Double-barrell surnames - how common are they?

[springissprung]

... and how are they seen these days? Do people still see double-barrell names as posh or are they quite common place now with more parents wanting to pass both their names on to their DC? Is the child more likely to be called by the first or second part of the name as inevitably some people won't get it right!

Just trying to get an idea as I don't personally know anyone with a double-barrell name.

Hi janitor - do you ever have any problems with your name?

My DD has a double barrelled name as DH and I were not married when we had her. When we did get married I did not change my name, and DD continues to be double-barrelled. She can make her own mind up when she is older if she wants to drop one.

I do worry sometimes that it makes us look a bit common

I'm not sure if this is helpful to you but my children have their father's sur name but we weren't married. Have split from him.

My children use myname hisname now but they aren't double-barrelled becaues legally their name is just one of those names. BUT I find it helps enormously at the school for example. If they are just sylvie and Bruno Hisname, nobody would know that I was their mother but since we've started using two sur names, it's more obvious i'm their mother, they're my children. Sounds a small thing, but we all like it. The last time I admitted to this I was told off.

About a third of children in DS's class have hypenated names - not posh!

DS has both our names, hypenated - causes no problems whatsoever, he is always called his full and real name.

@janitor - people just using half of the name for instance. Just wondered - you may not have a not have had!

My youngest ds has both dh and my names even tho we are married because my daughter has my maiden name and ss has dh name and the youngest ds surname links all the children together, if that makes sense!

I think nowadays, most people would just assume that the parents weren't married- like Exit said, probably if anything a bit common, rather than posh! Just going on the people that I know with double-barrelled surnames, of course!

Although one strange thing I have noticed, quite a lot of children with double-barrelled lns also seem to have double-barrelled fns, e.g. Ellie-Kate Smith-Jones. Surely Ellie Kate Smith-Jones, known as Ellie Smith-Jones for everyday purposes, would be a bit more convenient?!

Pink - that is ridiculous!!!!

I do tend to assume it's one name from each of the parents, rather than a Trust Fund and some ponies.

My DCs are Hassled-Bloggs. I do worry what they'll do if they have children with Jane Smith-Jones. It can't be Hassled-Smith-Bloggs-Jones - they're going to have pick and there's bound to be offence taken somewhere.

yes i have wondered about that Hassled. Maybe a merged name or hybrid will have to take place, so it becomes Hassith-Blones or an anagram. or a completely new (unrelated?) word!
I tried for this but dh wasn't having any of it.

I am married but I didn't change my surname, my DDs have my husbands surname, but my maiden name as a middle name, never caused a problem and they are quite happy with their names, they see my name as an integral part of theirs

Well my x and I never married, but neither of us would be exactly common thank you. He had many faults but he wasn't 'common'. I use the two names because I think it's a more accurate reflection of who the children are.

Even if I had married I don't think I would be inclined now to take a man's name. So I think society is moving in a different direction. The automatic assumption that children will take their father's name is being questioned. Families are doing what feels right for them.

whenIwish - all I know is that if Hassled isn't involved somewhere, umbnrage will be taken. My DILs are going to just love me.

I am posh and I'm unmarried.

We have a hyphenated surname, and we are married.
I have quite an unusual maiden name, and I am also the last in my family with the opportunity to pass it on. If I didn't keep it then my generation would be the last to use that surname, as no boys were born in my family.
So dh and I hyphenated my maiden name and his surname.
Both parts of the surname are always used. (poor dc's also have loads of middle names to contend with. They are going to love us when they do form filling when they are older!)

same as pp here, my son was born out of wedlock and we used both of our surnames. We recently got married, and have all taken on the double-barrelled surname, to match with our Son's. So we are all my surname - his surname.
We are not common!

Am secretly quite touched and honoured husband has taken on my name, as it's not often done I don't suppose, bless him.

We have a double-barrell surname.
When we married i didn't want to give up my name & my husbands is quite a common surname.
Now we're all know by our double-barrell surname.

However my MIL refuses point blank to call my husband or our kids by our name & will only use his part of the surname. Also i find when im at appointments most people tend to miss part of the name, which i don't get.
If you see a name saying Sarah Smith-Jones, why would you call out Sarah Jones.

I think in my eldest sons class there are about 4 kid with a double-barrelled surname. His best mate has one but his parents aren't married.

same as tummytickler and serendipity, v rare maiden name I didn't want to lose and my DH is Smith so I double-barrelled, DS has the same as me and DH may change in future if he can be arsed

will probably be flamed but unless someone is obviously posh i tend to think of them as a little try-hard/common. sorry.

Unless someone is obviously posh i tend to think of them as a little try-hard/common.

Yeah, me too.

I don't see that it's 'try hard' or common to have a double barrelled name.
I have one, and it quite obviously isn't posh, but it's because my mum is fab and didn't want to lose her surname, so when she married my dad they kept both of them.
If anything it's less try hard than being so desperate that you'll give up your own surname and take someone else's.