# Three names Bad, two names Good; or Am I Just Prejudiced? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2002, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503 "2002-05-17T05:27:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/21 "2002-05-18T18:10:15Z")
Hmmm. They DO sound pretentious. But oh so cool. Personally I find middle names kind of pointless on a normal person, because when you see some guy on a daily basis, are you really thinking about his third name? On a celebrity, I like them, though. I thought of one - John Walker Lindh. Well, he was a non famous (er…non-infamous) guy once. But come on, if you’re going to forsake your country to go off and fight for the Taliban, why not have a cool ass recognizable name, particularly one that people associate with alcohol? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/22 "2002-05-18T20:54:43Z")
Jack Dean Tyler. 'Nuff said? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/23 "2002-05-19T01:59:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Annie-Xmas \* > \*\*Andrew Lloyd Webber and Julian Lloyd Webber are two of my favorite people. > > What are four names? Like George Herbert Walker Armoire Vestabule Bush? \*\* Funnily enough, I was going to suggest Andrew Lloyd Webber as proof that **Redboss** was right. I’ve also wanted to suggest Frank Lloyd Wright. Lots of people make ugly buildings, I don’t see why he gets so much attention. Lousy middle-name using jerk. ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/24 "2002-05-19T02:41:26Z")
Three names GOOD: Alfred E. Neuman Louis Agassiz Fuertes (bird painter) ---
**Author:** ![Nenya\_Elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@Nenya\_Elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nenya_Elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/25 "2002-05-19T02:59:43Z")
Bloody Stupid Johnson?? ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/26 "2002-05-19T03:29:41Z")
Tammy Faye Baker ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2002, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/27 "2002-05-19T05:22:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neptune \* > \*\*I use my middle name professionally so that I can be identified uniquely. \*\* I use mine because my first and last names together are a mere eight letters, which looks pathetic and unimpressive. If I use my middle name, however, it’s a far more formidable sixteen letters. Of course, I only do that on papers and in theatrical programs. It’s not like I use all three names when I introduce myself. OTOH, I _do_ tend to be pretentious… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/28 "2002-05-22T02:29:04Z")
Hey! Let me slide you all in on a fab response I got from none other than Chuck Shepherd, author of News of the Weird: > [@](#): > > \<\< I have a question about the Classic Middle Name, “Wayne.” Does this middle name actually appear more frequently than others, or are we all just looking for it now? \>\> > I have no evidence or theories. I once heard from an academic type who had written a journal article in the 1980s on the John-Wayne-something name, guessing that a lot of then-20-something criminals were born at the time when fathers wanted their boys to be real he-men like John Wayne (real first name: Marion). On the other hand, I suspect there are many more middle-name-Wayne murderers locked up but who never make News of the Weird simply because they haven’t done anything newsworthy in the last few years. > > Cheers, > > Chuck Shepherd Thank you very much for that fine answer, Chuck. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/29 "2002-05-22T03:02:04Z")
[ul] **:eek: Osama bin Laden** 😃 [sup]Actually I don’t agree, but might for those one name dudes![/sup][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503/30 "2002-05-22T05:12:15Z")
George Dubya Bush ! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-names-bad-two-names-good-or-am-i-just-prejudiced/109503.md?page=1)