Is it common for Americans to have 2 last names?
Posted by SignificantStyle4958@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 227 comments
Not a middle name but 2 last names
Posted by SignificantStyle4958@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 227 comments
Not a middle name but 2 last names
FlyingCupcake68@reddit
More common in Central and South America
probridgedweller@reddit
Only if you’re in it for the long con like my ex-sister-in-law.
I see a lot of Hispanic and Latin-based communities have their mother’s maiden name as their only middle name. It’s not always hyphenated.
EloquentRacer92@reddit
Well, it’s more common to have one last name, but nobody bats an eye at hyphenated or double surnames.
Pernicious_Possum@reddit
No
shelwood46@reddit
Hyphenated? Uncommon but not unusual. Multi-hyphenated? Rare, forms do not accommodate. Multiple last names where all but the last one is treated as a middle name? Much more common than people realize, especially with married women who use their birth surname as their new middle names. However, middle names are pretty rarely used so it's kind of thing you may feel nice about but literally no one knows. Last names as first names? Trendy at times, especially in the South.
RemonterLeTemps@reddit
My mother (a lifelong feminist) began using using her birth surname as her middle name after she married in 1959, and suggested I do the same when I married in 1987.
wieldymouse@reddit
My mom signed her first name, middle initial, and marriedast name even though the name on her driver's license didn't reflect that; it reflected her first name, maiden name, and then married last name. She said that's what the state of Florida put on her license when she got married and there wasn't another option back then (70s).
Meshakhad@reddit
In general, no. But it is very common among Hispanics, at least those of Mexican origins. In the Southwest, double surnames are very common.
kjb76@reddit
I’ve seen it become more common in the Latino community than it was when I was a kid (80s-90s). I’m Dominican and in DR all my paperwork is First, Middle, Dad’s Last, Mom’s Last (no hyphens). Here in the US I don’t use my mom’s last name. I have a teenager and I noticed many Latino kids in her yearbook use both names and I like it.
archseattle@reddit
Yes especially in California, never had an issue with the DMV understanding how it works here, but I’ve lived in other states where they try to put the second last name as a middle name because they don’t understand how it works.
Meshakhad@reddit
My experience here in Arizona is that most rely primarily on their first surname. In casual conversation, someone isn't going to introduce themselves as "Maria Valenzuela Gonzales" just "Maria Valenzuela".
fetus-wearing-a-suit@reddit
This is how it is in Latin America, but official documentation does have both.
Meshakhad@reddit
Same here. My student lists when I'm teaching always include both their last names.
archseattle@reddit
I’ve noticed this in Mexico as well. They usually just use the first surname in casual conversation.
fetus-wearing-a-suit@reddit
I work at a place with lots of Mexican immigrants, I often see this mistake on official documentation. Also, in Mexico, the name María is/was so common that it used to be abbreviated in birth certificates as just Ma., so now there are tons of older Mexican women officially named Ma in the US.
muy-feliz@reddit
I have the opposite problem: I have two first names and the DMV made it a hyphenated last name
Sooner70@reddit
Huh. Born and raised in California and never knew. TIL.
Quick-Ostrich2020@reddit
Which can still be American....
BusterBluth13@reddit
Puerto Rico too
Meshakhad@reddit
Ah, I wasn't sure if it was a Hispanic thing in general or specifically a Mexican thing.
dragonsteel33@reddit
It’s an Iberian thing originally that got imported to the Americas during colonization. Spanish puts the paternal name first, Portuguese puts it last. Portuguese speakers (especially in Portugal rather than Brazil) sometimes take all of their parents’ surnames so they end up with four instead of just two
Book_Slut_90@reddit
Many Hispanics (especially first or second generation immigrants) have two last names, and some married people (mostly women with the occasional man) hyphenate their original name with their spouse’s.
r2k398@reddit
No
Scav-STALKER@reddit
I’d imagine only with Hispanic Americans
Stop_Already@reddit
I’m married and kept my maiden name as my 3rd name. I don’t hyphenate.
My friend did the same thing when she got married ten years prior.
