middle name drama ???

[ButterCup17]

So my husband and I are undecided on our sons name. We agree to call him Brad, but I want Bradley William and he wants William Bradley (OH name is william). I don't mind the compromise esp if we agree to call him Brad, but I feel like having him go by his middle name is going to be such a hassle his whole life! Anyone with any experience with this??

 

[sun]

My brother goes by his middle name for the same reason - his first is my father's name and they didn't want him to be a "junior". It has never been a hassle at all. Though his first name has essentially gotten lost in the process - all his official documents no longer include it with the exception of his birth certificate. No one uses the name - most people don't even know he has another "first" name at all.

 

[ButterCup17]

Really? So u can leave it off of official documents?

 

[sun]

Really? So u can leave it off of official documents?

He doesn't have his whole name on his drivers license or anything, so yes. He technically has 2 middle names - so he uses them but not his real first name because then people would call him by that. But I'm in Canada so it might be different here!

 

[ButterCup17]

Hmm that's interesting, il have to see if that's the same in US. Thanks!!

 

[sojourn]

My uncle goes by his middle name and he reports that it is no trouble at all.

My husband has a friend whose whole family goes by their middle names! It's weird really, 4 kids, both parents etc. When the friend had a baby they told people that he and his wife had settled on a first name, but were looking for a middle. Everyone joked that no one cared about the first name since it would be soon forgotten anyway. Turns out, the baby is called exclusively by her middle name.

None of them seem to find it enough of a hassle not to do it (and pass it on!)

 

[Reno]

hubby has the same name as his dad and goes by his middle name! all his official documents have his full name, but no one knows he goes by his middle name!

 

[LaraSue]

Husband's whole side of the family goes by their middle names, and they all hate it. My husband said that is one thing we will not do, is call our kid by his middle name. It was always a hassle for him.

 

[ButterCup17]

Husband's whole side of the family goes by their middle names, and they all hate it. My husband said that is one thing we will not do, is call our kid by his middle name. It was always a hassle for him.

What ways was it a hassle? I need pints to give OH haha

 

[Snow Owl]

My ex FIL went by his middle name for his whole life and it didn't appear on bank statements or driving lisence.

But as his real name was on his birth certificate it was on his death certificate so ex MIL had terrible issues closing accounts as in their eyes it wasn't the same person.

 

[Leesy]

I don't see the point of naming the baby William if you are going to call him Brad. I would go with Bradley William. Personally I just don't get the going by the middle name thing, why not just use the name you like as the first name?

 

[randomrach]

I don't see the point of naming the baby William if you are going to call him Brad. I would go with Bradley William. Personally I just don't get the going by the middle name thing, why not just use the name you like as the first name?

Male ego - the child will have the same name as his father. I wonder why women don't feel the need to do that?

 

[happigail]

We use my daughters middle name. We never intended to but it just happened and it's like the universe intended for her to be Kitty! Her name is Adriana Katrina.. the Katrina is after my husband's passed mother and the Kitty comes from that part of her name. I was so in love Adriana as here name, I had a door plaque made, told everyone she is Adriana, planned on Adri for short or maybe RiRi.. never even once used the name, I don't even know How, but she's Kitty. At the doctors she registered as Adriana with a 'known as' Kitty so they call Kitty, I've done the same at pre school and will at school. I know it's going to be confusing and I asked my husband to change it before she was one to Kitty.. but in doing that we'd lose Katrina which is obviously a precious part of her official name... so it stayed this way. At least she has options when she's older and Adriana is very exotic! She'll ALWAYS be my Kitty tho.

 

[ButterCup17]

I don't see the point of naming the baby William if you are going to call him Brad. I would go with Bradley William. Personally I just don't get the going by the middle name thing, why not just use the name you like as the first name?

Male ego - the child will have the same name as his father. I wonder why women don't feel the need to do that?

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sun]

I don't see the point of naming the baby William if you are going to call him Brad. I would go with Bradley William. Personally I just don't get the going by the middle name thing, why not just use the name you like as the first name?

People I know do it because of family tradition and not ego. They aren't wild about the name, but the first born son has had the father's name for generations so they continue it. Going by the middle name is kind of a compromise - keep the tradition alive (and make the grandparents/extended family happy) but getting to use a name you prefer overall.

 

[JJKCB]

most my family go by their middle names (including dad, brother and ds) non have ever had a problem, all forms we encounter now contain 'known by' name sections or you just tell them you use the middle... 90% + of people we know dont know my son, dad, aunt or brothers first names just as you dont normally know someones middle name (the rest of my family dont have middle names - im the only one with a middle name that doesn't use it as a main name)

its more common than people think though as when you meet someone you dont ask if the name they told you is their first or middle... in a group task at university last month everyone but me went by their middle names (which was surprising to find out)

 

[hinkybinky]

In DH's family they do it the other way around, so FIL's name is DH's middle name, DS's middle name is DH's name etc. Makes more sense that way.

Incidentally, in my grandmother's (Scottish) family and the whole community apparently, all the first-born girls were called Margaret! They didn't even go by middle names though (middle name was mother's maiden name so she was Margaret MacKay Ferguson) so they all had to be known as Marge, Meg, Maggie, Mags, Molly etc. She was the 14th Margaret at her place of work and had to be known as Peggy!!

 

[Leesy]

I don't see the point of naming the baby William if you are going to call him Brad. I would go with Bradley William. Personally I just don't get the going by the middle name thing, why not just use the name you like as the first name?

People I know do it because of family tradition and not ego. They aren't wild about the name, but the first born son has had the father's name for generations so they continue it. Going by the middle name is kind of a compromise - keep the tradition alive (and make the grandparents/extended family happy) but getting to use a name you prefer overall.

See if that was me and I really didn't like the name, I would say buck your tradition..