"middle name" meaning in English

See middle name in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: middle names [plural]
Etymology: (name between first and last names): First recorded from Harvardiana in 1835. Etymology templates: {{sense|name between first and last names}} (name between first and last names): Head templates: {{en-noun}} middle name (plural middle names)
  1. A name between the first given name and the family name or surname; a second or subsequent given name. Categories (topical): Onomastics Translations (name between given name and surname): segon prenom [masculine] (Catalan), nom del mig [masculine] (Catalan), 中間名字 (Chinese Mandarin), 中间名字 (zhōngjiān míngzi) (Chinese Mandarin), prostřední jméno [neuter] (Czech), druhé jméno [neuter] (Czech), millumnavn [neuter] (Faroese), toinen nimi (Finnish), välinimi (Finnish), deuxième prénom [masculine] (French), patronyme [masculine, patronymic] (French), მეორე სახელი (meore saxeli) (Georgian), zweiter Vorname [masculine] (German), Zwischenname [masculine] (German), Zweitname [masculine] (German), Mittelname [masculine] (German), millinafn [neuter] (Icelandic), lárainm [masculine] (Irish), dara hainm [masculine] (Irish), ミドルネーム (midoru nēmu) (Japanese), сре́дно и́ме (srédno íme) [neuter] (Macedonian), nome do meio [masculine] (Portuguese), второ́е и́мя (vtoróje ímja) [neuter] (Russian), сре́днее и́мя (srédneje ímja) (note: not used in Russia, patronymics are used instead, foreign context) [neuter] (Russian), о́тчество (ótčestvo) [neuter, patronymic] (Russian), druhé meno [neuter] (Slovak), segundo nombre [masculine] (Spanish), andranamn [neuter] (Swedish), gitnang pangalan (Tagalog), tên đệm (Vietnamese), tên lót (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-middle_name-en-noun-PTsOouTf Disambiguation of Onomastics: 64 3 33 Disambiguation of 'name between given name and surname': 90 1 10
  2. (figuratively) A trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person. Tags: figuratively Translations (figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person): toinen nimi (Finnish), apellido [masculine] (Spanish), segundo nombre [masculine] (Spanish), apodo [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-middle_name-en-noun-uCkzbcn2 Disambiguation of 'figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person': 5 80 15
  3. (Philippines) One's mother's maiden name. Tags: Philippines
    Sense id: en-middle_name-en-noun-jWok3q98 Categories (other): Philippine English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 14 8 79 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 5 5 89 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 8 8 84
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: personal name, first name, last name, danger is one's middle name, is my middle name, NMN

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for middle name meaning in English (8.5kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "name between first and last names"
      },
      "expansion": "(name between first and last names):",
      "name": "sense"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "(name between first and last names): First recorded from Harvardiana in 1835.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "middle names",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "middle name (plural middle names)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "47 0 53",
      "word": "personal name"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "47 0 53",
      "word": "first name"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "47 0 53",
      "word": "last name"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "47 0 53",
      "word": "danger is one's middle name"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "47 0 53",
      "word": "is my middle name"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "47 0 53",
      "word": "NMN"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "64 3 33",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Onomastics",
          "orig": "en:Onomastics",
          "parents": [
            "Linguistics",
            "Names",
            "Language",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Proper nouns",
            "Terms by semantic function",
            "Communication",
            "Sciences",
            "Society",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nouns",
            "Lemmas"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I go by David but it's my middle name; my full name is William David Mason.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A name between the first given name and the family name or surname; a second or subsequent given name."
