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.

Your....sorry

I have a dble barrell surname but only use one which is also how DH does it. The surname was 'inherited' when I married DH.

What is funny is that DH filled out his immigration paperwork when he moved to the US. He put the first half of the surname in the middle name section and the second half in the last name section. His immigration lawyer was really bad! So his name outside of the US is different to his name within the US. As we lived in the US we had to get married here. My MIL was so upset that her grandchildren would have a different last name to her son that I agreed to update my name when I was naturalized. Funnily enough she still doesn't get it that our children will have a different last name to their father here in the US!

I'm afraid I'm not a fan either. I tend to think of there's a bit of whiff of the old Lilly-Mays about it, sorry.

For what it's worth, I'm married but have kept my own surname. DS has DH's name, not for any political reasons, I just thought if we doubled his surname, and he partnered up with someone else with a double surname we'd be landing our potential grandchildren in the shit!

sorry for my ignorance but what is "Lilly-Mays"? I googled it, but couldnt see anything!

OhHelpOhNo, I would expect my daughter to use whatever name/names feel right. She won't be obliged to take a new name, or hang on to two old names (only one is legally her name). It'll be up to her basically. The tradition of doing what feels right will carry on I think.

WhenIwishuponastar, I think she means it sounds a bit common. But that really is a view formed by somebody who hasn't given much thought to the wide range of different circumstances. That comment displays a conservative and narrow view of what's best/normal imo.

Double barrelled I have no issue with. They sound quite nice in fact. Triple barrelled are a different matter - just stupid really .

In our family we use the maiden name as a middle name.

Where I'm from in Canada the higher up the socio-economic ladder you go the more likely you are to get children with double-barreled names, because women are less likely to change their name on marriage and they want to pass it on. Whereas here it's seen as "oh, unmarried parents - how common". The exact opposite reaction!

I know a double-barreled woman who married a one-surname man and both kept their names. They recently had a baby and gave her one of the mum's surnames hyphenated with the dad's. Makes sense to me. Expect you'd do the same with double-barreled parents - choose one name from each.

Thanks for the replies, I kind if thought that would be the case.... hoping your children will feel empowered to use whatever name combo they are happy with. My thoughts where around the family politics and potential offense/hurt when your child opts to drop your part of surname given the reasons the child was named that way in the first place. Sorry just my ponderings, I hope I haven't offended anyone, it's a question I have had for a while

Bue, yes, I can see us going in the direction of how things are done in Spain. Supposing my father is garcia and my mother is lopez, then i'd be valium garcia lopez. but if i married a gutierrez then our kids would be gutierrez garcia. in the end, one sur name is lost eventually but in that person's lifetime it's obvious from the sur names they are using who their parents are, and a clue to who their cousins are! and you can tell which grandparents are maternal or paternal. To see any move in a new direction dismissed as 'common' is ludicrous. Although I suppose I am not British and I don't feel bound by the same pressures to be conservative. I think British people are more conservative with regard to traditions.