See the results of this poll: Should I give my kids both last names?
Respondents: 28 (This poll is closed)
- Yes, go for it! : 20 (71%)
- No, that’s not a good idea.: 8 (29%)
I had a hyphenated surname and it exceptionally annoying when I was a teenager to the point that I changed it to just one surname as soon as I was legally able. So no, I don’t think it’s a good idea.
I’ve known many people with hyphenated surnames (and a family who just smooshed their names together without a hyphen… think ThatcherJones) who haven’t had any issues. I think it’s becoming more common for people to do so it won’t be as difficult to deal with.
Hello! I’m a teenager with a hyphenated last name remarkably similar to yours, and it’s never caused me any problems. I rather like it, and I appreciate that it honors both parts of my heritage.
Yes from me. I want to keep my surname when I marry, either as my surname, double-barrelled (hard to do as my surname is a noun so probably not) or added on as a middle name. I, too, don’t want to lose my identity.
I don’t see how it would make life harder, your surname honours both heritages and (while being so cool to say) doesn’t clash when said, so I don’t see why not? It may possibly limit you on first names you can use (like long names or names with a lot of syllables) but that may not even be an issue. Go for it!
No it is not a good idea to keep carrying the names on. If you do your child will be DeRosia-Zuber-Father’s surname. it keeps getting too long. What happens in the next generation DeRosia-Zuber- mother’s father’s surname-new fathers surname. If you want to carry the double name on, use your Fathers surname and baby’s father surname. If you have a daughter you could use DeRosia or [name_f]Rosa[/name_f] as a middle name. Zuber could be used a a boy’s middle name.
I think it’s a great idea to pass both names on to your children. Lots of people have hyphenated surnames and worse case scenario they have trouble fitting their name on a form. The meaning behind your choice is more important than that. Go for it!
I think it’s fine with the length of your surnames, particularly if you use shorter first names. Longer but well known/easy first names could work too.
Another idea is to do what my mom did; all of her children (4) have her maiden name as their middle name and my father’s surname as their own. It’s a nice subtle connection to both sides of the family and not quite the mouthful it could be otherwise.
When I got married the first time around, I changed my name…I’d never liked my birth surname; it was constantly misspelled & mispronounced (even at four letters long), & I felt it was just as patriarchal to have one’s father’s name as it was to have one’s husband’s name. When our daughter was born, she got the same last name as my ex & me. Fast forward a few years…my ex & I had split a few years prior & I was getting remarried. My daughter asked if I would please keep my first married surname to keep the connection w/her name. So I have a hyphenated last name composed of both husbands’ last names, w/my current husband’s name first because the sound is much better than the other way around. Much of my family still can’t manage to address snail mail to me correctly after almost eight years, & I shrug (w/my family I don’t expect anything else).
My [name_m]SIL[/name_m] never changed her surname when she married my brother because as she’s said, she was too lazy to bother w/all of the paperwork. 
My mom never changed her name when she & my dad split because even though she loathes my dad, she can get more Social Security because of his salary as an engineer than hers as an accountant, & she wants to be sure that the connection is clear by continuing to have the same surname (plus I think she wants my stepmother to be continually reminded that there’s another Mrs. XXXX).
All this is to say that you should do what feels right to you in your situation. Some people will be fine w/it & other people will grumble & fuss. For what it’s worth, I think your hyphenated last name has a really nice flow to it!
My friend, her sister and her mother all have the mother’s maiden name as a second middle name. I think this is good if surnames don’t match together, or if you don’t want a long name.
Since yours do go together, the only concern is length. I feel like the child would need a short first name with a long surname like that. If that works for you, give them both surnames. But otherwise moving your maiden surname to a second middle name may make the name flow better when just the first and last name are used.
I think it works in your case! There’s no problem with hyphenated names, especially when they’re fairly brief. The kids I know with hyphenated names find some annoyance in their length but no real issues.
In my case, I’m ditching my last name as soon as possible (it is 14 letters long, if I hyphenated I would feel so sorry for my kid LOL).
Hello! I think either of the names alone would be messed up easily. It may seem easier to only have one, but people mess up names all of the time. If you want the double last names then go for it! I’d rather have people mispronounce the name I like than mispronounce a name that I don’t even love
Everyone I knew growing up and as an adult who had a hyphenated last name has hated it and said it’s a pain.