ThePolemicist@reddit
It's common for Mexican-Americans. It's not really common for others.
Professional-Pungo@reddit
you mean like a hyphened name?
I wouldn't say it's common, I've only ever known a small number of people that had it. But it's probably more common now than a few decades ago
AdEastern9303@reddit
Yeah, while not common in the sense of a large portion of the population, it is not uncommon as I see it quite a bit. Feels like it is maybe 1% of the population. Maybe less.
EstablishmentSea7661@reddit
Not where I live. Probably about 30-40%. I work as a registrar so I see all the kids legal names.
It's less common for eastern European immigrants and more common for people here a few generations like black or brown folks, to have multiple last names or moms last name as their middle name.
AdEastern9303@reddit
I see more and more women doing this when they get married rather than completely giving up their maiden name.
Mr_Noms@reddit
Not everyone with two last names have them hyphened.
RemonterLeTemps@reddit
Hyphenating last names was 'fairly' common amongst working, married women in the 1980s and 1990s.
Now, a lot of married women simply retain their birth surname (meaning, they do not take their husband's name at all). Children use both parents' surnames, hyphenated.
RektInTheHed@reddit
It's not altogether rare, especially for married professional women
Ladonnacinica@reddit
They usually hyphenate. OP might be talking about two separate last names without the hyphen.
Traditional_Air6177@reddit
I ran into women on the east coast who drop their middle names and replace them with their maiden name when they take their partner’s last name. That one would not be hyphenated. Seemed regional.
Whybaby16154@reddit
Traditional in my Scandinavian heritage family
Raibean@reddit
That’s not regional, just traditional. The regional part is only where it has died out. Think Laura Ingalls Wilder - Wilder was her married name, and Ingalls was her maiden.
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley!
Ladonnacinica@reddit
I thought that was only a southern thing.
WilcoHistBuff@reddit
It’s definitely a traditional New England/Mid Atlantic Eastern Midwest thing as well for at least five generations in my family. In my generation and my kids generation there has been a lot more maiden name retention or hyphenation.
GudsIdiot@reddit
We are in Alabama and my wife did this. It is essentially the same thing as a hyphenated name without the man taking the wife’s family name
FuzzyScarf@reddit
I’m from PA and my mom and her sister both did that. I always assumed it was an old fashioned thing.
Raibean@reddit
It is
HobsHere@reddit
That is indeed the proper practice for Southern women and has been for at least the past hundred years. My mother, grandmothers, and great grandmothers all did that.
JoshHuff1332@reddit
Many have moved to keep both, rather than drop the middle nowadays, in my experience
Remarkable_Table_279@reddit
But that’s not a last name it’s their middle. It’s my family tradition (tho not all of us do that- my sister dropped maiden name & my grandma dropped her first name cause she hated it)
CalmRip@reddit
That's actually an old rule of ettiquette (think turn of the 20th Century) that most women followed until about the 1950s or so.
fetus-wearing-a-suit@reddit
Technically, you can't have two last names in the US, it's not something officially recognized by the government. You can have one that happens to have a space in the middle.
Ladonnacinica@reddit
Legally you can but it is a difficulty with some administrative procedures. I know people who use two surnames and have them listed as last names on their legal documents (social security, license, USA citizenship certificate).
fetus-wearing-a-suit@reddit
That's still only one. For example, in Latin America, official documentation has boxes for "paternal surname" and "maternal surname". All my documents in the US have both of my last names, but they are legally only recognized as one. Nowhere in official documentation are they referred to in plural.
Ladonnacinica@reddit
True. I guess my point was that if a person wants to, there is no legal impediment to using their two surnames. It can appear on your documents if you want.
However, there is no paternal or maternal surname. Because the USA uses only the paternal name.
DResq@reddit
I've seen more often where they will just keep their maiden name. Having a hyphenated last name can be clunky and easier to just keep your last name if you are already established in your professional career.
Cerulean_IsFancyBlue@reddit
Common is a flexible word. I would say that it’s not a big percentage of the population, but it’s not super esoteric and it doesn’t strike people as being super weird.
