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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Double barrelled surname

37 replies

MarmitesMyMate · 14/11/2021 00:21

Aibu to think it's OK to shorten it like this on labels for school clothes etc

not real name Alice Glendennen Roe

Alice G Roe

OP posts:
SpookyPumpkinPants · 14/11/2021 00:27

Well, not really if it's double barrelled, it's not her middle name.

Is the G person upset by it?

Thedogscollar · 14/11/2021 00:30

I'd say that perfectly acceptable OP.

WorraLiberty · 14/11/2021 00:33

If anyone were to find it, it might not be obvious it belongs to your child.

Is there space for the class or even just the year group?

MurielSpriggs · 14/11/2021 00:33

I'd leave off the first name by preference. That's what we've done. Bonus: the labels are usable by all siblings in the family.

GTAlogic · 14/11/2021 00:52

That's what we do for our name. Imagine we were Jones-Brown; we'd shorten it to J-Brown or simply J-B.

Dropcloth · 14/11/2021 00:54

DS has two long surnames. They’re always both used on nametapes etc.

THEDEACON · 14/11/2021 00:58

I'd use both parts of surmame or neither Would compromise onAlice GR

MurielSpriggs · 14/11/2021 01:08

@MurielSpriggs

I'd leave off the first name by preference. That's what we've done. Bonus: the labels are usable by all siblings in the family.
Sorry, just realised my post is not clear. In other words your name tape would be the double-barrelled surname only, no first name: "Glendennen Roe".
Mumoftwoinprimary · 14/11/2021 01:52

Alice G-R would be ok.

RaisedByPangolins · 14/11/2021 01:59

@MurielSpriggs

I'd leave off the first name by preference. That's what we've done. Bonus: the labels are usable by all siblings in the family.
Same here. I never used all 200 name tapes either way but at least it made hand me downs easier.
PrincessNutella · 14/11/2021 04:24

No, I think it's better to do initials G-R, or just the whole last name without the first name. If the surname is double-barreled, that is still her surname, not her middle name and a last name.

cowburp · 14/11/2021 06:59

Just do the surname?

cowburp · 14/11/2021 06:59

Or G-R

Harlequin1088 · 14/11/2021 07:01

Just do the initial followed by the full surname. So instead of Robert Jones-Smith put R. Jones-Smith.

TeenMinusTests · 14/11/2021 07:11

You need to use the full surname. Otherwise you are turning the first bit into a middle name, like my Dad who has his mother's maiden name as his second middle name.

To be honest, if the surname is too long for nametapes, then the child maybe shouldn't have been given it in the first place.

CloverField · 14/11/2021 07:13

The full surname should be used.

CeliaCanth · 14/11/2021 07:16

No, not acceptable. I double barrelled my surname on marriage and absolutely hate it if anyone tries (using your example) “Alice G Roe”. (My family name is the equivalent of the “G” here by the way!)

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 14/11/2021 07:26

If it’s your name you can do what you like with it. If it isn’t, then the choice is the owner of the name. If the name is recently hyphenated (e.g. you are Glendennen and your DH/W is Roe) then you get to choose about the Glendennen bit and your spouse chooses about the Roe part.

cowburp · 14/11/2021 07:32

To be honest, if the surname is too long for nametapes, then the child maybe shouldn't have been given it in the first place. or name tape manufacturers should sort themselves out to take more characters

Robostripes · 14/11/2021 07:33

My friend’s DS has quite a long double barrelled surname and his name labels say Tom D-F (not real name or initials!)
I don’t think I could get too worked up about it though!

AuntieStella · 14/11/2021 07:33

I wouid use either 'Alice G-R' or 'Glendennen Roe' - latter is the most useful as you can have one lot of name tapes for all DC with that surname. You can sharpie on the first name initial if necessary.

Do also be aware that some brands offer higher character numbers, so with eg Cash's the whole name would fit. And that might be the best solution

Everydayimhuffling · 14/11/2021 07:34

Depends what the person whose name it is wants. I'd just put the surname for mine, so would do the same for my kids' (different) one. If they want to drop one later then they can. Surely one advantage of double-barrelling is that there's unlikely to be another family with that name so it should get back to you.

Lulu1919 · 14/11/2021 07:36

If you must G-Roe

arethereanyleftatall · 14/11/2021 07:40

Ok for who?
Do what you like pending space, with the idea in mind the point of it is for identification.
If there's 8 Alice's in her class, I'd do more of the surname for example.
My point is is completely depends.

TeenMinusTests · 14/11/2021 07:44

@cowburp

To be honest, if the surname is too long for nametapes, then the child maybe shouldn't have been given it in the first place. or name tape manufacturers should sort themselves out to take more characters
Ah. The OP didn't say it wouldn't fit on. That would make shortening it make slightly more sense.Smile I still wouldn't just drop the first half, either initialise both or initialise the first name.
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