History Main / MiddleNameBasis

* This forms an important plot point in ''Literature/OnTheStreetWhereYouLive. Emily finds references to [[spoiler:Douglas Carter]] in old letters and diaries confusing, because the only [[spoiler:Douglas Carter]] she knows of died in 1892, yet one person states her suspicions that [[spoiler:Douglas]] murdered Madeline; he seemingly had an alibi for Madeline's death and he couldn't have murdered the other missing girls, who were likely killed by the same person. There's also a diary entry dated 1911, where it's mentioned that [[spoiler:"Douglas"]] died a year ago, leaving behind a wife and young child. Emily's grandmother explains that in the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was common for fathers to name their sons after themselves and go by their middle names to avoid confusion: [[spoiler:Douglas Carter]]'s father was ''also'' named [[spoiler:Douglas Carter]] (as was [[AncestralName his father before him]]), but typically went by his middle name, [[spoiler:Richard]].

* ''ComicBook/BuckyBarnes'' is a variation - his full given name is UsefulNotes/JamesBuchanan Barnes.

* In the ''Literature/SienkiewiczTrilogy'', no one, not even his sister, ever calls Jerzy Michał Wołodyjowski "Jerzy". He prefers to go by his middle name not because the first is embarrassing (it's not - both these names are associated with knighthood and pretty popular), but because he thinks the other patron is way cooler: Jerzy (Myth/SaintGeorge) just defeated one dragon, while Michał ([[ArchangelMichael Saint Michael]]) leads the entire heavenly cavalry.
* The protagonist of ''Literature/{{Push}}'', Clareece "Precious" Jones, goes by her middle name. It serves as something {{ironic|Name}} since her [[AbusiveParents abusive mother]] calls her it more than the other characters, despite hating her daughter.

* In the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' series, Gloria Michelle Samantha Evelyn Henke goes by "[[GenderBlenderName Mike]]" or "Michelle" among her friends. It's one of the perks of having an OverlyLongName.

* In ''Literature/TheEagleTree'', March's full name is Peter March Wong, but he vastly prefers March. His mother and Pastor Ilsa still sometime calls him Peter, to his annoyance.
* ''[[Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection American Girl]]'' character Nanea Mitchell's full name is Alice Nanea Mitchell, but she goes by her middle name Nanea; the use of a Western first name was due to a law passed in 1860 by Kamehameha IV decreeing that Hawaiian royal subjects were to take their father's given name as a surname, and adopt a Christian (i.e. English) first name.
* ''Literature/TheBalladOfBlackTom'' has Charles Thomas Tester, who's never called anything other than Tommy or Black Tom.

* ''Literature/ChocoholicMysteries'': As revealed in ''Bridal Bash'', Lee was born Susanna Lee [=McKinney=]. It's not said why she prefers her middle name over her first though.

* In ''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'', Alice Cullen's birth name was Mary Alice Brandon.
* ''Literature/ShatterTheSky'': Sev goes by this, rather than his first name Vesper. It comes from his middle name we find out, Severin. He used it while a fugitive to escape detection.
* In ''[[Literature/DearEvanHansen Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel]]'', the title character's full name is revealed to be Mark Evan Hansen.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': When people refer to Charles Montgomery Burns casually, they use "Monty", a diminutive of his middle. Even more formal announcements will often call him "C. Montgomery Burns" or just "Montgomery Burns". [[SuddenNameChange Originally, "Montgomery" was his first name]], but [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E4TwoCarsInEveryGarageAndThreeEyesOnEveryFish "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish"]] change it to fit the ''Citizen Kane'' parody and the writers don't always remember this.

The reasons for this can vary. Maybe they want to hide their identity and use their RealNameAsAnAlias or they just want a MeaningfulRename but is much easier to legally go by your middle name than fully changing it to a new one. Or maybe they want to differentiate themselves from a person [[SignificantNameOverlap sharing their name]], which is especially common among children [[AncestralName named after their parents]] (especially the father), who may go on this name basis because they don't like being called "Junior".

* In an episode of ''Series/ArseneLupin'', the titular GentlemanThief disguises himself as a Spanish crook with a lot of middle names. As he explains to a gangster, how close a friend is determines by which name they're to call him; after the gangster saves him from a poisoned wine bottle, [[FriendlyAddressPrivileges he tells him to "call me Gomez" (i.e "you're promoted")]].

* In [[Literature/DearEvanHansen Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel]], the title character's full name is revealed to be Mark Evan Hansen.

* ''Film/MyCousinVinny'': Vinny's fiancée Lisa. Her full name is revealed to be Mona Lisa Vito when she's called to be a SurpriseWitness in court.

'''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease:''' It's way more common in RealLife than shown in fiction for reasons mentioned above. But there are so many examples that it would be impractical to list them all. For reference, UsefulNotes/WoodrowWilson, Creator/OrsonWelles and Creator/BradPitt all go by their middle name[[note]]Their first one are Thomas, George and William, respectively.[[/note]] and let's end the list here.

'''Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease:''' It's way more common in RealLife than shown in fiction for reasons mentioned above. But [[NoRealLife/TooCommon there are so many examples ]] that it would be impractical to list them all. For reference, UsefulNotes/WoodrowWilson, Creator/OrsonWelles and Creator/BradPitt all go by their middle name[[note]]Their first one are Thomas, George and William, respectively.[[/note]] and let's end the list here.

* ''WebOriginal/LoomingGaia'': Jeimos is nonbinary and goes by their gender-neutral middle name instead of their gendered legal first name.

* ''ComicBook/BuckyBarnes'' is a variation - his full given name is James Buchanan Barnes.

* A case of {{Woolseyism}} in the French translation of ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Voldemort's name comes from the anagram "[[SignificantAnagram I am Voldemort]]" of his real name "Tom Marvolo Riddle". To translate this, he was given the French name "Tom Elvis Jedusor". Since Voldemort's middle name comes from his grandfather Marvolo Gaunt, the French translation changed his name to "Elvis Gaunt" but he apparently went by his middle name, as a way to [[DefiedTrope defy]] a necessary DubNameChange.

* In a case of AdaptationNameChange, the first season of ''WesternAnimation/IronManTheAnimatedSeries'' renamed Howard Stark "Walter". Season 2, retconned his going by "Walter" to be a case of this and that his first name is indeed "Howard". In a case of RetCanon, the 2011 ''ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}'' series revealed Howard's full name is "Howard Anthony Walter Stark".

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': When people refer to Charles Montgomery Burns casually, they use "Monty", a diminutive of his middle. Even more formal announcements will often call him "C. Montgomery Burns" or just "Montgomery Burns".