To hyphen... or not to hyphen?

Girl Names
1

Hey Berries!

So, I honestly don’t know if I’ve asked this before… I don’t recall… But anyway, it’s been going around in my head do I thought I’d put it on paper…

We have the name [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Autumn[/name_f] on our list (so pretty! - duh, I’m biased - whatever!)…

Here’s my conundrum:

Should we use the name, I want her to be “[name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f]”, as in called/refereed to as this. I love the mix of sweet and sass in the way it sounds. I really, really don’t want [name_f]Jane[/name_f] to just ‘be a middle’. I love [name_f]Jane[/name_f], and it’s also an honour name.

So…

Option 1) Hyphenate… [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f].
This obviously connects the names, and ensures people see/consider them as one/a whole.
Problem A) I’ve never been a huge fan of hyphenated names. They always seemed a bit tacky and over girly to me. However maybe it’s not too bad in this case… I’ve kind of warmed to the look of it…
Problem B) All our combinations have three names. If we hyphenate, do we consider it one name and choose another middle?? (so technically it would be four names… but not??)

Option 2) [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t Hyphenate. [name_m]Just[/name_m] [name_m]Say[/name_m].
The old “people will catch on once you correct them a few times”…
Problem A) [name_f]Do[/name_f] people really catch on? Or will she end up as ‘just [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]’ regardless?

Option 3) [name_m]Just[/name_m] deal. [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] is fine on its own. [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is nice in the middle. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t over complicate it.
Problem A) I don’t like this answer.

sigh

What are you thoughts? What do you prefer? What would you do??

Thanks for letting me ramble. [name_m]Keen[/name_m] for your ideas, and thoughts, and to chat names.

2

In my experience, it doesn’t matter how you write the name (any name!); people will call your child what they feel like. (Example: My brother and I are [name_u]Ryan[/name_u] and [name_f]Erin[/name_f] because my dad didn’t want nicknames. People call us [name_m]Ry[/name_m] and Er anyway.) Examples of a hyphenated drop are [name_m]John[/name_m]-[name_m]David[/name_m], [name_f]Joy[/name_f]-[name_f]Anna[/name_f], and [name_u]Jordyn[/name_u]-[name_f]Grace[/name_f] Duggar. They’re called (mainly) by their J names and that’s it. I think [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is lovely and I’m not fond of the hyphen (like [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] or [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]), so if you really want her to be [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], I think your best bet is to write it the way you like it and correct people if they get it wrong.

3

I think you’re better not hyphening, not all formal documents will accept it as in put (at least so I’ve heard) and I think if you were always going to call her [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] it would catch on. Perhaps [name_f]Amy[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f] or [name_f]Mia[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f], etc? [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is long.

4

Personally I’d hyphenate it :slight_smile: I like the look of [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f] and it seems like the best solution for you. I don’t find a hyphenated name to be too tacky but since this is two classic names together it seems even less so!

5

I would hyphenate it and I don’t normally like hyphenated names either but when she starts school, unless she’s really insistant that she’s [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], she will just be [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]. At least [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f] has a chance at sticking!

Also, that way she stands out from other [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]'s.

6

I would leave the hyphen, so option 2. Then again, I am rarely a fan of hyphen. I think YOU can just call her [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and introduce her that way. If later she decides to go by just [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] or other people call her that, you can’t do anything about it but she can always be [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] to you and family.

7

I do find hyphenated names kind of tacky, and I think that if you call her [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], so will everyone else
When she grows up, whether she decides to go by [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], AJ, [name_u]Mel[/name_u], Ames, [name_f]Lia[/name_f] or any other nickname or not wont change, no matter the hyphen

8

I agree. I would just go with [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], no hyphen. I knew a girl (senior in high school) who went by the full Gr@ce [name_f]Anne[/name_f]. It sounds like you are not a huge fan of the hyphen. And it is definitely possible/feasible to call your daughter the full [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f]!

9

I vote for the hyphen if you want others to call her that. My friend is [name_u]Jean[/name_u] and even though her mother calls her [name_u]Jean[/name_u] [name_f]Marie[/name_f], no one else calls her that.

10

I’m not typically a fan of hyphenated names, but it sounds like it is the best option here.

11

I don’t think it makes much difference whether you hyphenate or not. [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is a long first name and it will probably get shortened sometimes regardless. Either way, your best bet is not to worry so much about how to write it, but just to make sure you always introduce her as [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and correct those people who do shorten it, and then when she’s a little older she can do the same (if she wants to). Short forms are likely to come up either way, but if both of you are really insistent against them, then maybe you’ll get lucky and they won’t stick.

12

I totally agree!

