First/middle/last names

[Glen]

Sorry if this has been discussed previously - I couldn't find it after searching. The English system of filling out forms gives
First name
Middle name
Last name

but as we know, that doesn't work so well in Spanish. So could I say it as
Nombre (I've also heard Primer nombre)
Apellido paternal (I've also heard Primer apellido ¿?)
Apellido maternal (I've also heard Segundo apellido ¿?)

yet the form doesn't allow for such a construction so could I write it as
First name _nombre_
Middle name _(none)_
Last name _apellidos paternal y maternal (separated by a hyphen or not?

Thanks for your advice. I'm going to have to do just that in a day or two and want to make sure.

EDIT: What I meant to include was, in order for English-speakers to understand better what's going on with their clients' names I didn't want to put Apellido paternal as a Middle Name and Apellido maternal as a Last name. Does that make sense? Thanks!

[Rusty]

I believe it safe to just use 'apellidos'. Many of Spanish descent have more than one given name, as well.

Apellidos
Nombres


If you want to get specific, and consistent, names (in a particular order), write:
Nombre: (Apellido paterno, Apellido materno, Nombres) or (Nombres, Apellido paterno, Apellido materno)

[Glen]

Thanks Rusty, I'll go with that. So materno is better than maternal? Just learned something new!

[Rusty]

Yes. :)

[Glen]

Now what do you think of my idea to place both apellidos in the Last name space, leaving Middle name blank? And hyphenated or not?

[Rusty]

Placing 'apellidos' in the Last name space is a good idea. No hyphens.

I believe 'nombres' should be stated in the First name space. If this is done, and if nothing appears in the Middle name space, I think you'll get the full name of the individual.

[Glen]

Glad to hear you agree Rusty, because I've been at places where this issue causes much confusion. A name such as Juan Carlos Rodríguez Vargas, for example, may appear under three different Last names. Adding a hyphen seems pointless to me as well, although some places I've been use it unthinkingly.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Side note: "paternal"/"maternal" are more an attitude than an attribute owed to parents; that's why we use "paterno"/"materno".

- Juan es muy paternal; siempre ayuda a sus empleados.
- Si fueras más maternal con tus alumnos, aprenderían mejor.


As for our many names, they're different from middle names in English, but a second or third name can be placed there. :thinking:

First name: Juan
Middle name: Carlos
Family name: García López

But I'd prefer:
First name Juan Carlos
Middle name: *empty*
Family name: García López

[wrholt]

From what I've read, Rusty and AdA's recommendations are probably the best way to get native speakers of Spanish to give you their complete names.

The concept of "middle name" doesn't exist in Spanish-speaking regions: the different parts of a full name are nombre (or nombres), which may contain any number of words, followed by apellidos, each of which may also contain more than one word, as in the name of the Spanish politician José María Álvarez del Manzano y López del Hierro, which divides as follows:

nombre(s): José María
apellido paterno: Álvarez del Manzano
(joined by): y
apellido materno: López del Hierro

Another argument for avoiding "middle name" are the many Marian names of the form "María del/de la/de los/de las X", such as "María del Rosario", "María del Consuelo", "María del Pilar", "María de las Mercedes", "María de los Dolores", "María de la Soledad", and so on. Most women and girls who have one of these Marian names do not use the complete name as their public name; instead, their public name may be María, or may be the last word, or may be a nick-name based on the last word, or a contraction of "María" with the last word, and so on.

[Glen]

The interviews went very well, thanks to all of you. Getting names entered correctly is an ongoing process of (trying to) educate English-speaking people at the agencies where I volunteer. Some are receptive, others aren't, but given the increasing Latinization of the country there's hope for more understanding.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Good to know it all went fine. =)

[Adryan17]

Hi everyone! Here in Spain yes exist the middle name, of course, but very few people possess it, another people have 3 last names (like me) or even 4 (like my father)

Normally it must be like this: (I'm going to do it with examples)
Name: Alberto
Middle Name: Augusto
First Last Name: Sanchez-Herrera
Second Last Name: Muñoz De La Nieta

So his complet name is: Alberto Augusto Sanchez-Herrera Muñoz De La Nieta

It's crazy jaja but some people have more than 2 lasts names or a middle name, or even all.

Greetings!