Quick numbers: less than 3% of Americans have a “double last name”, and most of those are hyphenated. A non-hyphenated double barreled last name in the classic English or Spanish senses, is quite rare. Hyphenated last names are more common for women, with “up to 5%”of married women having them in the USA. it’s more common amongst younger people.
Non-hyphenated double last names tend to have more difficulties when dealing with computers and government paperwork and such. Inconsistent placement of the components of the name, in different fields, can result in a mismatch between say your drivers license and your car insurance, or your passport and your travel reservations.
If it was more common, these problems would get fixed. Unfortunately, a lot of the software and clerical problems seem to persist, and anecdotally I know several people with double last names that chose to either make one a middle name or hyphenate.
DemandingProvider@reddit
Interesting, those numbers are much lower than I would have expected, just based on my personal social circle where both double-barrel and hyphenated names are not at all unusual. It seems like it must vary regionally or maybe by socioeconomic group.
As the holder of a double surname myself, I am certain the number would be higher if you also counted people who sometimes use a double or alternate surname without having changed their legal surname, people who sometimes use a legal middle name as a surname, and other such variations. And yes, it is a hassle sometimes dealing with inconsistent placement. Though it's actually sometimes an advantage to have ID with different variations on the placement! You just have to remember which one to use in which situations.
Whybaby16154@reddit
No. Some people bring their cultural traditions with two last names with them - but it’s not common.
IgntedF-xy@reddit
Not really
EstablishmentSea7661@reddit
Where I live it is common to either have 2 last names or have moms last name as your middle name.
It's a really large and diverse country, you're not going to get one answer on this one ;)
einsteinGO@reddit
I know a few people with hyphenated names
In my family multiple people have made their maiden name their middle name when taking thejr husband’s last name
BrettScr1@reddit
Some married women and married same-sex couples may choose to hyphenate the two last names. Otherwise, it’s rare.
addann9@reddit
it’s not unheard of but it’s not common practice to the point that at my job, i can only accept your first surname or maiden name, if hyphenated, on formal documentation, which rightfully stresses people out
SabrinaFaire@reddit
No
AlarmedWillow4515@reddit
I changed my middle name to my maiden last name when I married, so I kinda have two last names. It's not common
theegodmother1999@reddit
it's not uncommon but it's not very common either. but i think it's becoming more common
Consistent_Damage885@reddit
I am a teacher and my student rosters are about ten percent two last names. As others have said, mostly Hispanics, but not only.
AtrumAequitas@reddit
It’s not unusual, but it’s not common.
franklinchica22@reddit
Not a lot of people do it but it's common enough that I wouldn't think twice about it.
SirFelsenAxt@reddit
It's common for Americans of Spanish descent and given that about 20% of Americans are of Spanish ancestry I would say that it's definitely not uncommon.
Uhhh_what555476384@reddit
Probably a good 20% or so of Americans have two last names.
shammy_dammy@reddit
Are we talking hyphenated or the Spanish way?
No-Lunch4249@reddit
Either way the answer would be no
Zappagrrl02@reddit
It’s common for folks of Latin descent to
LomentMomentum@reddit
Not really. Many are either Latino/Spanish or (very old) Yankees.
helikophis@reddit
Not common but my child does.
Shot_Construction455@reddit
I do and it is a complete pain in the ass. In hindsight, I should've just kept my maiden name and told my husband's family to mind their own business. Having more than one last name that isn't hyphenated is a pain.
No_Salad_8766@reddit
The answer to everything related to America is no, not everyone does that.
edelmav@reddit
my aunt hyphenated the surnames when she got married. her maiden was Strand and married was Diaz, but when you put them together it sounded too much like Strandy Ass lol
Winter-Warlock8954@reddit
Not really, no.
