Anyone with a double-barrelled surname?

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I didn't take my DH's surname when we got married so I am insistent that our DS will have both our names.

I always thought a double-barrelled name was hyphenated but my mum thinks its shouldn't be, then, when DS is older he can choose to be whichever he wants.

Surely if it's not hyphenated then the first surname would really be classed as a middle name??

Can anyone enlighten me?
Thanks

I think you're right. I gave my kids my surname as a middle name, so they can choose when they're older. On reflection there are some people who use two names as a surname, but I would guess that it's something they have to correct people on all the time (until they become megastars!).

I would just have your surname as a middle name to give the child a choice but just use the fathers (or vice versa) on a daily basis.

Ours isn't hyphenated but is still a surname

Ours isn't hyphenated, but it does cause some confusion and some computer systems won't accept it without a hyphen, so I'm used to people putting one in, or even no gap at all just one loooooong name!

I read somewhere that it was posher not to have a hyphen (!) but with hindsight I'd probably add one for ease (in fact, for ease I'd just pick one name as its a bit of a pain, especially if they're the kind of names that need spelling out, which both of ours are).

Mine isn't hyphenated, but is still a surname. I've never had any problems with this being accepted.
Mind you, as DoingIt says, I'd probably have a hyphen if I had the chance again.

Ours is db and hyphenated. In practice we all tend to use the first bit only. We find that when dealing with people who don't know us (esp over the phone) the conversation always goes like this.

Name?
Mrs Smith-Jones
Hello Mrs Jones. Blah blah Mrs Jones.

Particularly annoying when we choose to be called Smith!

I was brought up with a double barrelled name. I had my biologicals father name legally and then added my step dads name. On all legal docs I was known by my legal name but everywhere else I was known as the double name.

It had a hyphen, and one of the names is very common and everyone knows how to spell it but I was always spelling it anyway. The other name was uncommon.

I liked having a double name, and I choose to use which name I wanted at certain points. I would give them a double name and then they can choose, if you make one a middle name then wouldn't they have to change their name by deed poll later?

Mine is double barrelled and I don't have a hyphen.

also double barrelled without a hyphen and I often get called just by the last part which can be mildly irritating though I have been known to just use the last part if booking a restaurant or something

If you want both parts to get used, include a hyphen, otherwise you will be forever correcting people.

We use a hyphen, although tbh I tend to use just my original name as all three bits of my name require spelling out over the phone etc.

Just marking my place out of interest.

DD is double barelled, myname-dp'sname

If DP ever feels the need to propose I've contemplated whether I'd rather keep my name and take his but be be unhyphenated but it seems those without a hyphen would like one. Interesting (if not massively relevant given DP's lack of marriage interest!)

It is good that you are thinking through this - I was/ am in a similar position.
When we had DS we weren't married and gave DS a double-barrelled surname.
Then we got married but I didn't change my name.
Then had DD who took my DH's name.

So we are a family of 4 with 3 surnames!

It can be problematic - DS' double barrelled name does have a hyphen, but the amount of times his records get mislaid as they have been filed in either part of the name IYSWIM (It doesn't help that the first part of his name can be a first name!)

Also do I call myself Ms + maiden name or Mrs + maiden name - I usually go for the latter.