three names?

In England, it is common to have 2 middle names - the second one usually a family name ie.  the mothers' maiden name or a name which may have 'died out' along the family tree.

Our little boy will have 2 middle names - we just have to work out what they will be!!!

Lilian78:

Thanks for the suggestion, but I try not to give my kids first names that I want to shorten

I can relate completely.  All 3 of mine have names that do not have nicknames for that very reason.  For what it's worth I know 2 little girls named Clara and neither goes by Claire.  Clara Elizabeth is a really pretty name, too :)

My 2 ds only have 2 names but dd has 3 amelie christine marie. I think if you like several names it's a good option to have 3. Why not!

Lilian78:

Thanks everyone .  . . I'm leaning toward just the one.  I kind of like the sound of two better, just because our last name has only one syllable (sounds a little strange to have a one syllable middle name followed by a one syllable last name).  Both of my boys have multi-syllable middle names, which sound much better with the last name (of course, we never use their middle names for anything so I don't know why I'd want to give this one 2!).  We're probably going to go with Gwenna, which doesn't really flow with Elizabeth alone.  Our second choice for a first name right now is Claire, likely Claire Elizabeth, solving the issue with the syllables. 

I LOVE Claire Elizabeth. It was a name I had picked out if my last baby was a girl. But MIL and SIL midlle names Elizabeth. So i thought if SIL wanted to use Elizabeth she had more right to it than me. But Claire Elizabeth is Beautiful!

All our DC have 2 middle names, its becoming quite common over here.  But unlike in the US, ours usually don't get called them, as in, Mary Lou or Lisa Marie, type of thing.  We mainly do it as a sign of respect to family/friends.