Scottish Naming Tradition

[jinks]

I have noticed that some of my Scottish friends
and family have surnames as middle names,
usually two.

I presume this is a tradtion?

How does it work will one be the father's mother
maiden name?

[bonjedward]

In my family, from Renfrew, middle names are all surnames; usually the children get different middle names. E.g. I have my mother's maiden name as a middle name, my sister has my father's mother's maiden name. My mother has her father's mother's maiden name while her sister has her mother's mother's maiden name. I suppose the idea is to preserve as many surnames as possible for a further generation.

Going back another generation, I have examples of children getting their father's stepfather's surname, or even the father's brother-in-law's name (father's sister's husband).

But it varies from family to family, some prefer first names as middle names, some always give the mother's maiden name to all the children - we have with our children, and my sister has also. I haven't come across many examples of multiple surnames as middle names. Maybe that's a bit aristocratic.

[Forfarian]

The naming tradition went as follows

First son after his paternal grandfather
Second son after his maternal grandfather
Third son after his father
Subsequent sons after other relatives, friends, neighbours, minister, doctor, schoolmaster, landowner etc

First daughter after her maternal grandmother
Second daughter after her paternal grandmother
Third daughter after her mother
Subsequent daughters after other relatives, friends, neighbours, wives of minister, doctor, schoolmaster, landowner etc

Middle names were more the exception that the rule until about the middle of the 19th century, but when bestowed they often adhered to the above tradition. Also quite a few people acquired in later life middle names which didn't feature on their baptism record or birth certificate!

[Delphinum]

Ours is the surname as middle name.
The sons usually get the mother's maiden name as a middle name... i.e my granddad's middle name was 'Mulvie' after his mother's maiden name.
Unfotunately we cannot carry on the tradition as having a child with the middle and surname 'White Pyke' will be just cruel!  LOL 
HTH