Elivagara@reddit
No. Happens, isn't common.
kartoffel_engr@reddit
Not common against the entire population, but it’s not something that is not understood by most.
devnullopinions@reddit
I pretty much exclusively see this when:
Two people have a child and the parents don’t share the same last name. For example, if two people get married but both keep their respective family names. They will sometimes hyphenate their child’s last name to include both of the parent’s family names.
mr_lockwork@reddit
I have a middle name, two last names, and two family names used at reunions and other such functions (to differentiate what part of the family you are from).
brzantium@reddit
It's not uncommon. Most people I know don't have a hyphenated name, but I wouldn't think twice if I ran across one. My mother legally hyphenated her name when she married my stepdad, but colloquially, she only uses his name.
JumpingJonquils@reddit
I have a double last name because I was told by DPS that hyphenations are not legal in my state after marriage without a court name change. It is very uncommon and I usually use my married last name unless I need to give my full legal name.
Suppafly@reddit
No, not common at all.
hobokobo1028@reddit
Mo
ToxicTaters@reddit
No, only by very progressive women that “don’t want to take a man’s last name” but end up taking both their fathers and husbands. Also thinking their last name is super special like they’re a Rothschild or something and make the whole process drawn out and annoying.
txlady100@reddit
Not really.
GrimSpirit42@reddit
When we married, my wife decided to hyphenate her last with my last names.
Two reasons:
elphaba00@reddit
My grandma got married in 1951, and she just added my grandpa's last name to her maiden name. No hyphen. It wasn't until I was much older that I realized that was her legal name. But she rarely used both last names.
Wadsworth_McStumpy@reddit
It's common enough that we understand how it works, but not common enough that most of us know someone who does.
XuWiiii@reddit
Bruh. Mexicans have two names like Juan Carlos then throw “López- de la Cruz” jr.
Dragnil@reddit
No, but it's becoming more common as more women opt to keep their last names instead of taking their husband's. The children often have a hyphenated last name.
StageLeather6157@reddit
It's uncommon, but not rare. Abnormal, but not outlandish.
Depending on culture and/or ethnicity having two or more last names helps to keep family history alive.
And then for others, a person may not want to give up their last name upon marriage, and may instead choose to have two last names. Or combine last names to form a brand name. Or hyphenate both last names.
Southern_Blue@reddit
People of Latin Amrican descent.
Hyphenated Names are a thing.
Some middle names are the mom's maiden name, so I suppose that 'counts' eve if its not used as a last name.
0utlaw-t0rn@reddit
Only common for people of Latin American descent.
Some married couples will combine & hyphenate their names but it’s a very small percentage
Reaganson@reddit
In colonial times it was, but not as popular today. My family has lived in what would become the USA for 356 years. I’ve seen my surname used as a First name.
Carolina_Stag@reddit
I do, I am the only person I've ever met that has the first name two last names set up instead of of first middle last. It is so uncommon that on most forms it gets listed as my middle name
ReeMayRe@reddit
I would say no, I don't come across many people who use both their maiden and married name.
East_Channel_1494@reddit
Not really common. Usually just one last name, unless it’s hyphenated or by choice
linkxrust@reddit
No
mothwhimsy@reddit
Some people hyphenate their names when they marry, but it's a reletively new thing and far more common for one person to take the other's last name. So not common, but most people probably know at least one person with two last names
Extreme-Flan3935@reddit
Not typical, but not that uncommon I think.
TheJokersChild@reddit
Not quite mainstream. Whites sometimes have hyphenated names, which I guess sort of counts as 1 1/2 names, but many Latinos have at least two.
BasicallyADetective@reddit
I’m a teacher in a diverse urban area, and over half of my students have 4 or 5 names. We don’t distinguish between middle/last. Of course Hispanic families have both last names, and I also see kids with names representing different cultures. So you might have Alexander Ryan O’Connor Nguyen. We wouldn’t necessarily refer to the O’Connor as a middle or last name. It’s just there.
_WillCAD_@reddit
Hyphenated surnames are not really uncommon. They're still a small minority, but everyone understands them, for the most part.
Ocasio is not her middle name.
bryku@reddit
Most Americans only have 1 last name, but some people do exist with 2 last names.
idredd@reddit
It's not "common" but also not at all unusual. Plenty of women/people hyphenate their last names on getting married. One of our many bits of difficulty over current voting changes legislation being pushed.
