Yes. My mother works in a Mom’s Day Out (daycare) program. She has had at least one 3 year old whose name is of the form “F. William Fitzgerald” because Mommy was dreaming of a future doctor or lawyer, who would look good with his name listed that way. In fact, she was very firm about him being supposed to be called William, and never Billy even as a 3 year old. It’s not common in my mom’s circle-- everyone thought it was a little pretentious–but it happens.
Certain formal documents might require that each of your three principal legal names (if you have three) are indicated. I remember when taking standardized tests in high school, the instructions stated that you must indicate your name as either First S. Third or F. Second Third, whichever your preference.
Some forms might be so stringent that if you have no second name, you are requred to write some form of First (No Middle Initial) Third.
In serious journalism, I think it’s appropriate to use forms such as G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt on first reference, regardless of how the individual is addressed personally by intimates and colleagues, in the same way that you would use a person’s middle initial on first reference.
My family has the odd tradition of giving an honorary name as a first name and a middle name as a given name that is designated from birth. My first name is James but don’t call me that because I don’t have any mental connection with it or, even worse, don’t call me Jim. I actually use some variation of James when I want to remain anonymous. I have always gone by my middle name but it is highly distinctive (I have never met another person by that name although I know that they exist somewhere in the U.S.) I use the form of first initial, middle name, last name on lots of written forms and especially resumes. I don’t like correcting people over and over.
How do such people fill in an official form, such as a driver’s license application, if it specifically requests [First Name] [Middle Initial] [Last Name]?
I can see where one might squeeze the whole middle name into the tiny space intended for the middle initial, but that’s not possible on some Web forms which only allow a single character for the middle initial. Ditto for certain paper forms like the SAT blacken-this-circle things.
Just curious.
I usually just cave in and use their form it it is just a one-time thing. If it is something that is more permanent and recurring, I often just switch my first name and middle name. Your name is really whatever you say it is so, if that works, there is no problem.
Back when the Bureau of Investigation was not yet called Federal, its Director’s letterhead bore the name JOHN EDGAR HOOVER.
He signed himself J.E. Hoover then. His few intimates called him Edgar or Speed (his high school nick).
When Al Franken was still doing his political radio show, he talked about his good friend G. Gordon Liddy. Al called him G., never Gordon.
Yes, and for those of us who don’t have a middle name or initial it drives us batty when someone tries to force one on us. I have even had people insist that it is somehow illegal not to have a middle name!
I have to do that for the FAA - but I’m not so annoyed, because there it’s a matter of making it clear that I have no middle name rather than I just skipped that field on the form. The don’t try to force me to have something I don’t, which happens all to often when lazy computer programmers make that middle field mandatory.
Really, though, as long as you’re not doing so fraudulently, for most purposes you can call yourself whatever you want, at least in the US. (Another fact lost on a lot of people who run around insisting on rules regarding how people call themselves). People should, in my opinion, be referred to in the manner in which they prefer, not the manner in which some busy-body prefers.
The most pompus one, ever, is S. Epatha Mekerson. Gawd- you’re a freakin actor, get over yourself.
Young adult here. My nickname growing up was a diminutive of my middle name so it felt natural to use my my middle name as an adult. So I’ve always signed my name first initial, middle name, last name.
I don’t understand the vitriol. She doesn’t like her first name (Sharon) and goes by Epatha. What’s the big deal?
Filling in forms was why I changed my name. Nothing more annoying as Lucinda Susan Crabapple, who only uses Susan, to be constantly addressed and introduced as Lucinda S., especially under stressful circumstances (“Lucinda? Come on in so the doctor can get a look at that bizarre growth. Do you prefer ‘Lucinda’ or ‘Luci’?”).
People should be addressed in the manner preferred, but I think certain applications – historical works, scholarly works, encyclopaedic works, official or formal documentation, serious journalism – are justified in using a different standard. As a journalist, I know that the former member of Congress goes by “Billy Tauzin,” but for purposes of serious journalism on first reference, I will refer to him using some form of “Wilbert J. Tauzin II (commonly known as ‘Billy Tauzin’)” or “Wilbert J. ‘Billy’ Tauzin II.”
And once someone becomes a historical figure, his or her legal/formal/official name begins to become more important than what he or she preferred to be addressed as. We call him Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and “Mozart” on second reference, even though he himself preferred to drop the “Mozart” part for public purposes.
Anyway, my point is that there is a point at which a person’s preference to avoid his or her legal/formal/official name yields to other considerations.
Most people I know who have an initial for a first name is because they were named after a parent. One of my uncles is like that. His name is Lester Delano, but goes by L. Delano or Del. Mostly it was done because he didnt’ want to be confused with his father who is also Lester Delano.
His brother has only a middle initial… you see less of this now though. At one time, babies were required to have a middle name, if none was assigned by the parents, the state would add the middle initial R. This is why you see a lot of, generally men, 55 and older with the middle initial R but no real middle name. At least that’s what my grandmother and uncle tell me. They could have been pulling my leg though… but I don’t think so.
I wouldn’t even know who this person is, except for some interview where she was explaining the reason for going by the middle name, and part of it was “I go by it as its a difficult name, it challenges people and I like that” or some such totally obnoxious pompous tripe. And fair enough, you want to go by your middle name, your choice- but why the S.? Was there really another Epatha Merkerson in the SAG? Epatha Merkerson, I wouldn’t think twice about it- the S. at the front equates to “look at me, I’m special”.
Unless it’s something official, I just put Middle F. Lastname. All my official documents show the proper order, and my ‘official’ signature is F. Middle Lastname as I was informed that I had to at least acknowledge my legal first. I’ve had people make me re-sign documents when they think that’s not enough though (last time I had to do that was for my student loans… she wouldn’t let me turn the paperwork in otherwise).
I go by my middle because I was named after both Grandma’s and the one who shares my first name is the one we saw all the time. Funnily enough, my first name is really her middle name (Mom had no idea she had a different first name until I told her recently… and I only found out myself a few years back).
Harry S. Truman signed his name with a period after the S.
Actually, there are professional rules governing actors’ names.
F. Murray Abraham, for example, is known as Frank to all and sundry, except when it comes to his professional resume and his billing. This is because there was already a Frank Abraham in the actors’ union. F. Murray was therefore compelled to choose a different moniker in order to work professionally.
In the case of Merkerson (note the spelling), she had her first name legally changed to “S.” The way she’s billed in the credits is her actual name.
But please snark away at those damn uppity actors if it makes you feel better.
T. Herman Zweibel is not amused. Nor are his relatives, F. Siegfried, N. Aescylus, H. Ulysses, J. Phineas, and M. Prescott.
Thanks- I understand how this works, as I alluded in my post, and you reference to F. Murray Abraham isn’t remotely similar here. The legal name change was loooong after she was billed this way. As I am fairly confident there are no other Epatha Merkerson’s in the union, why use the S. at all, especially if you don’t like it? FMA would I assume have preferred to go by Frank, but could not, Merkerson does not want to go by Sharon, so why even bring the S. into the equation?