Middle Name

In the English-speaking world, the middle name is a secondary given name. When the full name is presented, it is placed between the first name and the surname. People can have more than one middle name, though it is unusual to have none.

Many people include their middle name as an initial in their usual name, for example George W. Bush. Others prefer their middle name and use it instead of their first name.

In America, surnames of relatives (and especially the mother's maiden name) have often been employed as middle names. This has contributed to the increased number of surnames used as given names in America.