Double-barreled surname: hyphen or not?

[PoppingTomorrow]

My baby will have both my partner's surname and mine.

A relative insists that it will be complicated for my child to have a non-hyphenated double-barreled surname for the purposes of official forms.

Has anyone with 2 non-hyphenated surnames experienced this?

Yes. I gave my daughter two surnames no hyphen and regret it as I’ve split with her father and literally no one uses mine, they only call her under his name. They don’t ever use both and certainly never just mine. I’ve been told written down mine appears as a middle name hence no one using it. Mine has been erased and He won’t let me change it. Fine if that doesn’t you though that people will only use one.

My kids have a double barrelled surname, no hyphens. Not sure why I didn’t put a hyphen in but it’s made no difference for us.
If I’m giving the kids names I just say it’s ‘Balonz Smith separate word Jones’

My maiden name was double barrelled and I couldn't wait to get rid of it because of all the issues I had. Half my documents had a hyphen and half of them didn't. A lot of the time, forms weren't long enough to fit my name on, with or without the hyphen. Hardly anyone ever used the first of my second names and, when I worked in a school, despite both names being on my name tag, I became known as 'Miss Final Surname' within a week. It got too much correcting everyone.

If you don't intend for it to be shortened, definitely hyphenate. But be aware many people will ignore it anyway for whatever is more convenient for themselves.

Depends what the names are, IMO. If they are obviously both surnames (Balonz Smith Jones) that could be less confusing than if one of the names could be a middle name (Balonz James Jones).

I have two surnames, no hyphen, and so do my kids. Same as the entire population of Spain. No issues.

In my experience unless they’re hyphenated only one surname actually gets used. If you want them both then they need a hyphen

My surnames a male first name so not in my experience and my child is female so it’s strange anyone would think it’s a middle name it’s quite obviously a male name but I think there is a (new?) Tradition of giving children mums surname as a middle name so could be that.

This.

my kids have hyphenated double barrel names. Never had any issues.

I work with a no hyphen person and she does remind you on documents (because it bothers her to be hyphenated I guess), but it doesn’t seem to cause problems. Certainly everyone uses both names

Hyphenated. I know lots of people with a surname as a middle name.

I work in the NHS. Non hyphenated named are a pain.

My children have non-barrelled surnames (mine and DH's), just like everyone in my country.

We do live in the UK and it's an absolute pain for official purposes; like the NHS, as PP pointed out.

Some institutions register them on ye systems by first surname/second, others just by the last surname, and yet others add non-existent hyphen.

If I could choose again, I'd give them my surname as a middle name and only one surname.

Unless they are hyphenated a lot of people will assume the first part is a middle name and it will be dropped.

Are you in the UK?

Both surnames definitely sound like surnames

Yep.
I've had two surnames all my life and it's really not a problem; they are both used.
Ditto my children.

Nobody will bother with the first surname unless it's hyphenated so put whichever surname you prefer the sound of in second position or use a hyphen. But, really, double-barrelled surnames rarely add anything aesthetically and either appear frilly or cumbersome.

Spanish surname here (no hyphen) and I am in the UK.

It's not too complicated tho just have to state there is no hyphen when telling your name.

The only other annoying thing is people calling me by the second part of my surname instead of my first when they shorten it.

Hyphen, definitely.

It gets tedious having to explain again and again that Surname1 is not MiddleName.

Plus, you get constantly filed under the wrong letter of the alphabet and doctors, banks, unis, etc can't find you in a rush!

A friend recently had a baby which she announced on SM with it's name. Pre presumed she had given her it's name as a middle name and the fathers as the surname.

Now I'm wondering if it's double but not hyphenated?

I had never heard of this before

I'm comfortable with why we're double-barrelling.

In practice he will have 5 syllables (4 if his 1st name is abbreviated) which is no more cumbersome than most people with a single barrel.

(Ie, the reason isn't aesthetic)

My children have a surname as a middlename. As does dh
(Let's say Cavendish Jones - Jones the surname Cavendish a family name)

Dh has never had any issues with this.

All 4 children have been filed under
Cavendish
Cavendish Jones
Cavendish-Jones
And just Jones.

Dd1 is about to marry and is considering removing it at the same time.

Dh in his 60s have never once had this happen so I do wonder if this is a newer generational thing. Double barrel and multiple surnames now more common.

Dh in his 60s have never once had this happen so I do wonder if this is a newer generational thing. Double barrel and multiple surnames now more common.
If you are in your 60s, you probably would have been given your mother's surname and that would have been your father's surname too.

Now it's quite likely that the parents have different surnames and the children have the double barrelled surname.