AspireAgain

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.

3

AspireAgain OP t1_j56icot wrote

It doesn't usually get used, with most people just using the middle initial when filling out forms.

Middle names are usually only commonly used when the individual is a criminal and the news needs to make sure that, for example, Lee Jeffrey Oswald isn't confused with Lee Harvey Oswald.

8

AspireAgain OP t1_j52otl9 wrote

If I had to guess, perhaps "Washington" started to be used to help promote adoption of the agricultural advances he had worked on. It probably made his name more memorable, and also helped African-Americans who first heard the name to realize that he was African-American also.

4