To worry about DS's surname

[JagerPlease]

When ex and I married, we double barrelled our surnames, and DS obviously took our name when he was born. We're now divorcing and both reverting to our original half of the surname.

This means that DS is the only person in the world with his surname. I worry that this might end up being weird for him growing up. Am I worrying unnecesarily?

Another one who hasn’t taken husbands surname and whose baby’s surname is double barrelled.

Also in Spain for example everyone is double barrelled.

FathersSurname-MothersSurname

When they have kids they take the first part of that name and give it to their children.

Quite normal.

So DC are FirstPartOfFathersSurname-FirstPartOfMothersSurname

and on it goes

In Spain and Spanish speaking countries (not sure if all or how many) it's normal for children to take both parents' surnames like that, whilst the parents each retain their own original surnames.

I think it's nice.

I am more concerned about children who are born to unmarried parents and the child is called (first name + father's surname). Then the couple part and the child is first name + father's surname and the mother of this child has always used her own surname. Then the mother meets another partner and marries so the household has Mr and Mrs New Partner's Surname and the child is still first name and previous partner/ bio father's surname. When a new sibling arrives that child has the name of the newly married couple.
Even more complicated would be if the new couple did not marry and there was four surnames in the household.
I had children by more than one father (married to both at different times) but all the children have my surname as I was seen pregnant. The conception should not have been seen by anyone. If, as did happen, when the relationships broke up and I kept the children while the fathers disappeared without maintenance or access, our household all had the same surname.

Yep, another set of Spanish surnamed DC here - not double barrelled, just two surnames, so the DC can choose if they want to use both or just one. Ex & I never married, but wanted our kids to keep both our names - especially because his is very unusual (there are only four people in the UK with it, and two of them are my DC!). So it's DS & DD Myname Hisname, with no hyphen.

Me and DP aren't married and have our own names. Our daughter will be having both our names. You don't need to worry

I added DHs surname to mine but without a hyphen, so I basically have a British and a danish surname (DH is Danish). We gave our son just DH surname for a few reasons, one of which is that DSS has DH surname so both boys are the same. As I also have DH name we all share at least one.

I can think of at least 4 contemporaries of my Dd who are only children with a double-barrelled surname, none of them being 'Smith' 'Brown' or anything very common.

So at least DS won't be the only person who is the only person to have their name

Honestly no-one will think about it twice.

I got talking to one of the mums at DS's last school, and he has a name different from everyone in the family due to a mix of Greek and (I think) Latvian rules about naming of children/married people, and also being born/registered in a 3rd country which would't accept the Greek characters when he was registered - kids won't care, adults will understand.

I think that this 'families all have the same surname' thing is just not a thing any more. There's too many people around who are from countries with different traditions, and we're all used to that now.