Four names in three spots

When you fill out a form that has designated spots for your name, more than just a line that says “name,” it generally has one space for first name, one space for last name, and then a spot in the middle labeled “middle initial” or sometimes “middle/maiden name.” That’s all well and good and standardized, but what about people who don’t fit that mold?

My whole life this hasn’t really been a problem. But next week I’m adding a fourth name to my name. How do they expect me to fill out a form when I’ll have four names and they’ll only have three spots? Why does our society have to be so limited in our understandings of names? I’ve actually spent quite a bit of time trying to figure this out. And to be able to do it without hyphenating anything because I do not want any punctuations in my name.

There are several things I could do. I could just not use the middle name I’ve used my whole life and love and is a part of me. And I’m sure that’s what all those people who make the forms expect me to do. But that’s just lame.

I could say I have two last names. But then I’d run into the problem of people thinking they were hyphenated, which they won’t be, and it would mean I’d be listed differently alphabetically from my husband and that’s just weird for me because I like things to be neatly ordered alphabetically. So that’s not an option for me.

I could start listing my middle name with my first name, resulting in two first names. There might be some people who would imagine they were hyphenated as well, but probably less so than if I told people I had two last names. It wouldn’t mess with the alphabetizing. The only problem would be people who would think I’d want to be called by both. And while that was the plan when I was a baby, I changed that when I started talking and now only a few old aunts still call me by both.

But that’s probably what I’ll do on forms if I have to. If they give me only three spots to fill in my name then I’ll have two first names. If they give me a blank line to sign then I’ll have two middle initials.

Why can’t I just have my four names and be done with it?!?