(no subject)

[juniorfan29.livejournal.com]

Question.

What is your opinion on calling a person by their middle name? I'm not fond of it, because I think if you're going to give your child one name, then call them something else, that's silly. Why not give them the prefered name in the first place? One example...a woman from the church I grew up in. Everyone called her Susie. I forget how old I was before I found out her name was Karen Sue. I couldn't understand why her parents didn't just name her Susan.




That being said, in some cases...going by the middle name isn't so bad. I'm glad my favorite athlete goes by his middle name, because I much prefer cheering for "Dale Jr." as opposed to "Ralph Jr."

Comments

[jordle.livejournal.com]

My father uses his middle name. His name is Michael Grant and he was named assuming that he would be called Michael but then people started to call him Mickey and my grandmother hated it so they started calling him Grant.

He hates it. It makes things difficult because he'll call up somewhere saying "I'm Grant" but his name is down as Michael.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I think it's strange. Just like you said; why call your kid Karen in the first place, if you want to name her Susie?
But I don't care all that much either...if that's what parents want to do, who am I to say NO! ? =P At least it's better to call your kid by his/her middle name than to throw 'y's in randomly ;)

[hemsky83.livejournal.com]

I think if it's a family name, but you don't particularly care for it but still wanna go by tradition then that's when I'd use it. Like if all the men were Winston's, but I hated Winston I'd go with Wintston Middle name, and call him by his middle name.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

You would call your child a name you hated? I couldn't do that...

If all the men were Winston's and I felt obligated and inspired to follow the tradition, I'd name him Winston and call him by his middle name.

But more likely, I would break tradition and giving him Winston as a middle name.

[pageless.livejournal.com]

My grandma goes by her middle name, because of two reasons: Her father was dyslexic and spelled her first name wrong, and it was also her mother's name, who she loathed.

I think that's just fine.

[lneef.livejournal.com]

Sounds like she chose to do it. That makes sense. What I don't get is why you'd choose to put a name in the middle if you had all intention of using it to call the child by.

My husband goes by his, he shares his first with his father. He was given his father's first name to honor his father. However, I don't see how having someone else's name in the first name spot honors that person in a first-name sort of way if you don't use it, though... to me, it makes more sense to put it in the middle, because you still won't use it much, but at least that way you're not constantly having to get people to change forms to reflect the name you use.

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

The first people I came across that did this were the Hanson brothers.
I've always thought it's rather interesting, so I'm not against it, but I really wish I knew why people do that :)

[girlsteve.livejournal.com]

I think it depends whose choice it was. I don't understand people who give their child a first name they don't intend to use, but having said that I understand why some people might decide they like their own middle name better.

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

My brother's name is James Andrew. After he was born the folks called him James for a while then when he was about a week old my mom decided she liked Andrew better and started calling him that. Now he's grown and uses Andrew with family but James professionally.

If we ever have a son we have to name him James A-name because of a family tradition of my husband's I can't seem to talk him out of. Because of my brother being a James A and my husband's father, the hypothetical son's grandfather, ALSO being a James A (my husband is John A, as was his grandfather and great-great grandfather before him, and on and on) we will call our hypothetical son by his middle name. I'm not that crazy about the name James in the first place and I HATE "Jimmy", so an unnicknameable middle name starting with A it will be. I like Aaron and Asher best so far.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I think it's fine if you have a reason (if you're named after your father, so you go by your middle name to differentiate, for example), but when people just randomly do go by their middle names, it's weird. But if you like your middle name better, that's okay, too. If you're planning on calling your kid whatever their middle name is, and you don't have a REASON for making the first name the first name, I don't think it's a good idea, though.

[pythianlegume7.livejournal.com]

If there are two of the same name in a family sometimes the younger one goes by the middle name so that its not confusing and I can understand that. Also if the initials spell out something- like I knew someone who wanted their son's name to be Adam Scott S-last name, but they changed it to Scott Adam S-lastname and just called him Adam.

[lookingatastar.livejournal.com]

I go by my middle name. Actually, my first name is actually Karen too haha. I was always to go by my middle name though, just because it doesn't flow well the other way. It can be annoying though, I have been called Karen and didn't know they were talking to me.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

If someone called me by my middle name, I'd beat them. :-p

[djador.livejournal.com]

That how my family is too. All the boy's are named Robert and go by their middle name.

[lneef.livejournal.com]

My husband's in this situation, and I just don't get it. If you're not planning to use the name, why put it first? How is it being named after someone if you don't use the name?

It doesn't hurt anyone, but it's incredibly inconvenient. EVERY time we do anything official with forms (and that's a lot, especially during college) someone gets my husband's name wrong and he has to explain it over and over and over again to people who just don't get the concept.

However, of all those reasons, I agree that "to make the guy happy" is a decent one. Eh. Boys want weird things.

[hotchpot.livejournal.com]

I think its fine.

[scouty.livejournal.com]

I think its fine...

sometimes the names flow better that way..
and why shouldnt you use names you like only because it doesnt flow in FN + MD .. but the other way....

I hope you know what I mean ^^

[eb-girl.livejournal.com]

For me, it's all about how the syllables flow. A lot of the names I love don't sound wonderful with my last name. Using them as a middle name can soften the sound, or round it out so it's not awkward. And since nicknames often don't even have anything to do with a person's given name, I don't see what's wrong with calling someone by their middle name.

[djador.livejournal.com]

My father goes by Sandy because his name is Robert Alexander and my brother goes by Danny because his name is Robert Daniel. My grandfather goes by Bob and his name is Robert Henderson. So the middle name thing is instead of Jr. which I think it okay.
But doing it just to do it, seems kind of annoying. Like I know a girl who called her son Ethan Alexander with every intention of calling him Alex which I thought was silly. It just causes more hassle.
Like with my brother...everyone knows him as Danny but really his name is Robert. It's annoying for paper work and all that official kind of stuff.

[ilovekeithurban.livejournal.com]

lol so when I read that first sentence with "sandy" and "danny" I started singing Grease songs...

[djador.livejournal.com]

oh my god I have NEVER noticed that before!?!? hahahaha

[bluekoala.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I have a friend whose first name is Barnard but he goes by his middle name, Ross, which to me...haha, definitely a good thing. I don't really know whether or not Barnard is a family name--it could be, even though it isn't his father's. In that case it sort of makes sense though, because Ross is kind of an empty-sounding first name, but Barnard is way too serious to call a kid every day.

[todopornada.livejournal.com]

We call my son Andy. His name is Robert Andrew IV. There is a Robbie/Rob and a Bobby/Bob in the family already. I wanted him to have a stronger sense of self than I felt he would have if he were to be called Robert.

[mystickiwi.livejournal.com]

It doesn't bother me, especially if the person chose to use their middle name rather than their first. It's certainly easier than getting a name change!