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derpy_viking t1_j56pgmh wrote

Reply to comment by AspireAgain in TIL that George "Washington" Carver never formally used Washington as a middle name. He originally chose the middle initial W at random to ensure accurate mail delivery. Someone once asked if the "W" stood for Washington and Carver said "Why not?" He signed his name as George or George W. Carver. by AspireAgain

No, I mean virtually no one even uses a middle initial in Germany, although it’s really uncommon to not have at least two given names.

It’s not used on your headstone, over a scientific article, or on your business card. As far as I remember, I enrolled both, in school and in university, without requiring my second name. It’s only on my passport and on my bank statements – and with my bank I could have just skipped telling them my middle name.

Edit: I just wonder, I we are weird for not using it.

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AspireAgain OP t1_j570p8s wrote

From a US perspective most medical/legal/enrollment forms have a space for a middle initial. Most online consumer focused ones don't.

If you're dealing with school systems and program registrations and health care and etc , the Middle Initial field is ubiquitous, I suppose for the same reason Carver started using W - to avoid confusion. But it is very rarely a required field.

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