It’s Middle Name Day! The day falls on March 10th of every year, and it is to help show pride in your middle name.
Did you ever wonder why we even have middle names? In Ancient Rome, important figures were honoured with more than one name. This was picked up in the 1700s, where aristocratic families would give their children multiple names to reflect their important status.
However, the tradition trickled down to the common people during the Middle Ages, when European families had trouble between choosing to give their child a Saint’s name, or a more common family name. It was eventually solved by the introduction of a third, middle name and the tradition has carried on ever since.
According to British Baby Names, compiled with data from The Telegraph, here are the top 40 most popular middle names. Would you give one of these middle names to your child?
GIRLS
1. Rose
2. Elizabeth
3. Grace
4. Mary
5. Olivia
6. Alice
9. Jane
10. Beatrice
11. Louise
12. Charlotte
14. Alexandra
15. Florence
16. Josephine
17. Margaret
18. Anne
19. Emily
20. Isabella
BOYS
1. James
2. William
3. John
4. George
5. Edward
6. Alexander
7. Thomas
8. David
9. charles
10. Henry
11. Richard
12. robert
13. Arthur
14. Michael
15. Peter
16. Francis
17. Christopher
18. Oliver
19. Anthony
20. Frederick
