Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

What is so wrong with hyphenated names?

37 replies

dmae · 21/03/2011 10:06

Just been reading a thread with some strong opinions against the use of hypens in names.

My son doesn't have a hypen in his name but we always call him by his first and middle names (Alfie Joe) as it flows so well.

What is the big deal about it?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
fanjolina · 21/03/2011 16:46

They're naff.

Unless they are on a French hunk, with a name like Jean-Marc or similar. Then they're OK Wink

Maryz · 21/03/2011 16:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

spidookly · 21/03/2011 16:29

Alfie Joe is totally different from Alfie-Joe

One is a pet name you can use when he's little and he can drop when he's older and prefers just Alfie.

Alfie-Joe is just too inflexible, and would be a burden in later life.

EricNorthmansMistress · 21/03/2011 16:26

They make my teeth itch. They look stupid, sound stupid, like the parents either couldn't decide or think their child is so super special that they need two names....

slowshow · 21/03/2011 12:16

I agree with vouvrey, the vast majority of the time, it looks like the parents couldn't choose between two names, so chose both. Doesn't matter whether they flow together or not Confused I know of a little girl called Sky - Mia. Such a mouthful!

(I added in spaces because I don't want it to be Googled!)

greenzebra · 21/03/2011 11:14

I dont think theres anything wrong with a hyphenated name, if you like them then use them. They are popular Marie and Jane used to be the second part of the hyphenated name when I was young but now it seams to be Mae, may. I think sometimes they can sound very pretty and thats why they are popular.

I did meet a girl in USA who was called Margaret-Elizabeth and we all had to call her Margaret-Elizabeth, no nn. Was a bit of a mouthful but hey still remember her name.!

dmae · 21/03/2011 11:11

What about Daisy-Mae?

OP posts:
vouvrey · 21/03/2011 11:09

I think you can get away with the old fashioned hyphen names like Mary-Jane, Anne-Marie, Sarah-Jane etc

it's the modern ones like

Lily-Mae, Abbey-Gail, Destiny-Hope etc that are tacky and chavvy.

LadyCLC · 21/03/2011 10:49

I disagree, my name is not tacky in the least in fact it is classy.

Eglu · 21/03/2011 10:44

It's usually too much of a mouthful, and it looks a bit tacky.

LadyCLC · 21/03/2011 10:43

There is no big deal - I am 34 and I have a hyphenated name, and it is not a short one either, I have never been called by a nickname and it has never been a problem for me, I dont think it is chavvy at all as I have read in other threads and I find it quite offensive people are so against it - so what if the parents couldnt choose between 2 names, whats wrong with having both!

vouvrey · 21/03/2011 10:08

They often sound like the parents couldnt choose between 2 names so went for both regardless if they flow. Also they tend to have nn versions of names instead of the full versions, which a lot of people think should be the way it is on the bc.