Anyone go by their Middle Name?

Question

For those of you who go by your middle name... would you have rather had your parents switched your name when you were a baby or do you like having it as your middle name? Ex.... My son is Robert Nicholas, but we have been calling him Nicholas. Should we just leave it and continue to let him use his middle name or should be change it to Nicholas Robert.... OR should we call him Robby? My husband's name is Robert so the only option we really have with his first name right now is Robby. I am very confused on what to call him... he is 9 months old and my husband's whole family calls him Nicholas because they said Robby is too confusing. My husband wanted to use his first name because our other two sons have R names too and he thought it would be cute, but it has just caused too many problems and confusion for the family. Any sugestions???????

Answer 1

Why is a child given several names to begin with? All are valid names given to that child. So with whichever one, he or she becomes known, all are correct. I go by several. My mom uses my first name. My dad calls me by my second name. My sisters alternate between both and my youngest sibling has changed my second name entirely from Gloria to Gia at the age of two, because she couldn't say Gloria. I respond to all names, no problem. The outside world uses my original first name, because I like it best. It makes me feel like a fuller individual. That I have all these names that describe me. Fine by me! Keeps life interesting! Next time, just give the child one name if variety scares you, is all I can suggest! I think it's great though! At some point, the kid should be able to choose the name he or she likes best. Families will be families and everyone will have their favoritie name for someone, but that's kind of cute seeing different preferences. Intelligence is actually expanded by having to adjust to various conditions. One name, one response, one continuous path in the brain can result in a mental rut. So welcome diversity and differences. When the kid gets older, he'll have a preference too. And often, his own friends will come up with another nick name you'd never even thought of! Not to worry! Go with the flow! Call him by the name you prefer best. That defines your connection to your child. Another name used by another defines their connection, and so on. Variety is the spice of life, I say! If if were his sister, I'd probably come up with my own version, like say, Nicky Robby, that'd be my choice!

Answer 2

I have a co-worker whose kids all go by their middle names. It can get a bit confusing in school, but once a teacher realizes that the child goes by the middle name, it's no problem. I say continue with Nicholas because he's used to it now, even at 9 months. Changing his name to Robby would be confusing - not just to him but everyone in the family. No need to change the order of his name legally. I'd hate to know that my parents changed my name after I was born (unless of course my parents named me something really weird like Apple LOL)

Answer 3

Hi

Would it confuse your son if you were to suddenly change his name - I know that he's only 9 months but for the sake of being 'cute', you have to wonder whether he might get confused if his name was suddenly changed. . . .

For generations and generations and generations, every first-born male in our family has been called John. Don't ask me why - it's just always been that way! When my brother and his partner had a baby, they had a long debate about what to call him - they are not married and my brother's partner wasn't fully buying into 'our' family tradition. Added to that, their son's surname was going to be double-barelled; hers followed by his. In the end, they decided to call their son John and gave him the middle name Austen. He is known to everyone as Austen - although you will often hear my brother refer to him as 'Little John.' Austen is two and doesn't seem confused - he doesn't realise that his middle name is being used - and neither does anyone else - everyone just knows him as Austen!

I don't think it is important which order your names are on your birth certificate. It's what people KNOW you by . . .

And you have to think which YOU would prefer - why has it caused confusion for the family, let alone 'problems'??

Personally, I think that Nicholas is a nicer name than Robby or Robert and I also think that it marks your son out as an individual, rather than be always be known by the same name as his dad. Believe me, all the Johns in my family had their own nick-name which was important in order to distinguish them from one another! It's nice to carry on a family tradition but nicer to start carving out your own in life . . . .

Good luck with whatever you decide - I don't think that it's at all bad to be known by your middle name .. . . .!

Answer 4

I think Nicholas is a great name for a boy. You can always shorten it Nick when he's older. Most likely his friends will. Let him choose which name to use. My sister has used her first and middle names at various times. I never use mine because it's Gay (yes literally Gay). Not sure what my mom was thinking but guess she thought it was cute at the time. Robbie is cute for a little boy, but not for a grown man.

Answer 5

my husband is George Stephen - and he goes by Steve and always has - BUT for work and the military he is George. He dosen't find it confusing at all - infact he likes it so when someone calls for him we know if its work, a telemarketer or some one who really knows him... Another thing Robby may be cute when he's young but think of your 17 year old son who is now taller than dad --- you think he's still going to want to be Robby - or worse Little Rob - or Rob Jr - My husbands father was George also that's why they did the middle name thing - he's glad they did and when we had children he didn't want a name sake just for that reason - but we did the name sake think anyway - George Stephen became - Georgieanna Stephanie - - -

Answer 6

call him Robert, or Robby, because you're husband likes the 3 children with R's , which I find very cute by the way... so yeah I'd say call him Robby, that was his name

Answer 7

I go by my middle name and everything else other then my first name...I do wish it would have been changed when i was younger.only because when it comes to school and etc. your first name is always called because thats how it is legally..and then you have to explain and it gets confusing. But either way if your calling him by his middle name just continue and if you dont want to switch the names just leave be.

Answer 8

If you've been calling him Nicholas, just continue with it. Nicholas is a great name - no sense confusing everyone at this pooint. My cousin named her little girl Sarah Katherine and we call her Kate. It's not a big deal. My middle name is Katherine, too, and I would definitely use it if I didn't like my first name.

Answer 9

My first and middle name is Billie Spring and I hate it. I had actually went thru the procedure to change both first and middle name but my husband begged me not to. My mom said at the time boy names for girls were "very in" and she thought the middle name Spring went very cutely with it (I was born in October so go figure). I went thru torment in school with a boy's name and also having B.S. for my first to initials,

Answer 10

I don't go by my middle name, as I dislike it so.

But, I don't think you have to legally change it. I have known two guys that have gone by their middle names, and it was never a big deal for most people. I don't understand why it is causing so much confusion -especially within the family, where they should know the back story.