Weary_Capital_1379@reddit
No
No-Tart-1157@reddit
I have noticed a lot of communities have families with hyphenated names. And I know people who have married and made an entirely new hyphenated name. It’s not standard practice but not uncommon either
alicat777777@reddit
If it’s not hyphenated, it will be considered a middle name on most documents here. It is not common at all in my area.
John-Dune-Awakening@reddit
It probably depends on where in the US you are. It's very common amongst the Hispanic population so in the southwest you see it a lot. In my experience at least.
ididreadittoo@reddit
I don't think it is common but it is also not all that odd. I believe most of us have a first, middle (maybe more than one), and last name.
Xiaxs@reddit
Uncommon but not unusual. A lot of parents who don't get married can't decide which last name to give their child so they give them both. Sometimes one's a last name sometimes it's hypenated sometimes it's just literally both last names but they usually still give a middle name.
More commonly I think you'll see a married couple take each other's last name. I personally haven't met anyone who's done this but I know it's an option
Adamshifnal@reddit
Better than double barreled first names...
Western-Finding-368@reddit
Neither common nor unusual.
Footnotegirl1@reddit
It's not so common you see it every day, and not so uncommon that when you see it it's a surprise.
lantana98@reddit
Not common but not unusual either.
winteriscoming9099@reddit
Hyphenated? Not particularly common but it’s becoming more common, I know several people with that last name structure. The non-hyphenated two last names? There’s the Spanish way, which is quite popular. Also occasionally some married people, predominantly women, replace their middle name with their maiden surname.
qu33nof5pad35@reddit
No
PeterNippelstein@reddit
No it is not
TimeProfessional7120@reddit
I no longer use my birth middle name. When I married, I officially changed my maiden surname to my "middle" name and adopted my husband's name as my new surname. This has been the case for at least four generations of the women in my family of origin.
RedditWidow@reddit
Are you in the South? I never heard of this until I moved to the South and got married. My husband was surprised that I dropped my last name to use his, instead of dropping my middle name like his mom had done.
TimeProfessional7120@reddit
Nope. I'm a northerner.
LetterheadClassic306@reddit
honestly two last names without a hyphen is pretty rare in most of the us outside certain communities. in hispanic families you'll see both paternal and maternal last names as a cultural thing. some married people keep both names socially but legally pick one. most americans have one last name - either given at birth or changed after marriage. you might see two last names on legal forms if someone never dropped their maiden name, but for everyday stuff they just use one. not common but also not something people would think is super weird
Exciting-Honey5882@reddit
Maybe if the American was hispanic, 2 last names is very rare to see
WhichWitch9402@reddit
In my experience two last bars is not common. My mom did the whole maiden name as middle and married name. I did the same.
DadPuncher69@reddit
I have two last names, and it was not super common when I was growing up.
Emergency-Composer85@reddit
Alan Wake Kelin-Kelman
/^ more common. Usually it is someone not wanting to part with their maiden name.
Alan Wake Kelin Kelman
/^ never seen that used before.
SirCharlito44@reddit
It happened some times, but I’d say more women take their husband’s last name.
Impressive_Star_3454@reddit
My last name is two words but one name.
rb928@reddit
My nephew’s wife hyphenates her former married name (and last name of her kids) with his last name. I also know a couple of same-sex couples who hyphenated their names together when they married.
pinaple_cheese_girl@reddit
Not rare but not common
Coldfyre_Dusty@reddit
I work in medical and see a lot of patients from many different walks of life. It varies based on ethnicity and background, but its definitely not uncommon, either two last names, or a hyphenated last name. Seems like hyphenated last names are becoming more common over the past 10-15 years, but neither is unusual by any means.
SassyGirl0202@reddit
Yes, maiden name and married name.
Loud_Inspector_9782@reddit
No it isn’t
DrBlankslate@reddit
It's not uncommon.
TheBlazingFire123@reddit
No
rockettaco37@reddit
It's not common, but I wouldn't say it's particularly rare either
Carlpanzram1916@reddit
It’s common in parts of latin America and there’s lots of people of Latino origin living in America. There’s also a fairly modern trend of some women hyphenating their maiden name and their married name. But that’s not the majority
cyvaquero@reddit
It’s not common. Sometimes people hyphenate to keep their maiden name (or in one case I know to keep their mother’s maiden name alive). Another thing that commonly happens is taking hispanic name standard on documents of father’s last then mother’s last and hyphenating it (or worse in the case of a coworker - they onboarded him as his mother’s last name which took forever for him to get straightened out.) Last case I see is for professional reasons - they may have established themselves under a previous name and hyphenate it when marrying.
Pirate_Lantern@reddit
I've never heard of that..... unless you mean someone using their maiden name and their married name.
Happy_Confection90@reddit
Common enough that our org's intake form for new hires' work account requests was eventually edited to ask that middle names be put in with the first names, because we got tired of trying to guess if names that might be first or last names (like Grace, Avery, James, Tyler, Charles, Morgan etc) were included as unasked for middle names or half of hyphen-less two part last names.
schoolydee@reddit
no
issabeee@reddit
No common.
Remarkable_Table_279@reddit
Women hyphenate sometimes when they marry. I’ve only personally known a couple. And sometimes the kids names are hyphenated as well (Sylvia smith-smith) was the main character of a book I read as a team
Low-Restaurant8484@reddit
I'd say so. Extremely common among Latinos. Hyphenated names are also not uncommon
Most have middle names as well though
cmcglinchy@reddit
No
ROGERS_OF_THE_EAST@reddit
My family is from Quebec, where hyphonated last names are more common, but I had my entire childhood in The USA
I can tell you that in my grade, out of 200 or so kids, there were two others and with double last names (not counting Latino stuff like Santa Maria or Da Silva) ans both of then were due to divorced parents adding it after the divorce.
So I would say, no it’s not that common but it does exist
gnirpss@reddit
Yes. Hyphenated names are common, as are people with a double-barrelled name in the Spanish style.
Gator222222@reddit
The ones that kill me are when people have three "first" names. There was a college QB in the 90's (I think) named Peter Tom Willis. I am not certain, but I think his first name is Peter Tom. He was pretty famous back then and I only ever heard him referred to by all three names. Never Peter, Pete or Tom. Always Peter Tom Willis.
osama_bin_guapin@reddit
I’d say it’s pretty rare, but I have seen people with two last names before
sneezhousing@reddit
Married women kind of common not common for men
Mouse-Direct@reddit
No, unless they use the Latino Valdez y Alvarez that honors both parents or if they hyphenated their name and spouse’s name when they got married.
Ladonnacinica@reddit
They don’t necessarily have to have the Y part. It could be Valdez Alvarez. That’s actually the standard way.
Mouse-Direct@reddit
True, I was using the old-fashioned way to illustrate why there would be two surnames rather than one being used as a middle name.
gofindyour@reddit
It's pretty common here in Houston
lolomo119@reddit
I’ve had a hyphenated last name my whole life. People assumed it was a maiden name and married name, even when I was a child which was super weird.
I’ve found it’s more common among married women and not so much anyone else. I have to frequently explain that the whole thing is my maiden name and I never changed my name when I married.
Salty_Permit4437@reddit
That’s not usual. It may be a Spanish/hispanic thing or women who hyphenate their last names when married (I don’t).
holiestcannoly@reddit
No
ReadingRainbowie@reddit
No
comrade_zerox@reddit
Outside of Latino Americans this would be rare. You might get hypenated names and some married women might still use their maiden name in professional setting (particularly in media and entertainment) when they otherwise use their married name on legal documents, but thats a different thing.
TopperMadeline@reddit
I’ve heard of couples giving their children both their last names.
Monkeymom@reddit
We did that. Our kids have hyphenated last names.
Great_Chipmunk4357@reddit
No
StupidLemonEater@reddit
It's not common but far from unheard of.
rawbface@reddit
It's not common but it's not uncommon either. You're never far from a Latino neighborhood.
