History Main / MiddleNameBasis

* Stephen Creator/WilsonBethel

* Creator/HarryConnickJr, and by extension his father, former New Orleans District Attorney Harry Connick Sr., has the full name Joseph Harry Fowler Connick.

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

** José Alberto "Albert" Pujols (Alcántara).

* In the ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' oneshot ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/8964301 Pyrophobic]]'', in order to get around the OneSteveLimit, the mother of the Zelda from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI'', who is also named "Zelda", goes by her middle name (Heather).
* In ''Fanfic/{{Divorced}}'', Zelda's deceased daughter Zelda Marie is referred to using both her first and middle name to help distinguish her from [[OneSteveLimit her mother]].

* ComicBook/BlackCanary in ''Series/{{Arrow}}'' initially seems to be a case of AdaptationNameChange, however she actually is this. This ''may'' have been in order to avoid OneSteveLimit with her mother, she uses her middle name of "Laurel" instead of her given name, "Dinah", like she does in other media; but her mother hardly ever actually appeared, so that didn't really apply. When her doppelganger from Earth-2 arrives to replace her deceased Earth-1 counterpart, [[DoppelgangerGetsSameSentiment she is called Laurel by everyone]], even though it's indicated from time to time that she actually goes by Dinah in Earth-2. Then again, by the time she allies herself with Team Arrow, there is ''another'' Dinah in the team (Dinah Drake), so it's yet another case of avoiding OneSteveLimit.

* In ''Series/TwoBrokeGirls'', Oleg is revealed to go by his middle name due to his first name "Vanko" being [[OneSteveLimit shared by BOTH of his brothers]].

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 named after their parents (especially the father), who may go on this name basis because they don't like being called "Junior".

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 [[OneSteveLimit sharing their name]], which is especially common among children named after their parents (especially the father), who may go on this name basis because they don't like being called "Junior".

* Creator/RaymondBurr was in full William Raymond Stacy Burr.

** Initially played straight but ultimately subverted by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Odafe Jayson Oweh. Oweh began going by his middle name in grade school because classmates teased him for his foreign-sounding name, played his college ball as Jayson Oweh, and was announced in the draft as Jayson Oweh, but subsequently announced that he would begin going by Odafe Oweh for his professional career, saying announcers would just have to learn how to pronounce it.

* ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises:'' One of the reveals at the very end is that John Blake's full name is [[spoiler:[[CanonCharacterAllAlong Robin]]]] John Blake.

* King Gustaf V of Sweden's full name was Oscar Gustaf Adolf. His son and successor, Gustaf VI Adolf, was an even more extreme example, his full name being Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf. His son in turn, Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, was known in the family by his last name Edmund, his full name being Gustaf Adolf Oscar Fredrik Arthur Edmund.

* Australian Prime Minister examples include (John) Malcolm Fraser, (Edward) Gough Whitlam, (Joseph) Ben(edict) Chifley and (John) Chris(tian) Watson.

* Several Australian Prime Minsters were examples. Malcolm Fraser's first name was John, Gough Whitlam's first name was Edward, Ben Chifley's full name was Joseph Benedict Chifley, and Chris Watson's full name was John Christian Watson.

** Edward VIII's brother, Prince Albert, went the opposite direction, as he decided to reign as George VI (as his full name was Albert Frederick Arthur George).

** Darius Shaquille "Shaq" Leonard, a star linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts. He actually started his career being known as Darius Leonard as he wanted to take a "seen and not heard" approach in his first few years in the NFL, but after a few years he finally came out and said that he'd been called Shaquille or Shaq his whole life in every other context and would like to be known by that name on the football field as well.

* [[Music/NineInchNails Trent Reznor]]'s first name is Michael; as he and his father share the same first name, Reznor was called by his middle name to differentiate the two.

* Thomas Creator/MarkHarmon. Since his father Tom Harmon was a famous football star and sportscaster, he basically had to use Mark to differentiate himself.

* The full name of late [[UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootball College Football]] Hall of Famer coach [=LaVell=] Edwards was Reuben [=LaVell=] Edwards.

* The full name of Music/IronMaiden's frontman is Paul Music/BruceDickinson, but he always goes by Bruce.

** Ralph UsefulNotes/DaleEarnhardt went by his middle name to distinguish himself from his father Ralph. The same goes for Dale's second son Dale Earnhardt Jr.

* ''Series/{{Neighbours}}'' had Shannon Louise Carpenter, to distinguish her from Shannon Zachary Willis, born on the same day and living in the same street. Strangely, the show stuck with calling her Louise for her entire time on the show despite Zac and most of his family leaving town a matter of weeks after the birth.