Growing up as a child, it was really only ‘posh folk’ who had double-barrelled names.
And they wouldn’t only have a double-barrelled name, but present as wealthy landowners with an estate in the country too. Or, they’d be upper middle-class and have a Jaguar neatly parked in the driveway. This was the late sixties and early seventies, right enough…
But, anyway, come the Noughties and the Tweenies it seems even the working class are adopted double-barrelled names. Actually, if feels as if around 50% of couples who get hitched are hyphenating their surname. Ok, maybe not as much as half. But it is a lot.
To the extent, a survey, carried out by Opinium for the London Mint Office back in 2017 showed that, eleven per cent of young newlyweds (18 to 34 year’s old) combine names. And, four years on, we’re pretty sure that percentage has increased.
The double-barrelled surnames are then passed on to the kids. The mind boggles when you consider what happens when two kids with double-barrelled names go on to wed as adults? But we digress…
So, why are double-barrelled names becoming more common place these days? Well, there are a myriad of reasons, and here are some of the main ones right here:
Reasons for adopting a double-barrelled surname
Feminism. One of the top reasons has to be the women not wanting her surname subjugated by her new husband. Why not take her name rather her husbands? And yes, some couple do take the female surname rather than the male. But, in the face of equality, it’s usually a combination of both surnames, hence the two names put together (with or without a hyphen).
Blended families. Now, this is where it gets complicated. There are so many separations, divorces and families living together – married or not – these days that it’s often hard to tell if, for instance, a woman has gone back to her maiden name or taken on her new husband’s surname.
Some women don’t want their children to lose out on their father’s second name but they want their new husband (ie the step-father) to feel included too, hence the opting for a doubled- barrelled surname. It’s makes sense, in a roundabout way…
Ethnic identity. One part of a married couple who has moved to the UK from abroad may want their children to acknowledge their European/Asian etc heritage. A good way to make them feel part of that culture is to make the parent’s name part of their surname.
To hyphenate or not to hyphenate – which is the proper way?
Actually, there’s no property way. A double-barrelled name can be hyphenated or not hyphenated. It just depends on what the couple prefer. That’s not to say though that others won’t stick in a hyphen when they feel like it.
It’s difficult to work out though, especially when some members of the same family choose not to hyphenate, when others do…
Double-barrelled name still seen as ‘posh’
Interestingly, although there is clear evidence that double- barrelled names are becoming more common these days – and that’s across all classes of British society, there is still the perception in some quarters that it indicates that individual is upwardly mobile. At least, that’s the finding of a Debretts survey back in 2015 which found that 25 per cent of young people believed it was easier to get a work placement (presumably in the city or professional industry) if you had a double-barrelled name.
Getting back to that question we posed earlier in this article about what do two young people, each with a double-barrelled surname, do when they want to get hitched? Do they end up with a four-name surname or simple settle for a single? And that’s the problem with double-barrelled names say those in the industry – the double-barrelled name tends not to last. The kids do their own thing, in other words.
The alternative to double-barrelled – name meshing
Some couples these days are opting to join both surnames together to form a new name. For example, Carol Johnson and Mark Francis can become Mr and Mrs Franson.
Get in touch
Are you thinking of changing your surname – either by meshing or creating a double-barrelled surname? If so then get in touch with ourselves at DeedPoll.co.uk for some up-to-date advice, information and help. You don’t actually need a Deed Poll for a double-barrelled name, but you do if you are creating a completely new surname by ‘meshing.’ We can take care of the admin for you. Call us on 020 8017 2216 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or email via info@deedpoll.com.
