Hyphentated Names

[lucy567]

Just wondered what people thought.
There are two names I would like to use as first names rather than one being a middle name, ie Archie-Leo (this isn't the name), but just wondered if it seems a bit naff.

oh please don't, as a hyphenated name my whole life please please don't

We have a relative who has given her dd a hyphenated name. I absolutely refuse to use it (use only the first part on greetings cards etc). Its a ridiculous bloody mouthful and no doubt her dd will shorten it of her own accord when she is older.

squishabelle whilst I'm no great fan of hyphenated names, with good reason, I find your attitude a touch puzzling. why would you think its ok to absolutely refuse to use a name that someone else has chosen to give their child. rather ignorant imo and I wouldn't respond to someone only using the first half of my name and I've never shortened mine

lucy567 I hate to buck the trend but I like hyphenated first names or two names together as a first name!

I have to say I do kind of prefer them for girls than boys.

It might sound a bit hillbilly if you choose a country and western sounding name.

I think part of it for me is that I prefer names that are not unisex, so sometimes if you had a name that could be unisex and you added another name then it would be obviously one way or the other (unless you added another unisex name!).

I think of TV characters/books like Emily Elizabeth in Clifford, when I first heard it it sounded odd but kind of grew on me. Then there is Lily-Rose in Green Balloon club, but as I say it kin dof suits girls name's more.

I also know three people who are always called by their middle name first, and one or two don;t like it, but it can happen even if you don't hyphenate.

Totally naff don't do it unless as you say it is a cultural norm such as France where the names actually sound nice and do 'flow'.

I know of a family with six children and ever single one has a hypenated first name involving the name 'Lee' spelt 'Lee' for the boys and 'Leigh' for the girls!!

As ever agree with dizzy on this one, I have been hyphenated my whole life and utterly hate it.

Do not do it

Why can't you just have the two names you like as first and second names?

No no no no no no no. And NO!

I'm another one saddled with a hyphen that I had dropped by the time I was 10 and refuse to acknowledge. Its not even on my passport or marriage cert.

I think it looks downmarket in this country, sorry. Especially if one of the names is a nickname like your example of Archie. "Archie-Leo" is worse than, say, "John-Paul". I don't see why you can't name him "Archie Leo Smith" and call him Archie Leo without there having to be great awkward hyphen in there. I have known, for example, Sarah Janes and Mary Anns who were still called by both names as long as they wanted to be.

i don't like it. it's like the parent couldn't decide between two names. i know the mother of a sophie-may and her mother berates people who drop the may.

just pick one name you like and make the other name the middle name.

I was named after two people not due to indecision and to be honest my name does actually go even if it is a tad deep south America meets the walton family

however I cannot understand people who would drop the use of the second half of a hyphenated name its the name that those parent have chosen for their child and for that reason alone people should just accept it - very rude if you don't imo

Unbelievably vile.

You can call your child whatever you like, so giving them one name as the first, and the other as the second doesn't preclude you from calling them Archie Leo (and does the little - make any difference, one will still come before the other after all). It just means that their life will be easier.

We quite often call our children by both their names (especially when they are in trouble )

shineon - I too have been called many things but not vile before

shineon Well you may well go on to say that the names we're picking out are "fucking horrendous" so it's swings & roundabouts!

I have a hyphenated name, my parents always called me by my first name and middle name, so aged 11 I added the hyphen in myself and insisted the world do the same. My middle name always meant more to
me than my first name due to who I was named after. I love my name although I HATE getting called the double initial.
The combination of my names is very unusual although they are very common on their own.
I am not a chav... I am quite posh. DH is French and also has an unusual combination.
Only you can know if it's naff... Don't do it for a boy unless you're forrin.

I actually really hate my name now, it's a combination of a very tradtional name and one that was common in the 70s. At the risk of outing myself completely it was also the name of a well known cake brand. I used to get all the X-Y Walton comments, running out of spaces on forms and things to write your name, computers don't recognise hyphens a lot, mail isn't addressed properly and when I moved to England I used to cringe saying my name on the phone as people would always get it wrong, try have to spell your name out slowly every day it sucks. I ended up just saying my first name as it was easier.

I do agree with Dizzy if someone goes to the trouble of naming their child X-Y and they call her/him X-Y then it is only right you should always call them X-Y, you wouldn't automatically start calling a baby Elizabeth Liz if the parents didn't.

It smacks of not being able to decide between two names, imo. And it pretty much always sounds chavvy, especially when the two names don't scan well/are a bit of a mouthful. Sorry!