"Clowns on the left of me, jokers on the right"

I have a friend, who occasionally signs his notes, using only his middle name. It's unusual enough that we all know the identity of Overton  And, for absolutely no reason at all, it got me thinking about middle names.

Names have always been an interesting subject, to me. My middle name is the same as many of my aging female contemporaries, and I rarely use it. Instead of using Nancy Ann, as my given name, I have opted for using my maiden name initial K., in my signature. My mother elected to name me Nancy Ann, because she thought NAK would look good on luggage. Strange, I know. And stranger yet, my married name also begins with a K. (I have been told "to change the name and not the letter, is a change for the worse, not the better.) Oh, well.

And, speaking of strange, the 1960s diplomat, Robert McNamara, was legally Robert Strange McNamara. 

Royalty has been using Middle Names, since the 1700s. According to Wikipedia, they were first used in the US, in the early 1800's. Well, think about it. George Washington has no recorded Middle Name.

In my generation, girls were generally given the Middle Name of Ann, Sue, Mary or Rae. Guys were given something equally as short and easy to remember. Sometimes Middle Names honor relatives or families. And, if you are of some historical importance, folks are going to write down your WHOLE name......for posterity. John Wilkes Booth and Robert Lewis Stevenson are excellent examples. 

Honestly, as most of my readers will acknowledge, Middle names...except as legal signatures or in obituaries, are rarely used.  When it came to naming my four children, I thought long and hard about the final choices. But, the bottom line is none of them go by their complete (3-word name). Just like their mother, the only use of both of their given names was in an urgent request....."Nancy Ann. Come in here, right now."

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 Dear Lord. Whatever we are called, You know who we are. We praise Your Holy Name.