do you feel that it's necessary to give someone a middle name? do you think it's "cheating" them if you don't? i had a friend from kindergarten and up that she didn't have a middle name, and neither did my pawpaw (he had to make one up to join the army though)

I looked after 2 children who didnt have middle names and they hated it. They felt like they were missing out but their Mom didnt give them any because her family got really nasty about it when she thought of some and this person had to be honored and why didnt you take my name and so on and it was ridiculous. She just tells her family that why have middle names. They arent useful for anything to keep the peace.

And on the other hand a friend gave her baby a hyphenated first name, 5 middle names and a hyphenated last name and his name doesnt fit on any forms and its a mouthful.

Quoting Caimma:" I looked after 2 children who didnt have middle names and they hated it. They felt like they were missing ... [snip!] ... a hyphenated first name, 5 middle names and a hyphenated last name and his name doesnt fit on any forms and its a mouthful."

  why would you do that to a kid. totally unnecessary imo. i was pushing it a bit by giving DD 2 mns.

My grandfather doesn't have a middle name (while his older brother has three!), but he seems to have done just fine without one. Personally, I like the idea of at least one middle name b/c there is more naming options, less likely to have confusion if you have a common last name and it gives your kid a second name to go by in case he/she doesn't like her first name.

Quoting Caimma:" I looked after 2 children who didnt have middle names and they hated it. They felt like they were missing ... [snip!] ... a hyphenated first name, 5 middle names and a hyphenated last name and his name doesnt fit on any forms and its a mouthful."

Five middle names is just too many. Two is the most I can see on a child without being nuts.

Quoting CottonCandyKiller:"   why would you do that to a kid. totally unnecessary imo. i was pushing it a bit by giving DD 2 mns. "

They arent even short middle names and there are 3 different languages used and it just a giant unnecessary mess. None of them honor anyone either.

Also I only like middle names because I go by one of mine.

It depends on what kind of person you are IMO. We were more traditional with DS's middle name. It's tradition in both of our families to give the first son his father's name as his middle name. DH's name is Alexander; Wesley is Wesley Alexander.
That being said, a middle name is basically just a place-holder anyway.

Quoting Caimma:" Also I only like middle names because I go by one of mine."

if you don't mind me asking, how many do you have?

I have 2. My full name is Chelsey Emma Rose C..... and originally I started going by Emma Rose but it got shortened to Emma by everyone. I did go by Chelsey for the first 18 years of my life.

Quoting Caimma:" I have 2. My full name is Chelsey Emma Rose C..... and originally I started going by Emma Rose but it got shortened to Emma by everyone. I did go by Chelsey for the first 18 years of my life."

my name is Maleesha but i went by Leesha till i got in hs. DD is Lillian Raina Marie C. we call her Lily Rain, Lilly/Lillian Marie, or Raina Marie.

I only changed mine because I was bullied so much with the name Chelsey and when I moved provinces and turned my life around I wanted a change and I always wanted to go by Emma and it was my great grandmothers middle name and the man who murdered her was released this year so it was also to honor her.

Middle names are complicated.

Quoting Caimma:" I only changed mine because I was bullied so much with the name Chelsey and when I moved provinces and ... [snip!] ... middle name and the man who murdered her was released this year so it was also to honor her. Middle names are complicated. "

my middle name is also Marie, as was my grandmother's, great-grandmother's, and great-great-grandmothers. probably further but idk.

Thats really cool. I want to give my first girl her great grandmother's middle name because I was given my great grandmothers middle name.