Let’s say your name is Anne Marie Torres. (not my name)

In other countries, when you’re asked for a middle name, you’ll say “Marie.”

That’s not the case in the Philippines. Marie is considered the second name. Filipinos use the maiden name of their mothers as their middle name. The whole name would be Anne Marie S. Torres then S would stand for — let’s say — Santos, which was her mother’s surname before marrying.

I like this set-up because it supports that familial characteristic of the Filipinos. It shows how Filipinos value the mothers and the family on the mother’s side.

How about you, what’s your middle name?