from St Jean-Baptiste, or in english St John the Baptist.

 

[cegman]

From what I can tell in the area I live the middle name is usaully the name of a father or grandfather. It can be a sign of respect for the grandparents. I know that I was named after my grandfather's first name for my middle name. This was true for my brothers who were named after my father and other grandfather. This seems to be the case with most boys I know. I dunno it could be different in other areas but Wisconsin seems pretty much the same (apart from the borders)

 

[Riesstiu IV]

Does everbody have a middle name? My parents just gave me a last and first name.

 

[Serutan]

In the US, what the middle name means is up to the parents, as has been said. For
example, in the family of one of my roomates at univeristy the middle name (for a son)
was the father's first name. Other times, a middle name will be for a godfather/mother.
The lack of a pattern is probably for the same reason as for many such things in the
US : it represents the blending of many languages/traditions.

 

[Johann MacLeod]

a common thing to do was (in the 19th and 20th centuries) to give the mothers maiden name as the firstt sons middle name.

 

[Sanaz]

My son has two given names, and two surnames (his mother's first surname, and my surname). But since we only use one surname in the US, it is technically three given names and a surname. His given name and surname are neutral for the US and UK, while his other names are more traditional.

 

[damunzy]

I know when filling forms out for the U.S. Army that it is expected that most people have a middle name - if you don't then you are to put NMN in for it. NMN meaning No Middle Name.

My wife was Catholic and got her confirmation name - she was Kimberly Denise Francis Wiese. Her father's name is Dennis (which is how she got her middle name) and she linked St. Francis because he preached to the animals and that is why she choose that for her confirmation name.

In the U.S. you are allowed to change your name by filling out a few forms, pay a free, and posting the information in a news paper to allow other people to know.

 

[Zarn]

Yes, you're right, traditionaly we have a second "first name". However, we usually don't make up that name, it's usually christian, hebraic or muslim first names.

For instance, Chirac's full name is Jacques René Chirac, not Jacques Waterlilly Chirac. However, there's more diversity in French surnames than in US surnames. As a consequence, we very rarely use that second name. For instance, I had to find out on google what was Chirac's second name on a biography. I've never heard of it before.

I forgot to say this before. The Catholic/ Confirmation names are usually Hebraic or Christian in nature here. Our Confirmation names are rarely used, even in the Church. I guess you can say that your second 'first names' are as useful as our Confirmation names (not very much), as we already have the first, second, and surnames to take care of identification and not everyone has one for obvious reasons.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Now adays, most people here just give a middle name, because it is often their "second-choice" as a birth name, and they don't want to discard it completely.

 

[luiz]

My son has two given names, and two surnames (his mother's first surname, and my surname).

That's exactly my case.
I have two names and two surnames, one from my mother and one from my father.

 

[Hundegesicht]

Around here people are usually given 3-4 names (first, middle (1-3), and surname) along with made up nick names or names they use while speaking in languages other than English. I personally am known by about 10 names depending on who you ask, but use just 3 officially.