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Here's a site you may find to be interesting, Mary:
http://www.firmament.com/genealog/howname.htm
Among other things, it explains that "Middle names weren't used until the 15th Century when a second 'first' name was used as a status symbol by German nobility. Many years passed before this practice became widespread, and in the United States, did not become popular until after the Revolutionary War, when the fashion was to use the mother's maiden name."
-- Nanaea
Here's a site you may find to be interesting, Mary:
http://www.firmament.com/genealog/howname.htm
Among other things, it explains that "Middle names weren't used until the 15th Century when a second 'first' name was used as a status symbol by German nobility. Many years passed before this practice became widespread, and in the United States, did not become popular until after the Revolutionary War, when the fashion was to use the mother's maiden name."
-- Nanaea
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Mary, If you click on "Archives" at the top of the Message Board page, then select "February 2001", you'll find a discussion we had of the need for middle names starting about 2/23 (look for topic "Why Make A Name Unnecessary Long?"). Not very historic, but a glimpse of several of us in one of our feistier moods.
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i think its the same reason phone numbers have 9 digits, so that its not likely for more then one person to have the same Full name, i know of a major league base ball player with the same first and last name as my brother, and ive met someone with the same first and last name as me. w/o middle names that could really screw up the social security office and stuff.
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I dont know but maybe it was because they couldnt choose one name so they added another. j/k Good question, but that is the reason my girl is going to have 2 middle names!
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