If your wife is suggesting her surname be the baby's middle name, that's actually exactly the traditional Philippine naming format — assuming it's her maiden/family surname. The important thing is to set the child's legal name correctly at birth and then use that SAME NAME consistently on the Philippine birth record and the US citizenship/passport documents. I don't think it'll be confusing. If you use the same middle name consistently on the birth certificate and both passports, everything should match.

Just follow each country's naming rules. My son was registered FIRST MIDDLE LAST on his US birth certificate and US passport. He got dual citizenship, and following Philippine convention, his Philippine passport has FIRST MIDDLE as his first name, MOM'S LAST NAME as his middle name, and the same LAST name.

Like others said, it's a hassle when documents don't match. Since I live here, I made both sets of documents follow the Philippine convention (my maiden surname is their middle name). The US documents are the same. Makes life easier.

Yes... the baby's middle name is the MOTHER'S maiden name, which is her father's last name.

My daughter has my surname and my son doesn't. We live in HK… lucky she has it, because it makes visiting the Philippines really convenient.. One time I put my son's passport on top and they asked so many questions — where's his father? Is he yours? I said sorry, he doesn't carry my surname because his name is already very long, but if you look at his sister's passport you'll see she has my surname.. After that I always make sure to put his sister's passport on top first… makes life easier..