To change my children's surname on their birth certificate aged 6 and 3

[Dragone]

My children have my husband's surname and I kept my own. We married 2 years ago.

When my children were born we gave them DH's surname. Recently DH said he wished we'd given them my surname as their middle name. Since then I've been thinking similar.

I looked into it and it's straightforward to do, here in Scotland at least.

Now I'm wondering if I should perhaps change their surname to double-barrelled with both our surnames.

FWIW they sound really good together and DH and I toyed with doing that ourselves when we married.

We personally find double barrelled surnames a little pretentious, moreso changing to that from a single surname. I don't seem to have those feelings about my children's names because that is (will be) their name. I may also be biased because it will also have my surname in it.

My surname has stopped at my Dad's children and I feel sad about that.

I'm looking for opinions on double barrelled surnames and about this idea in general.

Go with what you want to do. I had a double barrelled surname from my parents but thought it was a bit much so never used it. But it really was a bit long. If your names sound nice together why not

I'm not a fan of double barrelled. But maybe that is because I have a sir name for my middle name myself.

If Miss Hamilton-Smith has a baby with Mr. Hardwick-Jones, what name do they use? Hamilton-Jones?

I'm not a fan of double barrelled, what happens when they have children does it go quad barrelled?

Your child is 6 it is their name now and not for you to change, I think it would be very selfish of you to force your child to change their name and the child is only going to be influenced by your opinion if you ask them.

You should have thought about this six years ago, try changing you own name and adding your mum's maiden name if you want to do anything

Look, why not, if it feels right to all of you?

I knew a family who had an ‘embarrassing’ surname and one day when the kids were teens the whole family decided, that’s enough, we’re all changing it.
So they did, and went from being the X family to the Y family.

I’m not a fan of double-barrelled names but I’m also not the person who makes the rules in life. Do what works for your family

JimmyJones But they were teenagers so old enough to have those own opinions not 6, leave it till they are old enough to decide

My daughters surname is double barrelled and it’s beautiful!
How could a surname be pretentious?

Says more about the perceiver than the owner of the name.

I personally think that double barrel names are awful and pretentious. I can't help but judge. I often feel sorry for the poor children who struggle to write their ever lasting names.

It's fine to change the 3 year olds name - at that age, they aren't really aware of stuff like that, so you aren't "changing their identity" or trampling on their will or anything.

If you and your husband are double barrelling your names, and ask the six year old if they want to double barrel too, they will probably say yes.

Or were you and your husband planning to keep your respective surnames and just change your kids? In which case - hmm, that feels a bit like you can't be bothered with all the hassle on your own account, but want your kids to go through it regardless.

We have both mine and my husband surname but no hyphen..on paper both names are there in the surname but we just use the last one e.g. I'm Sarah McAuley Jensen (not real name) but just known as Mrs Jensen son will be the same he will have the full name but when he starts school we will tell them he is to be known as L Jensen.. We only have both as my husband is Scandinavian and it is tradition in his family to take a mix of both names at marriage. As a teacher I don't want my son to have to learn to write a big long double barrel surname at school

On a practical note I have a DB surname and it's a complete pain in the neck. Officials can never find me (doctors, dentists, maternity services) as they aren't immediately sure if it is listed under the first o r second part. I missed an appointment recently as I received a letter addressed to Mr Smith Brown not realising it was for me (I am Jane Smith-Brown). I would just give them your surname as a middle name.

Having a ‘sir name’ makes you sound very posh, AuntMarch

I took on my husband's double barrelled surname, you should see the looks when people ask me which part was my maiden name and I say neither 😂
Our daughter has my mother's maiden name (happens to be a girl's name) as her middle name so still has part of my family in her name.

DD's name will be double barrelled with mine and my partners! I also toyed with the idea of making my surname her middle name, but it didn't really feel right to me. Like you, my surname stops with me and my sister, and why should it??

When I had ds2 we double barrled his surname. Only for 2 years until we got married then we dropped my surname off it.

With us both ex dh surname and my surname are first names so there was a little bit of confusion when we said his full name but that's it.

I no when I divorced legally I could not change ds2 surname back to just mine as I needed exdh permission and he would rather poke pins in his nob than let that happen (even though he doesn't want anything to do with him)

If you want to add your surname then do so. Your DC will be fine with it. When I remarried DC1 then 6yo wanted to be the same surname as mine so we changed it.

@biscuitdrama .... Or just not very with it in the mornings!! Lol

I have myname, dh has hisname and ds is myname-hisname. I don't think its pretentious, and I think he'll be perfectly capable of making naming decisions for his own children in the fullness of time

I just find it funny that you find double barrelled names pretentious except when you’re doing it!

I’m not a fan of double barrelled names personally but i’m not the one who’s name it is so my opinion doesn’t really matter