In reply to:

geraldine was thought by my mother to be such a big name, that she didn't need as many names!

I've already give info on my Hebrew name, but my 'given' name is Suzanne (named for my grandmother Susie and my great-grandmother Susannah)... like poor Geraldine, sister to Helen of the many names following... my father thought Suzanne was enough, and so I don't have a middle name. Well, at least that's what I thought until I was 12 and my sisters (twins) were born - each of them has only one name as well, though their names are short - Sarah and Laurie.

So, why didn't we get middle names? Because our dear father thought that women should only be given one name at birth as, in his mind, since they would take their husbands' names at marriage, the 'maiden' name would become the instant middle name! That has worked for my two sisters, but since I never married, I still have only what I was given at birth! And at this stage in my life, even if I was to marry, I probably would just keep it this way - it'd really be too much trouble for my friends to learn a new name for me now!

Shoshannah (Suzanne)


suzanne pomeranz, tourism consultant jerusalem, israel - suztours@gmail.com