Quoting Rifter:

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Quoting Astrakan:

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It's the same in Sweden as it is in Germany. Emigrating to Canada it's been giving me some headaches, as my "middle" name is my primary name but all my identifications have only my "first" name and my last name. Stupid first/middle name system. 

KM

No, it isn't.  Your "official" name is first name: whatever passes for middle name: Surname.

That's the point, my official name is NOT the name that comes first on my birth certificate. My official name is what North American's would refer to as my middle name. This is the way my parents intended it, and the way my name appears on all my original Swedish identification documents - except for my birth certificate.

Quoting Rifter:

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That has nothing to do with the name you use to identify yourself among friends and family.

The point is that it's not just friends and family. My "middle" name is supposed to be my primary name, however you slice it, and the name that I'm supposed to be called by by anyone and everyone - be it in an official status or merely friend/family status.

Quoting Rifter:

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One is no more stupid than another, it's just what you grow up with and are familiar with.

While that's true, I wasn't so much referring to the tradition itself, and more to the government systems, which I wish were more accomodating than they are. As it stands, every single piece of documentation I have that is issued by the Canadian government has the wrong name listed.

A name which I was never intended to be referred to as, and with which I do not associate myself. Simply because the system applies so much importance on which name is listed first on my birth ceritificate, as opposed to what is my true primary and official name.

KM

Quoting sugarjoe:

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Quoting Lithurge:

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We have middle names in the UK, so it's not an 'American concept'.

Although it appears the phrase itself was first used in an American publication.

Interesting, living in the UK now for almost 2 years I have never seen any form mentioning a 'middle name', it is always given Name(s), (sur)Name, have I missed something?

On a lot of Official Documents / Forms or will see areas for First (Given) Name, Surname (Family) and Other Names. Usually the Middle names are put into Other Names.

Steve

Quoting sugarjoe:

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Quoting snarbo:

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On a lot of Official Documents / Forms or will see areas for First (Given) Name, Surname (Family) and Other Names. Usually the Middle names are put into Other Names.

Steve

Who says it is a middle name then?

Not me I'm not an Official...Government or otherwise...it's what I've been told to put my middle name when I've had to fill out one of their forms.

Steve

Quoting Lithurge:

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Nope they don't get called middle name on forms. But you'll never see a form requesting a 'christian' name either.

In day to day conversation they are referred to as first, middle and surname.

And is this middle name always a 'supplementary given name' or does it cover the American maiden name model as well?

Quoting sugarjoe:

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Quoting Lithurge:

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Nope they don't get called middle name on forms. But you'll never see a form requesting a 'christian' name either.

In day to day conversation they are referred to as first, middle and surname.

And is this middle name always a 'supplementary given name' or does it cover the American maiden name model as well?

Usually it's a given name at birth. People do sometimes 'double barrell' their surname so they keep their maiden name as part of their surname. e.g. if their name was Jane Mary Allington, and they married a Mr Smith they could become Jane Mary Allington-Smith. But I don't believe it's that common.

Quoting sugarjoe:

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I find this discussion quite interesting, thank you all for your constructive input.

For me one question remains:

Why is there a need for a middle name field in DVD Profiler?

It is source for many discussions and uncertainty and it looks like all the passports in the world (including US) can make it with given names(s), Surname.

But on the other hand, all the visa forms you fill in, including in the Far East, require middle name, and us Europeans always run out of room with having two, three, or any number.

Anyway, whatever we call them, middle names come in handy to distinguish all those actors with the same name. I counted six Paul Smiths so far.

An acquaintance of mine is named Carl Michael Petter Falck. But to everyone except the authorities he goes by the name Petter Falck. Not C. M. Petter Falck. Never Carl Falck. Does that make Petter a middle name? Not in Sweden. We don't have that concept.

Quoting sugarjoe:

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Quoting snarbo:

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On a lot of Official Documents / Forms or will see areas for First (Given) Name, Surname (Family) and Other Names. Usually the Middle names are put into Other Names.

Steve

Who says it is a middle name then?

"Middle name" is just a slang term in spoken English. It isn't correct in written English because you can have several given names; which one is in the middle? It's just that most people only have one if any, therefore it's a popular ice-breaker in the typical UK office to ask, "What's your middle name then?" and heartily laugh when they say "Doris".

Especially when their first name is "Kevin" ... 

I've always found it an odd thing to find funny, because there's nothing wrong with the name Doris or most choices people have. It's just a strange UK thing that middle names are guarded more strongly than anything else.