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How Many Names is Too Many?
Filed under: Baby Names
I really want to name our soon-to-be daughter after my grandmother or my husband's grandmother. But my husband is not a fan of either name. We finally agreed to go with Lyla, using both of their names as middle names. Is Lyla Clara Melanie too much for a little girl? People keep telling me to just pick one but i'd hate to hurt either side of the family.
- Name Pleaser
You're not alone in wanting your baby's name to do double duty. Lot of parents today want to honor two (or even three or four) relatives with a single name. That's inevitable in this era of smaller families. When you have just one or two grandkids to carry on the traditions of two whole families, those kids' names have to do a lot of heavy lifting.
What's more, it's usually the middle name that carries the burden. Like your husband, most of us today are unwilling to give up first-name fashion to honor a relative -- and it's a rare, lucky family blessed with fashionably named grandmas. But what do you do when you have more grandmas than middle names to honor them with?
Some parents are turning to "mashup" names, merging all of their relatives into one. I get a lot of requests for attractive name ideas that combine, say, Joyce, Frances, Howard and Raymond. In your case, a mashup of Clara and Melanie might give you Carmela. That sure beats Joyfrowmand. Nonetheless, I like your more straightforward approach.
Yes, a second middle name can be a bother. I certainly wouldn't recommend it on style grounds alone. But think of it this way: wouldn't you rather have two middle names and two happy grandmas than just one of each?
How did you handle family names? Share your experiences here! And if you have your own question to Ask the Name Lady, drop her a line!
Related: My Mother Hates My Baby Name











ReaderComments (Page 4 of 8)
2-05-2010 @ 9:57AM
mrssmilesalot said...I just use the initials of the love ones……
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2-05-2010 @ 10:01AM
Kate said...This worked for us--We used one grandfather's middle name for a first name and the other grandfather's first name as the middle. Both equally weighted and allowed us to have more flexibility in the choices.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:02AM
sue said...My daughter has two meaningful middle names and she is very proud of both of them.- Whats the problem?
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2-05-2010 @ 10:19AM
Christi said...I named my son after his father although I wanted to name him Tyler with my dad's name as a middle name.
I just added the Tyler in there as another middle name. So he has two middle names
It is a bother on paperwork however and very uncommon.
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2-07-2010 @ 8:35AM
SimplySpoyled said...I am a product of a family pleaser. I have 2 middle names myself and to be perfectly honest, its not a bother. It doesnt come up on anything but my birth certificate, so no one will ever know unless I decide to share the 2nd name with them. No matter how many names he/she may be given, society always asks for First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:22AM
sunflower said...My family is very small. When chosing names for my little two, I chose names from both sides of my husbands and my family. My children are Camille (original) Aynsleigh (incorporates my side) Mozelle (my grandmother in law) and Miles (original) Ngosi (husbands name) Everton (brother in law). This way, everyone feels a part of it. My children mostly go by their first names, but when they are in trouble....the whole alphabet comes out. LOL.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:25AM
Jenn said...I take exception to the people sayihng 'this isn't Europe' or 'I thought only Mexicans did that'. My family is from Europe (non-Hispanic) and there's both the tradition for multiple middle names and NO middle names. My grandmother was the youngest of 8 and none of them had middle names. My father on the other hand had two. I gave both my children two middle names as well, and 3 of those 4 were family names.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:44AM
ruauch800 said...Yea! i'm a melanie also1 i got an idea how about intials? something like Lyla CEE M? OR- LIL MEL-M? LOL! I meant Lyla Mel C.?
OR- Melanie L. Clara?
