Hi Bertha,

Nothing scientific, but I have noticed this whilst researching over the years. I think it started in the 19th Century. Initially by upper middle class people where both families had gained recognized status. It was a snob thing. Some ordinary people took up the fashion a bit later.

Roger

Hi Bertha

I have a modern day cousin (male) called Vaughan in recognition of his Grandfather's family name (William Henry Vaughan). This is not a middle name and doesn't help your theory. Also I am afraid he does not use it, every one calls him Vic.

Barbara.

It is not at all unusual in the US to give a child, particularily a son,the mother's maiden name as a middle name. The practice is not restricted to those with UK antecedents. My mother was a Reed so I, the oldest son, have Reed as a middle name.
Dewey

Hi Bertha

There are several non-FOD instances of this in my family. I have a George Edward Pewtner who married an Esther Stone in Bristol and all but one of their half a dozen children, girls and boys, had Stone as the middle name. These children born 1819 to 1829.
Then I have a Susannah Barns Lovering born 1792 who married Thomas Tucker in Berrynarbor, Devon. Her mother was Catherine Barns. Susannah and Thomas's children didn't have the middle name thing, but the eldest of them, Thomas Tucker b Berrynarbor 1820, called two of his children, who were born in Newport, Thomas Barns Tucker (1854) and Edward Lovering Tucker (1856).
Have other examples too but these notable for overkill in one family and skipping a generation. So it was definitely a West Country custom as well. And it certainly makes tracing them easier!

Joss

My father had no idea why he had a middle name Elsmore until my research into the family. My Grandfather and Grandmothers decision to give him this name dated back 5 generations to when Josiah Evans Harris married Mary Ann Elsmore in English Bicknor September 1833

bertha,

There is also another idea I have regarding those children born out of wedlock to "single women". it is that the middle name they were given was the surname of the father but was not admitted to on baptism records or birth certificates.

One example in my wifes family is Mary Meredith Edwards b1838 - mother Mary Edwards b abt 1820. There were plenty of Merediths around then who might be the father!

Hello Bertha, on the subject of a mothers/wifes surname given as a childs middle name has cropped up frequently in my research of ancestors in East Devon in the 19th.c.and even into the early 20th. My auntie born in 1903 was a first child of 6 and for her middle name was given her grandparents surname of Driver. One of her uncles had his mothers surname as his middle name. Many others I have researched in East Devon area carried their mothers maiden name as their middle name.
Mervyn.

Hello Bertha,

This business of having a second name has really caused me a lot of confusion.
If you go to the top of the 'New additions January' photo gallery you will see my entry on my materal grandfather George Barnfield-Hale, after a lot of searching I discovered that his great grandmother was Ruth Barnfield and he adopted this as part of his surname. However, he didn't seem to use if when registering the birth of his many children or on any official documentation.
As Hale is a common Forest name, I'm sure one of the contributors to this particular thread is right - it has a certain 'snob' value.

I spent an enjoyable day last weekend driving around the forest meeting up with long lost cousins and old friends of my aunts and uncles.

Facinating stuff this - I'm relly hooked!

Best wishes,

Robert