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Original poster

Double barrelled names future generations?

33 replies

Menonut · 27/07/2025 15:40

This is just a light hearted post really, but has anything thought about future generations with everyone deciding to double barrel names now?
Jane Smith & Fred Jones get married and become Mr & Mrs Smith-Jones they then have kids. One of the Smith-Jones kids wants to then get married to a Williams-Taylor, what do we end up with then? The Smith-Jones-Williams-Taylor’s?

OP posts:
RantzNotBantz · 27/07/2025 16:15

My Dc will definitely just keep adding all the names and my grandchildren will have 8 hyphenated surnames.

Obviously.

If this is a problem, I’m not worried because this question crops up on every single thread about women changing their names or giving their children their name, so we can be assured that, yes, plenty of people have thought about it (along with the entire Spanish nation ) so hopefully some solution can be found sometime during the next generation.

HobnobsChoice · 27/07/2025 15:52

Oxzo · 27/07/2025 15:45

they can both barrel, they can choose one each to barrel together, they can create a new name, they can keep their own names, one can take the others name, there are loads of solutions, as double barrelling isn’t a recent thing

My kids can do exactly this. They have two surnames, no hyphen and once they get to be adults they can decide what they do with their name same as I chose what to do with mine. O do have South American heritage so the concept of multiple generations having multiple surnames is not a big shocker and I've never found it especially hard to trace family trees. I am pleased with the changes on Spanish naming convention which means people can choose matrilineal or patrilineal last names

DurinsBane · 27/07/2025 15:48

Look at the Fiennes family. They actually have a triple barrelled name! Though just the one name seems to be used publicly

Oxzo · 27/07/2025 15:45

they can both barrel, they can choose one each to barrel together, they can create a new name, they can keep their own names, one can take the others name, there are loads of solutions, as double barrelling isn’t a recent thing

OchonAgusOchonOh · 27/07/2025 15:44

If only there were cultures where double surnames are the norm then we could emulate them.

Hint: have a look at Spain

SunnyPrague · 27/07/2025 15:43

I know a kid with a triple-barrelled name.

He was originally Master Smith-Jones but his parents split up and Mummy Smith remarried a Mr Williams.

The kid is now called Master Smith-Jones-Williams

NuffSaidSam · 27/07/2025 15:43

I think they take one of each and create a new double barrel e.g. Smith-Williams or Jones-Taylor.

Of flip a coin and stick with one name.

Or make a new name for their family.

ChildrenOfTheQuorn · 27/07/2025 15:41

🙄