What do you think of "Filler" Middle names?

1. I guess it depends. My middle name is Marie which is definitely a filler. I don't dislike it however because it's a family name -- my mother's middle name and her mother's middle name. In general though, I suppose yes, I do dislike them. It's perfectly fine and nice to use is when it's a tradition, or after a family member / a family name, however. Then again some people do it to balance out the overall combination (extremely uncommon first name, filler / plain middle name), which I think is fine too. So, I guess I'm kind of torn. Personally, I, personally, don't think I'd ever give my child a filler middle name, but I have contemplated Marie, just to pass it on.

2. Like you listed above, Marie, Lynn, May (as well as the spelling Mae, which is being used a lot more lately), and Jane. Others I find filler are:

Ann / Anne

Almost all one-syllable virtue names (Hope, Grace, Faith, etc)

Rose

Kate

Claire

Lee / Leigh

Jade

Michelle

Noelle

Nicole

Renee

Elizabeth

Some boy filler names (filler middle names usually refers to girls, but there are some boy names used in the middle name slot that are overused):

Joseph

Michael

Thomas

James

Matthew

Lee

Richard

Alexander

I don't have a middle name, and I don't know if my kids will.

I understand filler names. As a kid without a middle name, I always thought it was cool how my friends could write their full names on stuff, or use their middle name on their social networking sites along wiht their first (everyoen did that when we were 14). Megan Nicole (and Nicole Megan -- that was funny to find out), Stephanie Grace, Alexa Marie... like that. Funny, the only ones I can think of with filler middle names have pretty simple first names too. (For the record, my real name is much less common that the nickname 'Sara' that I use on this website) In some ways, I can imagine giving my daughter (not so much a son) a filler name. I've always thought the name Alice was really pretty, but I wouldn't give it as a first name. So it could be a really nice 'this just sounds nice' middle name. I met a girl once named 'Claire Alix' (she was French) which I rather liked, even though it was very simple, as names go.

I would consider a common, one- or two-syllable (mostly one) names to be a good candidate for a filler name. Something soft and simple, perhaps a bit old-fashioned sounding.

The only one that I consider a filler is Marie. Then there are the awful ones like Leigh, Lee. I don't think people ought to call them fillers, because Rose and Jane are lovely names, and there is a reason why they are used a lot - because they are good, nice names. People always have to criticise. I'm not afraid to say that I like "filler" names, but it's the names that I like, not the fact that they seem to be used a lot. Human beings are awful to each other.

Why?

I think a name is a name whether its commonly used or not. I don't consider anything "filler" I guess, if it flows well then why not use it? I think people use these names because they are beautiful and do flow well with most names. Some people use them to honor family members too. I guess other people would consider my middle name, Ann, to be a filler - but its my mothers middle name and her mothers and so on.. goes waaaay back and I doubt way back then they considered it to be a "filler". So I guess I'm saying I have no problem with "filler" names.

I don't mind "filler" middle names at all. My twin daughters each have middle names that, by your definition, qualify as fillers- Jean and Lynn. I gave them their middle names to honor members of our families, not only because they run in the family. I guess it's kind of the same thing. If the parents of the baby with the filler name are happy with the name, I don't see a problem.

I also consider Renee, Sean or Shawn, Robert, Grace, Faith, Paige, and several others to be fillers.

I don't mind filler middle names at all. To me the purpose of a filler middle name is just like the purpose of a filler flower in a floral arrangement- to flatter the most important name (or flower) and make it stand out.

I would consider Ann, Anne, Grace, Rose, Lee, Jean, Marie, Jane and Paige to be 'filler' middle names.

At first, I thought that people who used them were "lazy" and lacked imagination. Now I know, there is a reason these names are popular, they work and flow with most names. I have a daughter, we didn't use a "filler" middle name with her, but in the future with our next daughter, we chose to use the middle name Grace (still fighting over what the first name will be lol). I know thats a filler name but whatever, it's pretty and we both like it, so what.

I think some are fine, although I wouldn't usually use them. Mae, Rae, Lynn, and Jane run in our family, so I would consider those :)

I consider: Mae, Lynn, Jane, Lee (Leigh), Rose, Marie, Grace,Faith, Hope, Anne, Beth, filler names. Some, like I said, are alright though :)

1. I like them. I would use Rose. I don't really consider them filler, well certainly not for me. I'd only have one of these names if I liked it and they do sometimes mean something to a person.

2. Thinking about it, I'd say Mae. Only because I've seen so many people use this and when I asked why, one reply was "it's short and sweet, we had to add something". It just seems unnecessary and lacks meaning.

1. I don't like fillers. My sister's middle name is Elizabeth which was one of the main fillers in the 1990's.

2. Reneé, Elizabeth, Marie..

I like Mae even though it's a filler name. I hate Reneé with a passion.