« Reply #35 on: Sunday 27 July 08 22:36 BST (UK) »
It was (and still is) very common in Scotland to have the mother's maiden name as a middle name. My gt-grandmother's maiden name was Thomson, and at least three of her sons had Thomson as a middle name. My grandmother, however, was given the maiden names of her grandmother and great-grandmother as middle names.
I'm afraid I didn't follow in the tradition, but was instead given my aunt's first name as my middle name.
Suffolk, England – Benstead, Boldero, Boldy, Boyns, Boynes, Collins, Cooper, Elliott, Fletcher, Laflin, Laws, Lankester, Markham, Marshall, Orriss, Steward, Taylor, Thimblethorpe
Scotland – Barclay, Campbell, Finlay, Freeland, Grove, Hay, Horn, Laird, McDonald, McKay, Milne, Mills, Peebles, Robertson, Shearer, Stewart, Strang, Thomson