Let’s face it: Finding one great name for your baby can be a huge challenge. (It’s got to be unique! But not too weird! And classic! But not fuddy-duddy!) Finding two? Forget it. But the humble middle name, so often relegated to mere initial status, is taking on a more high profile role these days, and it deserves your attention.
“Middle names really complete the name package,” says Amanda Elizabeth Barden, author of Baby Names Made Easy. “Full names appear on important documents like graduation certificates, and when people enter their professional lives, they often start using a middle name or initial.” (Note that Barden uses hers!) A middle name will also help your child distinguish himself from someone else with the same name (and unless you’re naming your kid something like Pilot Inspektor, it can happen, especially in the Internet age), and allow you to buy adorable monogrammed baby gear. You’ll even prevent your kid from a lifetime of hearing the “You don’t have a middle name?!” question, Barden says.
So while you can relax a little -- there are no rules when it comes to picking a middle name -- follow these tips to find the perfect middle moniker for your babe.
Go with the Flow
No matter what names you’re considering, the way they flow together is key, so say out loud any combinations that are in the running before making your final decision. “Because both my husband and I are writers, the rhythm of our daughter's full name was important to us,” says mom Ellen N. “We knew we needed something with three syllables to flow best with the shorter first and last names, and something that had a 'soft' sound to balance the harder sounds in the first and last.” Her middle name choice: Emerson -- a perfect complement to the first name, Chloe.
(Credit: Mimi Haddon/Getty Images)
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