      ],
      "id": "en-middle_name-en-noun-PTsOouTf",
      "links": [
        [
          "given name",
          "given name"
        ],
        [
          "family name",
          "family name"
        ],
        [
          "surname",
          "surname"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "segon prenom"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "nom del mig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "中間名字"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zhōngjiān míngzi",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "中间名字"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "prostřední jméno"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "druhé jméno"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "fo",
          "lang": "Faroese",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "millumnavn"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "toinen nimi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "välinimi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "deuxième prénom"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine",
            "patronymic"
          ],
          "word": "patronyme"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "meore saxeli",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "მეორე სახელი"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "zweiter Vorname"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Zwischenname"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Zweitname"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Mittelname"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "millinafn"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "lárainm"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "dara hainm"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "midoru nēmu",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "ミドルネーム"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "srédno íme",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "сре́дно и́ме"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "nome do meio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "vtoróje ímja",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "второ́е и́мя"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "not used in Russia, patronymics are used instead, foreign context",
          "roman": "srédneje ímja",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "сре́днее и́мя"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ótčestvo",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter",
            "patronymic"
          ],
          "word": "о́тчество"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "druhé meno"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "segundo nombre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "andranamn"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "gitnang pangalan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "tên đệm"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 1 10",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "name between given name and surname",
          "word": "tên lót"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Think twice about playing for cash because \"Poker\" is her middle name.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I won't tell anyone. \"Discretion\" is my middle name.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person."
      ],
      "id": "en-middle_name-en-noun-uCkzbcn2",
      "links": [
        [
          "trait",
          "trait"
        ],
        [
          "activity",
          "activity"
        ],
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) A trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 80 15",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person",
          "word": "toinen nimi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 80 15",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "apellido"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 80 15",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "segundo nombre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 80 15",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "apodo"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Philippine English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 8 79",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 5 89",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 8 84",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One's mother's maiden name."
      ],
      "id": "en-middle_name-en-noun-jWok3q98",
      "links": [
        [
          "maiden name",
          "maiden name"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Philippines) One's mother's maiden name."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Philippines"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "middle name"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "en:Onomastics"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "name between first and last names"
      },
      "expansion": "(name between first and last names):",
      "name": "sense"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "(name between first and last names): First recorded from Harvardiana in 1835.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "middle names",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "middle name (plural middle names)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "personal name"
    },
    {
      "word": "first name"
    },
    {
      "word": "last name"
    },
    {
      "word": "danger is one's middle name"
    },
    {
      "word": "is my middle name"
    },
    {
      "word": "NMN"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I go by David but it's my middle name; my full name is William David Mason.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A name between the first given name and the family name or surname; a second or subsequent given name."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "given name",
          "given name"
        ],
        [
          "family name",
          "family name"
        ],
        [
          "surname",
          "surname"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Think twice about playing for cash because \"Poker\" is her middle name.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "I won't tell anyone. \"Discretion\" is my middle name.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "trait",
          "trait"
        ],
        [
          "activity",
          "activity"
        ],
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) A trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Philippine English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One's mother's maiden name."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "maiden name",
          "maiden name"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Philippines) One's mother's maiden name."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Philippines"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "segon prenom"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "nom del mig"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "中間名字"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zhōngjiān míngzi",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "中间名字"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "prostřední jméno"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "druhé jméno"
    },
    {
      "code": "fo",
      "lang": "Faroese",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "millumnavn"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "toinen nimi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "välinimi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "deuxième prénom"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "patronymic"
      ],
      "word": "patronyme"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "meore saxeli",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "მეორე სახელი"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "zweiter Vorname"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Zwischenname"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Zweitname"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Mittelname"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "millinafn"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "lárainm"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "dara hainm"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "midoru nēmu",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "ミドルネーム"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "srédno íme",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "сре́дно и́ме"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "nome do meio"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "vtoróje ímja",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "второ́е и́мя"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "not used in Russia, patronymics are used instead, foreign context",
      "roman": "srédneje ímja",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "сре́днее и́мя"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ótčestvo",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter",
        "patronymic"
      ],
      "word": "о́тчество"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "druhé meno"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "segundo nombre"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "andranamn"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "gitnang pangalan"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "tên đệm"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "name between given name and surname",
      "word": "tên lót"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person",
      "word": "toinen nimi"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "apellido"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "segundo nombre"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "figuratively a trait, activity, or action closely associated with or aptly describing a person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "apodo"
    }
  ],
  "word": "middle name"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.