middle name

American  

noun

1. the part of a person's name occurring between the first and family names, as a second given name or a maternal surname.

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middle name British  

noun

1. a name between a person's first name and surname

2. a characteristic quality for which a person is known

   caution is my middle name

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Etymology

Origin of middle name

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

Fernanda asked to be identified by only her middle name because of her immigration status.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

Mama added that my middle name would be May, to honor his mother.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

“It was almost like the system was taunting me,” said Alex, who is now a Cal State University graduate student and chose to use his middle name for fear of being targeted by immigration authorities.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

The BBC discovered that the takeover was funded by a bank transfer from a company owned by a UK-based Romanian lorry driver named Ionut Calin, who went by his middle name Robert.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

“He has the same middle name as me?”

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix