Well, put the names in alphabetical order, like this judge did in the 2012 B.C. Talk about it and decide whether or not the advantages or disadvantages of having a hyphenated last name are worth it over the long haul. Marriage is indeed an important milestone in any person’s life. From a legal standpoint the dominant name is Smith-Williams. Three years later, when our second son came along, we moaned and groaned in anticipation of another hyphenated name. Lexa June 27, 2019 at 3:33 pm. Name on other forms of legal documents (i.e., SSN, DL in CA): First Name Hyphenated Father's Last Name-Mother's Maiden Name (last name was hyphenated when I got my first passport because I had two separate last names as is typical in the Hispanic culture/tradition, where father's last name comes first and then mother's maiden name). their name and that they are using the name for all official purposes i.e. You plan on giving baby that hyphenated last name. She began using a hyphenated name when she got married, in 2002, in Saskatchewan. Do not enter the first name in the hyphenated name into the middle name … In contrast with traditional western and Hispanic cultures, Turkish hyphenated names customarily go in the reverse, with the wife’s last name being first and the husband’s being last. Cheralyn King-Scobie was surprised to learn her last name was not legal in B.C. Judges have done so in the past because the hyphenated name becomes a symbolic reminder to the child of his or her relationship with both the father and mother. But giving our kids different last names didn’t seem like an option. Allthough in my case, the hyphenated last name option was eliminated because I thought it would look ridiculous with my hyphenated last name: Harriet-Marie Welsch-Spy, to use a variation of my pseudonym as an example. FIFTY years after Betty Friedan’s “Feminine Mystique” and countless principled-but-unwieldy hyphenated names later, the problem of married versus maiden names should be … I don’t regret it and I don’t really know how else we would have done it (her only having my husband’s last name was a non starter for me and while he offered that she just have my last name, that didn’t seem fair either), I have to admit it can cause some issues. Combine the last names into one word when using a filing system. Answer: It should be okay as long as the names … People often accuse hyphenated names (or “doubled-barreled” names) of sounding pretentious. ... Sure, hyphenated last names are becoming very common.WHICH ONE IS THE TRUE LAST NAME. For example, for the hyphenated last name “Smith-Jones,” enter the name as “Smithjones” into computer filing systems that do not allow for hyphens. In terms of legality, is there any difference between a hyphenated last name like "Waldo-Speth" or one that is not like.. "Jones Smith"? The only time you may process an SSN application in a name that does not agree with the name shown on the immigration document is if the person legally changed his or her name after the immigration document is issued. case of Landa-McAuliffe v. Boland. Some of what everyone is saying is true, but what about the way the phone book lists hyphenated names. likewise for a named that is not hyphenated. Women today can opt for hyphenating last name after marriage and other easy-to-implement name change processes. I think the hyphen is just one last name, as opposed to having 2. A foreign-born person’s legal name is the name shown on his or her immigration document (includes hyphens and apostrophes). All of it is legal if performed and sanctioned by a judge. A common trend now a days are married women with hyphenated names because they chose to keep their given last name (from mother or father) and then joined their husband's last name with a hyphen. - Answered by a verified Lawyer. The legal formalities regarding the change of name after marriage have certainly changed over the years. Again, we hyphenated and encountered all the same issues we’d had with my first-born. In some cases, one spouse chooses to take the other spouse's name. Option 3: Take two last names sans hyphen. Some women show their marriage license as proof of their newly hyphenated name. One choice many make is for all family members to use the father's paternal family name. "A lot of places would automatically file my records under the last name of whichever parent I was with at the time. Or a middle name. i.e. My legal first name is hyphenated (on SS card), but my tax return forms have my first name without the dash and combined together as one. Figure 2: United books the ticket under the wrong name, dropping my hyphenated name The bottom line is a hyphenated last name is the first of many compromises that take part in a marriage, and both of you should have something to say about the final decision. In the US there is no legal issue with which last name should be placed first. Not one of my credit cards bears my actual name and it took three tries for the DMV to get it right. For example, if your last name is Smith and the mother’s last name is Brown, a judge could change your child’s name to Smith-Brown. However, when booking tickets with United, directly on the United site, the hyphen disappears and my last name is concatenated to SCOTTRAILTON. One of my objections (my wife and I were debating this about some hyphenated people we know) was what you name the kid. My wife thought that you would just give the child the father's name but … You will need to sign all legal documents with both names, but you can introduce yourself with one last name, thus forgoing the mouthful that hyphenated last names … Cons: Hyphenated last names can also lead to administrative hassles. They could combine their names into Sally and Greg Hammersmith or Sally and Greg Smithhammer. the name is part of their everyday life and there is a clear link between the former name and the new name. For example, let’s say Sally Smith and Greg Hammer are getting married. This typically gives the first last name precedence over the second one. Pros: There'll be no mistake who baby's parents are, ever. I here you about the hyphens. Hyphenating a name generally occurs when a woman gets married and keeps her maiden name while taking on her husband's last name. This name change option allows you to have both surnames but use them interchangeably. In most states, school and other legal paperwork MUST have the exact name as written on the birth certificate. Jones-Smith it is. As will many with two last names. Do you give the kid a hyphen or just the father's name. Now my question is what last name do I use in all my legal documents. I do not want to change my legal documents. Hyphenated last name but just using one by: Anonymous Question: I got married and I kept my last name and hyphenated my spouse last name. I had never heard this, but when I asked my students who has hyphenated last names, it turned out that all of them had their mother’s name first. When using a hyphenated last name on a birth certificate, is there any concern to which one goes first. Some people use both their last names, hyphenated. You can also move your maiden last name to your middle name and make your married last name your last name legally. Our daughter has a hyphenated last name. In the Western tradition of surnames, there are several types of double surname (or double-barrelled surname).If the two names are joined with a hyphen, it may also be called a hyphenated surname.The word "barrel" probably refers to the barrel of a shotgun, as in "double-barreled shotgun".. Or a long name. You can have both last name without the hyphen which then makes it legal to only use one of them. What if the dispute is about the order of a hyphenated last name? It is purely a matter of preference or custom on the part of the parents as to which name to place first. But if you have the hyphen your supposed to both. It might be a lot simpler to have 2 middle names (adding one of your last names as a second middle without "forfeiting" your middle name) than to figure out how to use 2 last names. Anyone with a hyphenated name will recognize this. It is so confusing for us when your name is Mary Smith-Rameriz. and if it is hyphenated can you go by either name, or do you have to use both? This is probably due to an English tradition in which doubled (or even tripled) up names are a … It is extremely confusing for legal purposes to use two last names interchangeably. Also quite common is to hyphenate the two names, e.g., Elí Arroyo-López and Teresa García-Ramírez. Most documents only give blanks for First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name. The applicant should provide at least one piece of evidence to show change of name and one piece of evidence demonstrating use of name:- I've noticed that a lot of Hispanics have multiple last names that aren't hyphenated.. but like for legal documents, which one can you … ... From someone who works in the medical field and we deal with hyphenated last names all the time. Will this be a problem/how should I input my name? A merged last name is a new last name created by combining your last name and your spouses’ last name. Names like Gabriel García Marquez and Arancha Sanchez Vicario are two names that get lots of press. Literally speaking, both men and women begin a new life after marriage. Pick a name and stick with it!! Still, hyphenated names are not entirely a relic of the ’70s, like sideburns and lava lamps: witness the Jolie-Pitts. I have no idea how that works. The mother of the child wants Smith-Jones, and the father of the child wants Jones-Smith and they’ve reached a stalemate. In talking with my husband’s aunt, she mentioned that when people hyphenate a combined last name, they always put the mother’s or woman’s last name first. I recommend that you either legally change your name to either your married last name or a hyphenated last name. So when I'd go in for an appointment somewhere, I had to give three different last names to look under," says one BabyCenter mom who grew up with a hyphenated name. And a 20 letter 7 syllable hyphenated name sounds like a nightmare. This is also the case in India, where hyphenated names are comparatively popular among all classes, and the husband’s name comes last as well. When two last names are hyphenated, then the child's name becomes a separate name from either of the parents' last names. Is this okay when I travel outside the county? 3. It shouldn't be a problem as long as your entire legal name … In the last 20 years, more and more Hispanics are being mentioned in the mainstream of American society. Cons: A hyphenated last name is sometimes long, and people tend to drop the second last name when space is an issue. One of the most misunderstood characteristics of Hispanic culture is the use of our last names. 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