Do you have middle names in Poland?

Do you have middle names in Poland?

I was talking to a Pole yesterday and he told me that you don't have middle names in Poland like we have in the US and UK. I was surprised by this, as many famous Poles have two names, like Józef Klemens Piłsudski and Maria Salomea Skłodowska (Marie Curie).

He said that those names aren't like "middle names", it's more like "two given names", and they're only used for official documents and that kind of thing.

I don't understand how this is different from middle names!

Would someone be kind enough to explain it to me?

Thank you very much!

It isn't. It's the same as the UK. Two given names.Just because some people in the UK regard one as a so-called middle name doesn't make any difference. You can use one or the other or both, as per your preference. same in both places though they are less common in PL (and getting less common in UK).

There are also confirmation names to do with religion, however they also exist in the UK for members of certain religions.

Thank you very much, Jon357, that's what I thought.

You mean so called ''bierzmowanie''?
Those names have no legal meaning and are not being used outside Church document.

Yes.


I did know that.

It's possible to have them added to documents though - a friend did this recently.

It's a bit different in the UK - over there it's possible to have a baptismal name added up to 30 days after registration. Nowadays, since religion isn't very popular, people tend to use that to add an extra one if they change their mind about the kid's name.

contrary to what he said there are middle names in Poland just like in US and UK

Hello,

I have another question about middle names, if you someone would be kind enough to answer it: If you met someone who had the same first name and surname as you, but a different middle name, would you think of them as having "the same name as you"?

Thank you very much!

I think it depends on that what names one actually uses. I have a middle (second given) name, but I don't use this - so if I met someone having the same first name and surname, for me he would have the same name as me.

Pącki.

He did not explain well, we have middle names but not all, same as in some other countries, it is optional, some parents give children extra name, some do not. In many cases the second name or middle name is the one given at bierzmowanie ceremony and this name is only used in Catholic Church's documents, so some people end up with three and others with four names but the latter case occurs only in Church's legal proceedings.

In Poland, a middle name was always given because of religion and tradition. No one is obligated to have or to use middle name.
For example, if any of state (federal) office need to check your personal data, they use various data, combined depending on the institution i.e:

- First and middle name + Surname
- PESEL (Personal Identity Number) - one number for whole life
- ID document number - do not confuse with PESEL. ID card number refers to card item only.
- Maiden name of your mother
- First name of your father
- Address (place of residence)

As an example: When your data is checked by police officer which do not have at the moment direct access to digital database (like in police car) , they use over the radio your surname, first + middle name and combining it with first name of your father and maiden name of your mother. They use your PESEL or ID number as well.

I'm not sure about notary but I think in documents filled by him, middle name is used as well, of course if you have it written in your ID card.

So, if you have to fill any official document in state office and you own a middle name, it will be written down by official on this docs as well.

I'm sorry for my English. I'm not a native speaker.

Regards
RiseAndShine

And I forgot, people who went to "bierzmowanie" in Catholic Church, receive one more name (which can be a 2nd middle name then) which is used inside Church community only.

It has nothing to do with state and this name will be never used in any of the state documents.
Regards

As regards the middle names...sometimes, the name of the person's mother was given as the second name and that is why you have men with the name of Mr X Maria surname....I was always puzzled that a man should have a woman's name as second name, but there are many older politicians with this scenario.