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2-05-2010 @ 10:28AM
Aimee said...I am 6 months pregnant and going to have a little girl. We went back and forth with names and decided on a first name, but couldn't choose between a non-family name and a family name as her middle name. So we just used both. Her name will be Adeline Brielle Victoria. I have been getting strange looks and even awkward comments from people when we tell them the name which led me to feel like it's too long. One favorite comment seems to be, "Well good luck to her in school, she won't be able to write our her full name until 5th grade!" But I know if I didn't include both names, I would regret it down the road. And too, I think it sounds like a royal name! LOL Very classy and regal :) This article was just what I needed to help me feel right with my decision. Thanks :)
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2-06-2010 @ 11:25AM
Lyn said...I have two middle names -- as do all 3 of my brothers, though my sister only has 1 middle name. We actually like having the extra name, some of us actually want to be called by one of our middle names, rather than our first names! Peter McKenzie prefers McKenzie, and Paul Michael prefers Mike! So, it's good to have more than one middle name -- leaves more choices for you, AND them.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:37AM
Phil said...To the lady in the original email, a simple compound for the middle name could be Melara.(accent is on the second syllable) It even rings well with Lyla. (Lyla Melara)
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2-05-2010 @ 10:39AM
jane said...How ridiculous...think of the child first. I didn't name my children after anyone in the family and I would not want anyone feeling obligated to name someone after me. This child is an individual. Just the thought of hanging more than two first names on a child is unthinkable, I would not do it.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:38AM
Sierra said...I don't see the problem with having 2 middle names. I myself have 3, as do my 3 older sisters. They mean a lot to us because they're the names of our God-parents and/or special loved ones. It's just something unique my parents decided to do and its never, ever been a problem. It definitely doesn't hold us back in any way. In everyday life we just use the first one. (like for signatures or when forms ask for just the one middle initial) And now it's sort of become a family tradition. All 5 of my nieces have 3 middle names, all meaningful and special to them.
So i think if using both names will honors both sides of your family, is meaningful to you and makes you happy then there's really no reason why you shouldn't.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:39AM
Steven said...My wife and I used the names that "We" wanted for "Our" children without input from the family. I think it is so wrong when other family members interfere with parents naming their child. So many times family feels offended or suggest using another name other than the parents original choice. You are the proud parents. The child's name should be the proud name the two of you choose together and family should respect that.
As for our two children, We used each other's middle names. Our son "Thomas Christian" and our daughter "Elizabeth Diane"
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2-05-2010 @ 10:38AM
Pat said...This is insane. I find it completely selfish and insensitve to the highest degree that grandparents get that involved in the names of their grandchildren AND end up with an atttude about it.
They have lived their lives and they need to get out of their kids' lives. It is tough enough for a couple having a kid w/o all this name nonsense.
The answer is to not name the kid after either of them. Then, no one gets their old feelings hurt. Or if you plan on having more kids, then name one kid after a grandparent the 1st time around, and then name after the other grandparent the 2 time. Someone can pick names out of a hat to see who goes first.
I repeat. This is the epitmoe of selfishness to have the couple gong through this. Grandparents, grow up and get a life. Should have happened a while ago, don't you think?
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2-07-2010 @ 2:21PM
Christi said...my mom named me Elise, after my grandmother who was named Elsie (or Isle in German)
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2-05-2010 @ 10:40AM
Patricia said...My Brother, cousins, step brother and adopted Brothers all had the same name. But in speaking about them in the family we would say Jimmy 1 or Jimmy 2, 3 or 4. All are about the same age. I remember going outside and yelling Jimmy 1 dinner is ready. How lame is that.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:43AM
XxRosexOfxSharyn said...I agree with Pat:
"This is insane. I find it completely selfish and insensitve to the highest degree that grandparents get that involved in the names of their grandchildren AND end up with an atttude about it.
They have lived their lives and they need to get out of their kids' lives. It is tough enough for a couple having a kid w/o all this name nonsense.
The answer is to not name the kid after either of them. Then, no one gets their old feelings hurt. Or if you plan on having more kids, then name one kid after a grandparent the 1st time around, and then name after the other grandparent the 2 time. Someone can pick names out of a hat to see who goes first.
I repeat. This is the epitmoe of selfishness to have the couple gong through this. Grandparents, grow up and get a life. Should have happeend a while ago, don't you think?"
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2-05-2010 @ 10:47AM
eilinda said...We selected names for our son and daughter that would sound and appear in print to be strong for business. We were proven correct to do so: both names were favorites of all teachers and college professors. Both names command respect in the Fortune 500 world of business. Parents...select a name for your child that commands visions of strength. Forget the weak names. Our adult children's names are William Thomas..... and Catherine Jane.... Please do not saddle your child with wishy washy names. And for heaven sakes, at least give your child an Anglican name.
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2-05-2010 @ 10:55AM
lee said...My biggest caveat to any parent contemplating a child's moniker, please! Put yourself first in that child's future. will they get made fun of at school for your CUTE little name/ Let me introduce myself, I'm Orval. try that on for rib tickling hilarity. Try to imagine the kidding, the slurs, the fist fights. How about my nick name, ORVY! Or Oval, how about ORVILLY? I always dreaded being sounded out in classroom roll calls. My name never failed to bring snickers. So PLEASE! No cute names, stick with Joe, Bob, Bill. And Mary, Nancy Linda, Louise. PLEASE!
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