The significance of Middle names

[MarkyP]

Just wondering about this, I have the name Wilson as a middle name in 4 generations, but can find no reference to it linking to my family whatsoever, other than a middle name. Is this common, I know first names were used generation after generation, I did hope that the middle name (if it appears to be surname like) might point to mothers maiden name, again is this correct?

Again I call upon the combined expertise of the board!  Thank you.

[lizdb]

Yes. often a middle name like that does crop up further back as a maiden name. But sometimes it can be a way back - how many generations prior to last 'sighting' of it have you gone?
For example I have a James who married an Ann Chaise in my tree (late 1700's) . They called one of their many children 'Chase' He had several children but did not use the name, nor did his only son with his children (dont know about the daughters), BUT then in the next generation one of the 13 children, is called Henry Chase (born 1840, a g-g-grandson of Ann Chaise). Henry Chase's youngest brother calls one of his children Reginald Chase - we are now up to 1891.

[aghadowey]

Often a surname as a middle name came from a female ancestor.
My middle name, and my dad's, is my grandmother's maiden name, my grandfather's was his great-grandmother's maiden name & other grandfather's 1st name was his mother's maiden name.
My husband's family has used the name Ross for 8 generations and is comes from an ancestress Elizabeth Ross.
Sometimes a name comes into family through marriage. A relative of my father's given names are John L. Clarke- called John L. for a childless uncle & the Clarke for uncle's wife's maiden name. 
However, sometimes a surname can be for someone like a minister, doctor, local landowner.

[Little Nell]

Or a godparent, who might also have been a relative and perhaps a wealthy single one at that! 

Nell

[Nick Carver]

The middle name Crackles appeared in one generation of a branch of my family. Confused me for ages as it made me think I had got the wrong parents for the mother. Turned out in the end to be the maiden name of the mother of an aunt of the children. There must have been some good reason why that name was used, but for the life of me I haven't managed to find an explanation. If you must have a middle name to remember a previous generation, it helps to have an interesting name. Smith or Jones just wouldn't cut the mustard.

[stonechat]

My cousin's son has a middle name, if you wanted to fin that as a famiy name, you'd have to go back to 1830.

Middle name in some cases can be a woman's maiden name, name of a stepfather, and I have Beaumaris in the family as a middle name, never found why

Bob

[MarkyP]

Thanks guys, thought as much. I'll have to do a little more digging to come up with Wilson, no sign of it so far!

[MarieC]

MarkyP,

You are very fortunate that your ancestors HAD middle names, which will help you trace things back!  An awful lot of mine didn't, and they have common names and are very elusive.  Even if I can find people with the right names, it is almost impossible to tell which of them are my ancestors!!! 

MarieC

[stonechat]

First names were responsible for one of my best breakthroughs (though I had some help)

My ancestor Amphyllis Skinner had a Brother Bellingham.

I never trace her mother's name. When suggested that it may have been Freeman, sure enough there was a Bellingham Freeman.

Sure enough a couple of generations enough was Sir Edward Bellingham

Thanks to Steve Kelsey for pointing me in the right direction.
Seem to lots of descendants with first or middle name Bellingham

Bob