A middle name is a portion of a personal name that is written between the persons first given name and their surname. It is often abbreviated and is then called middle initial or just initial. A person may be given a middle name regardless of whether it is necessary to distinguish them from other people with the same given name and surname. In cultures where a given name is expected to precede the surname, additional names are likely to be placed after the given name and before the surname, and thus called middle names. Middle names have been used since the late 17th century among royalty and aristocracy.
In the English-speaking world, the middle name is a secondary given name. When the full name is presented, it is placed between the first name and the surname. Many people include their middle name as an initial in their usual name, while others prefer their middle name and use it instead of their first name. In America, surnames of relatives (and especially the mother's maiden name) have often been employed as middle names.
Middle names are not always necessary, but they can be used to honor a family member or to distinguish an individual from others with the same name. They can also be used to denote a person's qualities or affinities.
