What was Thomas Edison’s middle name?

Thomas Edison’s middle name was Alva.

He was born Thomas Alva Edison on February 11, 1847, in Milan, Ohio. His parents were Samuel Ogden Edison Jr. and Nancy Matthews Elliott Edison. “Alva” came from Captain Alva Bradley, a friend of Edison’s father and a prominent figure in the family’s earlier history.

Edison is usually known simply as Thomas Edison, so his middle name is often omitted in popular accounts. It also should not be confused with “Al,” the nickname sometimes used for other people named Albert or Alfred.

The name became part of the formal titles of several Edison-related institutions and biographies. His middle initial, A, appears in patents, business records, and historical documents, although many public references use only his first and last names.