My middle name is: ANTJE 😆 an old-fashioned Dutch name for a girl.

What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

My parents did that.

It used to be a certain Dutch custom: you give your kid a *first* name, and you go through life with everyone calling you that, in my case *Willy*.

Then: 2nd name: the one of your maternal grandmother (or -father), than: 3rd one: your paternal grandmother (or -father).

Haha, you have no say.

Here is the significance:

Fortunately for me: my maternal grandmother ANTJE was a fantastic woman, who lovingly cared for me, as a baby (due to being a baby in World War 2, me in the NAZI occupied city Amsterdam, where NO DECENT FOOD was available).

So: yes: my middle name, although never used in daily life: is very very precious.

My daughter Nicole got ANTJE as her 2nd name too, and her daughter Ruby got ANTJE as her maternal middle name too.

Heyho for this great (classical) Dutch custom.

Note: some, specially Royals, and Catholics have no middle name, but an endless list of names. Poor they.

Anyway: what is in a name, eh?

Your first-call name: very important to have a fantastic one, is how I feel about that.  And must be easy to pronounce too, even have a meaning.

So about my first name WILLY, once: a first-call name for a girl in The Netherlands is now probably extinct, certainly antiquated. But I always felt okay with that first name.

However WILLY is a name for boys in the British  Commonwealth and in Germany. Still is.

And during my career working for the former British Colony Hong Kong: that usually caused exclamations even a shock:  YOU are a woman!?.

😁 Yes I replied then 😆 plus: I hope you do not have a problem dealing with me, in a *business* man/woman meeting or conversation ?? 

Willy Antje Corry Holmes-Spoelder (WACHS)