How many names?

[mrsnelson.livejournal.com]

How many names for a child is too many?

Example, Heidi Klum's son's name is: Henry Guenther Ademola Dashtu Samuel

I knew a family that allowed each child to pick a name, so their last child's name had 6 names (all very hilarious: Chewbacca was one of the middle names. Good times.)

What is your absolute limit? What is excessive on any level? How many are you going to name your child?


My comfort limit is 3. Excessive = anything more then that. I am a traditionalist. I will have 2 unless I find a fantastic name that goes well with them, then I would consider a third.

Why? Because after 2 you really quit paying attention. I doubt Henry will be introducing himself as "Henry Guenther Ademola Dashtu Samuel etc". The other names will probably just be left out and end up being superfluous.

You?

Comments

[rhondaaerosmith.livejournal.com]

I agree with ya!!

[holly-megan.livejournal.com]

One first name, 2 middle names, one last name.

I like it that way because, well, I have two middle names. I want all my kids to have some sense of tradition passed on in their names. I feel like a first and 2 middle names is enough to get the family name, plus names you and your partner like all in.

I'm "Holly Megan Ruth" because they like Megan, but it was too common in the mid-eighties, so they went with Holly Megan, and Ruth is a family name. I love having two middle names, it's a neat quirk I think.

[aymen.livejournal.com]

When I saw Kiefer Sutherlands full name, I was like WTF?!

Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland

I guess Seal and Heidi think along the same lines as Kiefer's parents LOL

My limit is 2 names and a last name. I'm like you, if I find something fantastic that goes well with them, then I would consider a third.

[mountain-nest.livejournal.com]

mmmmmm. kiefer.

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

My limit is one first, one middle, one last. I don't mind a second middle name, but beyond that is excessive.


I do like the idea of each kid picking a name though. Excessive but cute.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

I like 3 total: first, middle and last. especially for a girl who might take her husband's name someday. or a guy who might take his wife's, i suppose, although that happens less frequently. in Salt Lake, i knew a lot of Mormon girls whose parents only gave them a first and last name, no middle name, so that when they were married (and this for the families was a WHEN not an IF), their last name became the middle and the husband's became the last name. i wouldn't go THAT far to presume my daughter would get married and take a different name, so i'd always give a girl a middle name, but... two middle names is silly, in my opinion. like a hyphenated last name... the kid always ends up dropping one of the names anyway.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

oh, but i like the idea of the family that allowed each child to pick a name for the subsequent child. that's adorable. if that had been allowed in my husband's family, he would have had "burrito" as a middle name. if i was planning a big family, i might consider that idea. it's endearing.

[holly-megan.livejournal.com]

two middle names is silly, in my opinion. like a hyphenated last name... the kid always ends up dropping one of the names anyway.

I agree about people with hyphenated last names usually cutting it down to one, but out of all the people I know with 2 middle names, they include them all. I haven't ever heard of dropping a middle name.

[sayga.livejournal.com]

well, every woman i've known who got married dropped either her last name, or her middle name to put her last name in the middle name's place. i don't think a sue laura jane smith johnson is going to keep all her names after adding the johnson. it's not the same as a dropped middle name for a non-marriage related reason, and a lot of people dont change their name or don't get married, but it's the most common example i can think of, of dropping names when the list gets too excessive.

[holly-megan.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm thinking of things in a more traditional sense where when/if a woman gets married, she changes her last name to her husbands, and drops her maiden name completely. Ex: When I get married I'm not going to be Holly Megan Ruth B____-_____ I would just be Holly Megan Ruth _______.

[cathkitten.livejournal.com]

My husband is James Martin Daniels V______. In EVERY document he fills out there is only room for one middle name. So he is basically James Martin V. On his drivers license, at school, etc.

[angelwifey.livejournal.com]

really? im LDS and ive never heard of this happening. and ive lived in the "jello belt". strange.

[bree019.livejournal.com]

First, middle, last. Anything more than that is excessive (IMO), I don't care how many grandparents you need to honor.

[hitzpink.livejournal.com]

I agree. Plus, something about giving your kid two middle names just seems pretentious to me.

[p-inkjeans.livejournal.com]

I've thought about doing two middle names for my kids, but I wouldn't do any more than that.

[monalyssasmile.livejournal.com]

I have a friend who's sister is Anneliese Christine Susan Marie Lastname. At one point I wanted to name my daughter Kylieanna Elizabeth Julia Grace. (I had bad taste in first names then).

I think the most for me now for names would be one first name two middle names one last name. I'm dropping my last name because it's cursed. I only have one name that has two middle names because one of the names is a must have to be included.

[heyitsrebecca.livejournal.com]

3 is my limit..
I named my daughter Ivy Violet-Rena. (It's prn Renee.. family thing) It was going to be just Ivy Rena, until I realized that if I didn't use Violet then, I'd never get to use it. (thought i'd only have one) But I couldn't NOT use Rena, since she was the first born girl of this generation.

The sad part of this story is that my boyfriend now would have agreed to Violet if I hadn't already used it... damn. LOL

Any more than 3 without a super good reason is excessive, IMO

[darabelle.livejournal.com]

One first name, one middle name, one last name. :)


I would love to know Chewbacca's full name (you can leave out the last name of course).

[miss-tee.livejournal.com]

I have two middle names but everyone I know has one or none.
I will only give my future kids one

[imyourrapunzel.livejournal.com]

My preference is four names maximum, with more it just sounds like a list of names.

[seren.livejournal.com]

we're only giving our children 1 middle name. i have two, and there's never enough room on forms to fit them all in! i certainly wouldn't give my children more than 2 middle names.

[elemmennope.livejournal.com]

Occasionally a person has a good reason for having more than one. Usually I think more than one, and especially more than two mns sounds pretentious. Or just plain indecisive.

[trissyd.livejournal.com]

My middle names are hyphenated (Debra-Lee), I don't think it's 'too much'... I agree with most people on the post, 1 first, 2 middle, 1 last is the max.

[lavandersparkle.livejournal.com]

One first name, two middle names, and a last name.

[ferretiger.livejournal.com]

i'm surprised with how many people are critical of two middle names. in my family, most of the boys have two middle names. Frederik Carl Christian was a compromise because my grandfather wanted Frederick and my grandmother wanted Christian. John Howard Matthew was named after his uncle and father. my own son has two middle names as a compromise between his father and myself (we're not together, so the baby has my last name and his dad's last name as a second middle name). so what if you can't put them all on forms? they're still your name.

[angelwifey.livejournal.com]

well if its a cultural reason , like in brazil they have several names, thats fine. But normally, i just like the one middle name and the last name.
But with my situation they may get a second middle name(my last name or the fathers). we shall see.

[annieareyouokay.livejournal.com]

I think one first name, two middle, one last name (or two, depending on the circumstances).

I actually gave myself two middle names when I got married. I went from Anna Marie P____ to Anna Marie-P____ G____. I really just go by Anna Marie G. to cut down on confusion. Marie-P. is honoring my grandparents (grandpa's last name, and Marie P. is my grandmother).

[x-lostinyou.livejournal.com]

I'll do two middle names because I'm used to it, and have lots of people I'd like to honour. Plus, I really don't see the big deal. One, you almost never hear all of a person's names. Two, the 'forms' people are complaining about? I've dealt with it my whole life... it's called initials. Two letters will always fit. Or for something like a license, who really cares if only one middle name is there?

Plus with the marriage thing... women drop their maiden names all the time. If they choose to drop a middle name instead, so be it.