Oh yeah. If you talk to too many people, all of your names will end up being ruled out, and you will be stuck! A funny (but maybe not at the time story), a family member in Greece gave birth to a male child and they were having the baptism and naming of the child. They had picked out a name X, but great grandmother disapproved of the choice, said the child needed to be named Y for some burning reason. The reception afterwards was to be at her house. After the couple walked out the front door of the house, great grandmother ran around, locked the doors of the house, and yelled through the window, that she wasn't going to let anyone into the reception, unless they named the child Y! So, they gave in. They named the child Y, with middle name X. And just called him his middle name his entire life.
Totally facepalmed at this! I really really super duper do not get the thing where you give your name-you-100%-plan-to-use-in-daily-life as a middle name. My friends did it with both of their kids and I just think, why not swap the names round? But they moved back to America and I know it's more common there, so I guess it won't be the problem it would have been over here. When I encounter people who use their middle names, I always think, "Whoa, what happened with your first name that you can't use it any more?!"
My grandmother was Mary. Her daughter was Mary Ann and went by both names. Her daughter (my sister) was Mary (different middle name that started with A). My sister has gone by her middle name her whole life. It was thought to be a way to honor the generations with less confusion.
I'd go back to using my original name but everyone knows me by my married name so it isn't worth the trouble of changing it back.
Lol, I wasn't given a middle name at birth, so I use my maiden name as my middle name. It's at the beginning of the alphabet. My married name is at the end of the alphabet. I joke if I want it whatever it is they're handing out, I use my maiden name. If I don't, I use my married name.
DH's family uses the same first name over and over, but different middle names. His father has the name. The first born son had the name, but died in infancy. DH was adopted, and also given the same first name, but was called by his different middle name (first born son was Little <Dad's name>). DH got tired of explaining about the first/middle switcheroo to employers for official documents, so switched back to first name as an adult, but still uses middle name with family and older friends.
Our oldest son also has first name, uses middle name (different, again). He sometimes uses a concatenated version of the first syllable of each name.
A generation or two back in one branch of the family, ALL the males were given the same first name with unique middle names - which is what they were known by, of course. There were like 7 of them!
About the maiden name as middle, and optionality - my maiden name is at the end of the alphabet, and no one knows how to spell it after hearing it. I can remember my father using my mother's maiden name when ordering pizza - easier to spell, say. Mom changed her middle name to be her maiden name. When I married, I followed suit. I wanted to keep my rather unique maiden name in addition to my married name (which moved me up closer to the beginning of the alphabet, shorter name). I also liked the unique combo of my initials, which I'd lose w/o maiden name.
Spelling/pronunciation is still an issue, though. At least DH and i reverted to the French pronunciation, versus the hideous mangling English speakers try to force it into.