Hyphenated last names

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by violetpretty

Hyphenations are one of my naming pet peeves along with people whose kids go by their middle names. Schools don't know what they go by, so the first day of school, the teacher calls out Roland and everyone laughs at poor Joey. Honor your beloved relative with the embarassing name in your child's MIDDLE name.

Half the people in my family go by their middle names, including one of my children. Very common in this part of the world. I don't think any of them have found it to be a major inconvenience to simply say "I go by MiddleName." Meanwhile, when my sister got married, she just stopped using her first name.

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

BTW, if you do it like the Spanish, you would drop your mother's name when you marry and add your husband's. Your children would have your father's name added to the end of your husband's name.

Or we could do it the Icelandic way. I've mentioned this at GC before, so I'll cut and paste.

In Iceland, your last name depends on your father's first name, and a family of four can have four different last names. Say dad's name is Eric -- his son, Leif, is Leif Ericsson (Eric's son), and his daughter, we'll call her Katrín, is Katrín Ericsdóttir (Eric's daughter). Meanwhile, Helga -- Eric's wife and the mother of Leif and Katrín -- is the daughter of a man named Jón, so her last name is Jónsdóttir; she doesn't change it when she gets married. Oh, and Eric's dad's first name was Stefán, so his name is Eric Stefánsson.

So, in one family, you have Eric Stefánsson (husband) and Helga Jónsdóttir (wife) and their kids: Leif Ericsson and Katrín Ericsdóttir.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Half the people in my family go by their middle names, including one of my children. Very common in this part of the world. I don't think any of them have found it to be a major inconvenience to simply say "I go by MiddleName." Meanwhile, when my sister got married, she just stopped using her first name.

Or we could do it the Icelandic way. I've mentioned this at GC before, so I'll cut and paste.

In Iceland, your last name depends on your father's first name, and a family of four can have four different last names. Say dad's name is Eric -- his son, Leif, is Leif Ericsson (Eric's son), and his daughter, we'll call her Katrín, is Katrín Ericsdóttir (Eric's daughter). Meanwhile, Helga -- Eric's wife and the mother of Leif and Katrín -- is the daughter of a man named Jón, so her last name is Jónsdóttir; she doesn't change it when she gets married. Oh, and Eric's dad's first name was Stefán, so his name is Eric Stefánsson.

So, in one family, you have Eric Stefánsson (husband) and Helga Jónsdóttir (wife) and their kids: Leif Ericsson and Katrín Ericsdóttir.

Love it! I suspect the Swedes are similar with Johanson, etc. from the Viking tradition.

[Lil' Hannah]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Meanwhile, when my sister got married, she just stopped using her first name.

Does she just go by MaidenName HisName now?

So, in one family, you have Eric Stefánsson (husband) and Helga Jónsdóttir (wife) and their kids: Leif Ericsson and Katrín Ericsdóttir.

So mom doesn't get any recognition in this deal?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Lil' Hannah

Does she just go by MaidenName HisName now?

LOL, sorry if the context didn't make it clear. She always went by her middle name, so now she goes by MiddleName MaidenName HisSurname.

So mom doesn't get any recognition in this deal?

Well, there is the patriarchy and everything. But she doesn't change her name either.

[Lil' Hannah]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

LOL, sorry if the context didn't make it clear. She always went by her middle name, so now she goes by MiddleName MaidenName HisSurname.

Gotcha. So many Southern first names are family surnames anyway, it probably wouldn't have sounded too strange.

[1stSoon2BePhD]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Meanwhile, when my sister got married, she just stopped using her first name.

Hmmm, so what did she use as a first name? My best friends mom stopped using her first name, moved her middle name to her first name, moved her maiden name to her middle name, and took her husbands last name.

[VandalSquirrel]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Half the people in my family go by their middle names, including one of my children. Very common in this part of the world. I don't think any of them have found it to be a major inconvenience to simply say "I go by MiddleName." Meanwhile, when my sister got married, she just stopped using her first name.

Or we could do it the Icelandic way. I've mentioned this at GC before, so I'll cut and paste.

In Iceland, your last name depends on your father's first name, and a family of four can have four different last names. Say dad's name is Eric -- his son, Leif, is Leif Ericsson (Eric's son), and his daughter, we'll call her Katrín, is Katrín Ericsdóttir (Eric's daughter). Meanwhile, Helga -- Eric's wife and the mother of Leif and Katrín -- is the daughter of a man named Jón, so her last name is Jónsdóttir; she doesn't change it when she gets married. Oh, and Eric's dad's first name was Stefán, so his name is Eric Stefánsson.

So, in one family, you have Eric Stefánsson (husband) and Helga Jónsdóttir (wife) and their kids: Leif Ericsson and Katrín Ericsdóttir.

In Norway there's also naming in relation to the land. Since we are land owners, our name includes our farm/property name. If there are only daughters, the man who marries in will take our name, since he is coming to our land and joining our family. Also anyone who worked our farm, would also have our farm name, as part of their name. We also had the Icelandic example of yours, with the . We ended up with relatives having different last names coming through Ellis Island, some with Iverson, and some with Farmname.

I'm not hyphenating or taking any potential husband's name. I'm too established and what a hassle, and my last name is dying out anyway.

[cheerfulgreek]

I wonder if there are any guys who use their wife's last name.

[christiangirl]

Everything I think on the subject has been said within the last 6 pages, so I'll review:

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

If my husband had reacted that way, I honestly don't think I would have married him. It is a values issue, and if you can't agree on something like that, then it really doesn't bode well for the long term.

THIS

Originally Posted by 1stSoon2BePhD

I decided to do so because when I get my PhD, I will be the first "Dr. anything" in my family which is something I am extremely proud and excited about.

THAT

Originally Posted by ZTA72

I know many female physicians who keep their name and then if married after graduation then use their husband's name socially and for any children. It seems to work well to separate work and social/family life.

THE OTHER.