Double-barrelled name - hyphen or no?

cch

I know I answered a question on a similar topic here recently, but it didn't cover whether a hyphen is required or not when doubling up on surname on marriage.
(No arguments about doing this in the first place, my mind is made up and there's a thread in TLL on all this at the moment!)

Googled lots and while it doesn't explain the rules it does seem to suggest no hyphen is unusual.

So...

Advantages of a hyphen

• obviously a surname when seen written down

Disadvantages of a hyphen

• some automated systems might not take hyphens (is this even an issue any more?)
• a bit anglocentric and old-fashioned?

Advantages of no hyphen

• a bit more worldly, seems to be the custom in the rest of the world
• a bit more flexible (esp. regarding kids having the second name)

Disadvantages of no hyphen

• chance of being filed under wrong surname as someone thinks "first" surname is a middle name

Anybody know if there's any definitive rules on this? Or any points I haven't thought of?

iguana

There is no rules on names in Ireland as your name is earned through use. You can decide to start calling yourself CornerSofa and if you can prove two years of being called that name they will put it on your passport. When you get married you can change immediately once you have your marriage certificate and it's up to you how you use your names, you can decide on XY, X-Y or X Y. Your husband has exactly the same name changing rights upon marriage.

I use X Y as I use X professionally and Y for family stuff.

cch

Thanks for the reply.

iguana wrote: »

I use X Y as I use X professionally and Y for family stuff.

That's the combination I'm leaning towards, if I'm honest. From a practical point of view do people ever think X is your middle name, or file you under Y when you intended to be filed under X?
My "X" is definitely a surname to anyone English-speaking, but does cause problems for others! (Which I'm sure could be said for a lot of names, but some people can't even attempt to pronounce it!)

iguana

On your passport it is:

Surname: X Y
First name(s): Name Middlename

Some people get confused about it, but they will get confused about anything outside of their expectation. I never use my double-barrelled name outside of flying as the name must match the passport. So I'm always either X or Y. The one thing i have had to do is have a bank account in each name. My current account is in my own name for me to get paid into, but I have changed the name recently on one of my less important accounts so that I can cash any cheques I get in my married name (insurance claims for our dogs, for example).

I like being able to use both names so I find it has more advantages than drawbacks. At the moment I rarely use my married name but I'm sure that will increase once we have children.

cch

Ok I think I misunderstood your first reply iguana.
I want to be called X Y or X-Y for everything, but if someone calls me Y I won't object
So any one else with any stories to tell of using a hyphen or not, or any other practicalities to consider?

Seoid

I think if you want to use both names for everything it makes sense to hyphenate. Otherwise how are people to know? If a system can't handle the hyphen then you can leave it out and I wouldn't have thought of it as Anglo-centric or oldfashioned.

Iguana, thanks for your posts - this is what I was thinking so it's good to know it works and I can have two names! (double-barrelled wouldn't work in this case)
I didn't realise you could change your name so easily though - how could you prove people are calling you something else when all your documentation is with your legal name?

Is there any convention on which name should come first, like X Y or Y X?