a day ago
Why So Many Southerners Go By Their Middle Names
We asked our readers to help demystify this unique tradition.
We recently shared a story about double-name rules that every Southerner should know (namely, never shorten or abbreviate one without express permission), and the comments went wild. It turns out lots of y'all have double names and were glad to see us advocating for the Mary Jos and Patty Anns of the world. But there was another camp in the comment section requesting some overdue acknowledgement as well: 'Can you do a post about middle-name-ers too?' We aim to please, so here's a little love for the Middle Name Crowd (which includes actress Reese Witherspoon). We tip our hats to all y'all—and your neglected first names too.
Why Some Southerners Go By Their Middle Names
We turned to our Facebook audience to get to the bottom of the unique tradition, asking, 'Are you a Southerner who goes by their middle name? Tell us the story behind your moniker!' We got nearly 250 comments, which shed a bit more light on the sometimes sticky situation.
To Avoid Confusion
For many parents naming their children, going by the middle name is a matter of practicality—and avoiding a case of mistaken identity. Wrote one Southern Living reader, 'My dad, grandfather, and great-grandfather all had the same first name. They all went by their middle names.' Imagine the confusion if you called for Earl and three people answered you!
To Honor A Loved One
A handful of readers noted that they went by their second name because it once belonged to a treasured family member or friend. That's the case for Southern Living's very own Editor in Chief, Sid Evans. 'I'm a Jr., so I have my father's name, but he wanted to call me Sid after a beloved uncle,' he says.
To Help the Flow
Sometimes, it's a simple matter of what sounds better. 'Myself and my 3 oldest siblings all go by our middle names,' wrote another reader. 'Our names just are easier on the ear in the order our parents placed them. But they got smart on kid #5 and went with calling him by his first name as it sounds better that way too!'
To Make the Most of a Moniker
You've got to work with what you've got. Joked one reader, who punctuated her comment with a laughing emoji, 'Although I'm not real keen on my middle name, which I go by, I dislike my first name even more! I guess it's the lesser of two evils!!'
The Downside of Going By Your Middle Name
While there are plenty of practical and heartwarming reasons for a parent to call their child by a middle name, lots of commenters who go by their middle names were very vocal about the pain points that often accompany the practice.
'Named after my mom, so to avoid confusion, I go by my middle name, which causes all kinds of legal issues,' wrote one reader. 'If you're an expecting parent, don't name your child one name and call him/her by their middle. It truly is a huge hassle.' Another wrote, 'All of my financial, business, medical, passport/ID have my first name. Such a pain.'
There were so many similar comments about the legal and everyday frustrations associated with the tradition that one reader took it upon himself to sum things up: 'Long story short… it's a curse to go by your middle name.'
Even so, other middle name-ers, like Sid, take it in stride: 'For airlines, credit card companies, hotels, etc., I just let them call me John.'
Read the original article on Southern Living
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