Middle name

Middle name is a segment of personal legal name that is written between the person's given name and their surname. A person may be given a middle name regardless of whether it's customary in the country where they were born. Middle names can be chosen for various reasons, such as to honor relatives, to use a name the parents like but that is too out-of-date for a first name, or to use a name that is less formal, or more unique, than the first name.

Usage

Middle names are often used for personal identification purposes, especially when the first and last names are common, and can help distinguish a person from others with the same or similar names. In many cultures, the middle name can be seen as an additional first name. In the United States, "middle name" is often abbreviated to "M.I.", for "middle initial". In the United Kingdom, it is common for people to have more than one middle name, often having the same number of middle names as their parents.

History

The concept of a "middle name" has origins in the Middle Ages, when Europeans would often give their children several names. The first name was a Christian name, and the second name was a patronymic name, which identified the person as the son or daughter of someone. Over time, the order of these names changed to the modern "given name, middle name, surname" format.

In different cultures

In many cultures, middle names are a relatively modern concept. In China, for example, most people do not have a middle name. In Russia, a patronymic is used instead of a middle name, with the person's name reflecting their father's name. In Spain and many Latin American countries, a person's two surnames are often used, with the mother's maiden name becoming a part of the child's official name.

See also

• Given name
• Surname
• Patronymic
• Matronymic
• Family name
• Personal name

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