Using middle names as first names?

[Redroger]

He remained in Australia for the rest of his life, and my side of the family lost contact! Recent research largely on this site has shown that in 1916 he was joined by the girl who became his wife, I think the marriage was arranged as 1) The village they came from had a reputation for it 2) She was 9 years old when he left England; I have also discovered that he was in regular contact with his only sister her until his death in the mid 1960s; we also saw her regularly but she never said anything to my mother or grandmother even when the migrant came up in conversation.
Regarding Linda'sposting above, apparently it was the rule for the oldest girl in each generation in our family to be called Melinda, after our daughter was called Angela, I suddenly found myself in the dog house. No one had told me of the rule, and I had been too dim to fathom it!

[danuslave]

No one had told me of the rule, and I had been too dim to fathom it!

Lucky her - Melinda Angela would have been a bit of a mouthful   

[coombs]

As said middle names used a s first names can be confusing in genealogy.

[msr]

I have always been known by my middle name which makes it a slight problem with appointments at doc, dentist or hospital etc as they will insist on calling out the first name on their record.   Have to keep a careful ear open so as not to miss being called.

Sister always known by first name, brother by second - that is until he went to high school where his first was used.  As a result, he's one name to family and another to his friends, workmates etc.   

Going further, dad used to call him Charlie which is neither of his names

Susan

[Geoff-E]

Both my wife and I have always been known by our middle names.

It was intended that my friend was to be John L.E.T ... apparently his uncle forgot the order of the names and he was registered as L.E.John T ... but he has always been called John.

[sirron]

My son is known to everybody by his second name. It is a slightly unusual name which my wife wanted for him but I thought how can he go through life with that name so we named him Michael but the deal was that we would use the second given name.
The only people who now know him as Michael are officials and as somebody said earlier, if anybody asks for Michael, its not a friend or family member.

[ambers]

All of my father's siblings, including him, were called by their second name, so I was unable to trace them on BMD's...I was so glad when the 1911 census was released

My sister was also called by her second name, I don't know why as I wasn't. She found it a problem in school as she often got into trouble for not answering her name when she was very young.

Ambers

[originQuest]

This happens a lot in my family two - however, for two gt aunts I know why!  They are called Patricia Jean and Mary Jacqueline, and both are known by everyone by their middle names!  I only discoved this through my research, and even close relatives of their don't know this.

They were called such as my great gran liked their middle names but wanted them baptised in the catholic church, and so, they had to have a christian forename.

Another relation goes by her middle name, as her father foolishly added a forename when he registered the birth, without discussing this beforehand.  Officially her name is Harriet, but she has NEVER being known as this.  To confuse matters, this same relation is known as Dolly, due to the fact the midwife commented how she small she was when she was a baby!

Finally, I find that the name Mary is sometimes used as the name Polly; this is because Molly is a variation on Mary, and Polly is derivied from the name Molly!  This was probably due to the fact of Mary being such a common name, varients were used to distinguish between relations etc.

[msr]

I had an Aunty Mary, my mother's sister.   

Everybody called her Polly.     Everybody, that is, except myself, brother and sister.  Heaven knows why.  Mum and Dad both called her Polly.    When referring to her, Mum would say 'our Polly', but to us she'd say 'your aunty Mary'.   

I remember asking once why we didn't call her Polly as everyone else did.   I was told that I couldn't say Polly but could say Mermy, so Mary it was so as not to confuse!     

We're also trying to solve a puzzle in husband's family.  There is a photograph from early 20th C of 2 women at a new grave.  Aunts Bella and Polly.    Bella no problem with, but Polly       No Mary in family so who is she?  No idea at all.  Still working on that one.