I've wondered a lot recently about middle names and how now a days, they are almost just part of our naming tradition (at least in western countries). Was there ever any significance or function to middle names in Europe/other parts of the world? Was their only purpose to simply further identify a person to a particular clan/family line?
hi! there's loads of room for more input here to represent the many cultures in Western Europe and changes over time , but you can get started on this post, which includes links to a few more
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