The middle names that my husband and I have picked out for a boy and a girl are family names. We picked them because we loved the people so much that we wanted our children to carry their names.
The boy's middle name is after a step father who has passed.
The girl middle name is after my grandmother, great aunt, and mother who are still living.
Living or dead makes no difference to me. It's the *person* who counts.
Is there a weird line? In my opinion - no. An honor is a beautiful thing.
Middle name as a first name? Sure. Doesn't bother me. I don't get hung up on "You name them what you will call them."