The Best Baby Middle Names for Baby Girls and Boys

It’s hard to pick one name for a baby, that’s where baby middle names come in handy. Combinations of names give you an opportunity to give your child a truly unique name and maybe get in good with the grandparents by inserting a traditional family name into the mix. Experts' opinions vary as to whether single, double or even triple names are a good thing.

I say forget what the experts say and form your own opinions on baby middle names. Name your child what you want to and don't give anyone else's ideas a second thought because their ideas don't really count. ARE BABY MIDDLE NAMES MANDATORY?
There is no real necessity for babies to have a middle name, however it has become common for most children to have them. A few decades ago, when families were much larger many girls and boys were given one short name. As middle names were not required by law overworked couples didn’t waste precious time worrying about such trivial matters. Perhaps naming babies was not so much fun when you had thirteen or more children.

ARE THERE ADVANTAGES to MULTIPLE BABY MIDDLE NAMES?

My friends who are into genealogy are the only people that I know who consider it to be a punishable sin to give a child a single name at birth. The reasoning behind this belief is that future genealogists will have more problems sorting out the John Browns of this century than the John Ellard McDaniel Browns. When you put it like that, it is very hard to argue with their reasoning.

BABY MIDDLE NAMES and NAMING TRADITIONS
Our sensible side dictates that we think ahead and choose a name for baby that will look good on a college diploma as well as a job resume. But, what about the name of the heroine in our favorite romance novel that we fell in love with so long ago? Multiple baby middle names will allow you to combine respectable names suitable for the business world with romantic or even flamboyant names in a way that won’t reflect on your child’s professional future. Elaborate, multi-syllable baby middle names for girls are generally first with a single syllable middle name and with boys the opposite is true.

HOW MANY NAMES ARE TOO MANY?
This is an area where you can really win points with your mother-in-law or your rich aunt. It’s perfectly legal to name your child as many names as the proper line on the birth certificate can handle. There will be plenty of room to use your favorite names and still add names of relatives that you wish to honor or memorialize. It is a good idea in this situation to let family know which name your baby will go by on a daily basis so that there are no unrealistic expectations.

NAME WITH CAUTION
When there are more middle names than a few, take a moment to speak the entire name out loud to be sure that all of your names sound good together. Each should compliment the other with a pleasing syntax.

You should also write the names on a piece of paper to see if the initials spell a less than desirable word. Naming a child is serious business and the more names we add the more careful we should be in the selection process.

Please take a look at our baby names lists to find good baby middle names and don't forget our specialty, baby nursery ideas!