Many people's names include one or more middle names, placed between the first given name and the surname. In the West, a middle name is effectively a second given name. In the Anglosphere there is usually only one middle name, often abbreviated by its possessor to the middle initial or omitted entirely in everyday use.

The use of multiple middle names has been somewhat impeded recently by the increased use of computer databases that allow for only a single middle name or more commonly a middle initial in strong personal records, effectively depriving persons with multiple middle names of the ability to be listed in such databases under their full name. Especially in the case of government records and other databases that are used for legal purposes, this phenomenon has sometimes been criticized as a form of discrimination against people who carry multiple middle names for cultural or religious reasons. However, it should be noted that this phenomenon is largely limited to English speaking countries since the different tradition in other western countries generally resulted in the development of databases which are able to handle more than one middle name.

In the United States, the middle initial is sometimes used in place of the middle name on identity documents, passports, driver licenses, social security cards, university diplomas, and other official documents. Examples of this form include George W. Bush and John D. Rockefeller. The abbreviation "NMN" (no middle name) or "NMI" (no middle initial) is sometimes used in formal documents where a middle initial or name is expected when the person does not have one.

Many people are not known by their first forename. This is often referred to as "being known by the middle name". In this case, wherever an additional initial is called for, the initial of the first name is used and the middle name is spelled fully. Examples of this form include G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt. Some people don't even include the initial, such as Sir Paul McCartney, whose first name is actually James.

In movies, a character who is about to enter a dangerous situation on purpose might say, "Danger is my middle name." This has been used so much that it has come to be regarded as a cliché.

Western

Middle names are often chosen by parents at the same time as the first name. Names that are popular as first names are also popular as middle names. However, some parents may use the middle spot to honor a relative or to use an unusual name that might have been a burden to the child as a first name. Surnames are also sometimes given as middle names, usually to honor a relative. It is quite popular to use the mother's maiden name as the middle name.

In the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, a child is sometimes given a middle name that is the first or middle name of one of his or her parents. In the United States, it's not uncommon for a baby boy to be given the same full name as his father, in which case the middle name may be used as if a first name so as to distinguish him from his father.