middle name
noun
1
: a name between one's first name and surname
2
: a term that is particularly apt to denote a person's qualities or affinities
patience is her middle name
Examples of middle name in a Sentence
President John F. Kennedy's middle name was “Fitzgerald.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Moses's middle name is Bruce; Apple's middle name is Blythe.
—
Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
His father worked in a textile mill, and his family was so poor that, General Lajoie later joked, his parents couldn’t afford a middle name for him.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023
An article on Page 38 this weekend about an annual art show held at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan misspells the middle name of an artist whose work will be exhibited in the Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory in November.
—New York Times, 22 Oct. 2023
Hinton, whose middle name is also Everest, felt immense pressure to make his own mark.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
His middle name, Warren, was given after Brad's grandfather, who gave him his first guitar and encouraged him to pursue a music career.
—Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023
Sorvino honored her miracle baby with middle names chosen to honor his grandfathers, including Mira’s father, Paul Sorvino.
—Kara Nesvig, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
My mom chose to name me Roan in my middle name, named after her little brother, who died as an infant, and named after her grandfather, who was murdered during that same decade.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023
Mark, who is being identified by his middle name to protect his privacy because not all of the experiences detailed here are known to people in his life, is another of the three former patients who came forward after publication of the earlier article.
—Jessica Miller, ProPublica, 12 Oct. 2023
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Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
His father worked in a textile mill, and his family was so poor that, General Lajoie later joked, his parents couldn’t afford a middle name for him.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 Nov. 2023
An article on Page 38 this weekend about an annual art show held at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan misspells the middle name of an artist whose work will be exhibited in the Art Show at the Park Avenue Armory in November.
—New York Times, 22 Oct. 2023
Hinton, whose middle name is also Everest, felt immense pressure to make his own mark.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
His middle name, Warren, was given after Brad's grandfather, who gave him his first guitar and encouraged him to pursue a music career.
—Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023
Sorvino honored her miracle baby with middle names chosen to honor his grandfathers, including Mira’s father, Paul Sorvino.
—Kara Nesvig, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
My mom chose to name me Roan in my middle name, named after her little brother, who died as an infant, and named after her grandfather, who was murdered during that same decade.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023
Mark, who is being identified by his middle name to protect his privacy because not all of the experiences detailed here are known to people in his life, is another of the three former patients who came forward after publication of the earlier article.
—Jessica Miller, ProPublica, 12 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'middle name.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near middle name
Cite this Entry
“Middle name.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle%20name. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
middle name
noun1
: a name between one's first name and last name
2
: a term that names a notable quality of a person
patience is her middle name
More from Merriam-Webster on middle name
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for middle name
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about middle name
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