Ravenclaw79@reddit
Common? No. But it’s not unheard of.
pikkdogs@reddit
If they are Hispanic or African America , yes. Not otherwise.
Lobada@reddit
It is not common, but not unheard of. We will usually have only the one last name.
dangleicious13@reddit
No
DecadesLaterKid@reddit
People saying it's "very rare" have to be from much less diverse and more conservative places than I am. Among non-Latinos, it tends to be much more common the more progressive you are, which makes it semi-common in major cities. Still in the minority, but not surprising-- not "very rare."
My kid went to a very progressive DC preschool and probably 30% of the moms and 15% of the kids had hyphenated last names-- as well as a couple of dads, who had hyphenated their names with their wives'. (Another 50% of the moms had kept their non-hyphenated birth names, even if they were married to men.)
nowhereman136@reddit
I wouldn't say it's common, but it's not unheard of and it's actually a growing trend
judijo621@reddit
Not common. Not shocking either.
InvestigatorJaded261@reddit
Not common, but not unusual either, and there a lot of different kinds of people likely to do it, so it’s hard to generalize very much about reasons.
RobertMosesHater@reddit
There’s plenty of “von _” “la ” “de la _” “al ”
Historical-Composer2@reddit
no
Sample-quantity@reddit
I've only met a couple of people with hyphenated last names, and only one with just two that weren't hyphenated, and he was from South America. I don't think it's very common.
tracygee@reddit
Married women will often hyphenate their name as in Laura Smith-Jones.
People with a Hispanic background occasionally do the usual first-name, father’s-last-name, mother’s last-name, but it’s more unusual and sometimes they use the hyphen so that people use the “correct” last name. So … Laura Rodriguez Garcia or Laura Rodriguez-Garcia.
EmploymentEmpty5871@reddit
Not all that uncommon, but i believe the vast majority of people are fine with just one last name.
malachite_13@reddit
Not common but not uncommon either
Anand999@reddit
There are a lot of Americans with Hispanic, Filipino, and other origins where multiple last names are common.
Ladonnacinica@reddit
True but even amongst us Hispanics we have one last name usually. Especially if born and raised in the USA.
Two last names can be burdensome in a country where the naming convention is first name, middle name, and (one) last name.
Far-Firefighter6385@reddit
My Mexican friends do
-Boston-Terrier-@reddit
It's extremely common in Hispanic-American households and kind of common in very liberal households. Outside of that it's basically unheard of.
Fire_Mission@reddit
No
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
It's fairly common for people of Latin-American descent
ElijahNSRose@reddit
No, most of the people with two last names are Mexicans.
Prestigious-Comb4280@reddit
No
NIN10DOXD@reddit
It feels like it's becoming more common outside of latino families where it was already common.
socabella@reddit
No, not common
canadacorriendo785@reddit
Its very rare. Not completely unheard of but you definitely notice if someone has a hyphenated last name because it's unusual.
My mom didn't take my dad's name when they were married but my sister and I both have our father's last name. We just have a different name than our mom.
LaLechuzaVerde@reddit
Most of us that aren’t of Hispanic descent only have one last name.
But two isn’t unusual either. I know lots of women with two last names. It’s less common for men. I think most children who grow up with two last name end up choosing to use only one as adults. They may still have two on their legal ID. So most adults with two last names are women who chose to keep their own and add their husband’s.
B_Williams_4010@reddit
My bf has his mother's maiden name as his middle name, and I've heard of other people with similar arrangements whose full names are their first name and then both of their family surnames.
SockSock81219@reddit
Not super common. Usually hyphenated, like "Sarah Johnson-Smith." Usually happens when a married couple (or sometimes just the woman) decides to hyphenate their last names, and/or keep their names and give a hyphenated last name to their kids. 20-30 years ago, it was considered a progressive alternative to a woman changing her name with marriage. Now it's less common as women are more comfortable not changing their names at all or making other arrangements.
