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

The sighting comes after Suri, who is studying musical theater at Carnegie Melon’s School of Drama, legally removed Cruise as her last name in Pennsylvania and changed her surname to Noelle, Katie’s middle name. — Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 3 Aug. 2026

The doting mom explains that Vincent’s middle name, John, follows the previous trend with their other kids. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026

Dean has been outspoken about her parents’ love for musicians like Carole King, Al Greene, and Lauryn Hill, from whom Dean gets her middle name, per BBC. — Afia Asamoah, InStyle, 2 Aug. 2026

Noelle is Katie Holmes’ middle name, and Holmes essentially raised Suri as a single parent in New York City since her divorce from Cruise. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 27 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for middle name

• aspartame
• counterclaim
• overcame
• underframe
• username
• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame

Kids Definition

middle name

noun

1

: 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