WestBrink@reddit
It happens, you see women do it to preserve some part of their maiden name while still taking on their husband's name. Knew someone who was born to un-married parents (together like 20 years before he was born, still not married now 35 years later), and they gave him both last names.
Not super common though
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
No
40pukeko@reddit
I have two last names after marriage. It seems to be very uncommon, given how often I have to explain it.
buffyinfaith@reddit
Not common, but I've seen it happen. One was a child's mom added her step-dad's last name and hyphenated them. Others have been from marriage - hyphenating with maiden name instead of replacing.
BoxedWineBonnie@reddit
Somewhat more common now than it was when I was a kid, since more couples hyphenate their names when they marry or they want their kid to have a name with both of theirs.
When I was a kid, the only people I knew who had "double-barrelled names" were either Latin or old money WASPs.
SnooPineapples280@reddit
I wouldn’t say it’s common but it’s not unheard of.
tinytacomuncher@reddit
No
Randvek@reddit
Common? No, but it's becoming more and more common.
Ladonnacinica@reddit
It’s not common. I’ve seen it only among Latin American immigrants but by future generations, it’s one surname only.
There are exceptions like Alexandria Ocasio Cortes (Puerto Rican heritage). Though, I think it’s hyphenated not two separate last names as it’s done in Latin America. That’s an American I can think of with more than one last name.
Hairy_Debate6448@reddit
Nah, but some immigrants from South/Central America do and occasionally women don’t take their husband’s last name and the kids will have a hyphenated name. It’s pretty rare though.
machagogo@reddit
No. It's not odd to see it, but it is not common.
HumboldtHunnyBear@reddit
Not common at all, unless you're speaking of old school Southern American naming traditions. One of my great aunts had 3 generations of Surnames as her 1st, middle and last name. Woman commonly were given a surname from their matralineal line as a middle name, my grandmother's middle name was also a surname.
figgywasp@reddit
Common? No.
Affectionate_Data936@reddit
Technically my son does? His middle name is actually his great-grandmothers maiden name. He has that because he has the same name as his father and his grandfather.
AwakenedDreamer__44@reddit
Not really. It’s mostly Latinos as far as I’ve seen, and I’m one of them.
bansheesho@reddit
Well, my name is John Jacobs Jingleheimer Schmidt
PinchedTazerZ0@reddit
Hyphenated married names and some Latin names
I "had" 2 last names for a while to try and preserve my birth name but it was a pain in the ass when going through citizenship and functioning for like 99% of paperwork so I dropped my native name which is a little sad
Lumpy_Branch_552@reddit
Not really.
kwikthroabomb@reddit
It's not common, but it's also not so rare that jumps out as being odd.
DeliciousMoments@reddit
A lot more common than it used to be but still the minority.
TheCloudForest@reddit
Very rare, to the point that most information systems wouldn't be able to handle it. I knew just one person like that.
SquareIllustrator909@reddit
No, not at all. Unless it's a "modern" couple who hyphenates their last name or it's a Hispanic person who uses two last names
FishAroundFindTrout9@reddit
Not very common. Out of all the people in know and have ever known, I think I’ve only known a couple with two last names or a hyphenated last name.
AggressiveCommand739@reddit
Uncommon. Some women do it. Some kids will do it if there mothers do. Otherwise its most common among people of Hispanc or Latino descent which is most prevalent in the states bordering Mexico.
Vandal_A@reddit
Not common, but particularly with Latinos or for any woman in a profession where her reputation trades a bit on her name most Americans wouldn't be surprised
DesperateGanache7684@reddit
no ofc not
DOMSdeluise@reddit
not super common but yeah people hyphenate last names here sometimes
IPreferDiamonds@reddit
No
lonelygayPhD@reddit
I've known quite a few people who have hyphenated their last name once they got married.
No_Visual3270@reddit
Yeah, mostly if they have latin ancestry or have kept their maiden name after being married
TokyoDrifblim@reddit
Only sometimes if they are Latino. Otherwise never
jessek@reddit
No.
SidewaysGoose57@reddit
No.