13

I’m honestly not sure what the best course of action is. There is a [name_u]Berry[/name_u] on here who has a rather large family (several of her children have double-barrel names–[name_u]Kelsey[/name_u]-R0se, [name_f]Soph[/name_f]!e-Cla!re, J0hn-P@trick, M@ry-[name_f]El[/name_f]!zabeth, and I think even S@rah K@therine. Most of the ones with double barrels have hyphens, but I don’t think S@rah does.), and it seems to work super well for her. I remember her saying once in the past that some try to call [name_f]Soph[/name_f]!e-Cla!re just [name_f]Sophie[/name_f], but quite a few seemed to stick to the full S0phie-Cla!re. Then again, seeeeeveral years ago whilst I was interning for my university degree, I met a pastor and his family, and their son (only child) was named [name_u]Michael[/name_u]-[name_m]Kellan[/name_m]. I’m not 100% sure if it’s hyphenated or not, but I do know that they intended for him to go by both. Apparently it was like pulling teeth. NO ONE would call him the full [name_u]Michael[/name_u]-[name_m]Kellan[/name_m]. It is a little on the long side, so I guess I can understand, but still, I at least TRY to follow the parents’ wishes. But I guess a lot of people just didn’t “get” it. :frowning:

I love [name_m]French[/name_m] double barrels that start with [name_f]Anne[/name_f]- ([name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Sophie[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Claire[/name_f], [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Louise[/name_f]–[name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Louise[/name_f] is currently on my list!), and I love the versatility of it. She could be [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Louise[/name_f], just [name_f]Annie[/name_f], or even [name_f]Louise[/name_f]/[name_f]Lulu[/name_f]/[name_f]Lula[/name_f], etc. (I’d pray to avoid [name_f]Lula[/name_f], as I am not a fan at all, lol, but I’d be happy with [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Lulu[/name_f], or [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Louise[/name_f]! Similar with [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Sophie[/name_f] and [name_f]Annie[/name_f], [name_f]Soph[/name_f], [name_f]Sophie[/name_f], and simply [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Sophie[/name_f].) I also love [name_m]John[/name_m]- double-barrels, too, especially since [name_m]John[/name_m] is a huge family name, but yeah, I think the beauty of double-barrels are the options!

But I can see your point–if [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] felt naked without [name_f]Jane[/name_f], I’m not sure I’d be happy people were calling her just [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], or even worse, just a nn for [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]. :stuck_out_tongue:

Personally, as someone who religiously sticks to two middles, I plan only to use one middle with a double-barrel. Like… even [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Louise[/name_f] [name_f]Eva[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] seems inordinately long. Like, WHEN DOES IT END ALREADY!!! lol. [name_f]Anne[/name_f]-[name_f]Louise[/name_f] [name_f]Eva[/name_f] still gets three names total, which I think is just fine. :stuck_out_tongue: That means I want that middle to REALLY count, though!

As for hyphen vs. no-hyphen, I am pro hyphen. It seems much more obvious that [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] are supposed to be used together, and I think [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Autumn[/name_f] is gorgeous! Plus, it sort of helps to clear up how the name is supposed to flow. Maybe it’s just subconscious, but I think [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Autumn[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] sounds much better if there’s no double-barrel, but if she’s going by [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], I think [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Autumn[/name_f] sounds quite different? [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f]/[name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is almost said like one unit, and therefore I don’t find the transition between [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_f]Autumn[/name_f] to be so harsh. Maybe I’m just losing it, though. :stuck_out_tongue:

Good luck!

14

I dislike hyphens in names in general.

I would say that, I believe, if you put [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] in the first name box on forms, they will both come up as her first name? Though I could be wrong.

15

I think [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], a 3-4 syllable name depending on how you pronounce it, is too long to hyphenate. On forms, you could list her full name as [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. If you introduce her as [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], and she introduces herself by that name, she will be called that.

16

Kids will say it however she wants it or tells them to say it, and older people will call her whatever you tell them to call her that aligns with her own interest. If you would like everyone to address her in that way, it’s up to your own aesthetic taste to hyphen the name. The best way to enunciate the use of both names will be in how you address her from a young age (use her full name, not a nickname, or she’ll pick up the use of the nickname) and in how you and she herself introduce her to others, such as peers and teachers. In my experience, what comes through as someone’s nickname/name at a young age is what sticks with them.

17

Growing up my two closest friends had double first names, people didn’t know, not because they didn’t go by both, they did, just double firsts were common in that both of them have them, our next girl will have a double first, no hyphen, people wont automatically know unless you live in the southern US I think but they will get it if you present it off the bat as full name then a little note about the baby refered to as [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and how her FIRST name was chosen and then her middle name was chosen ___ and the people that know her at birth get it, call her by her first name in any internet post and social interaction initially…’ people will get it. A friend of my recently had a child and uses his middle name, at birth there was an announcement and then she wrote ‘___’ is hiever long and heavy and so on… clearly this is what they are calling him. Lat er in life at the doctor or primary school you’ll fill in the blanks and put her first names together. Sure you can hyphenated but I feel like it makes the names feel so much more modern and different if that makes sense. I think people are capable of understanding some peoples names are more complex and if they don’t get it they’re choosing not to. You can introduce her to her teacher as [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and she can write it and so on… it’ll be fine however you do it. I’mwould be more comcerned if you were trying to get Americans to pronounce things phonetically than popularly if that makes sense… don’t get me started on the ok how do you pronounce that and lispy little kids trying to clearly state their big names to people who can’t seem to click is adorable and m husband unevenly trying to correct people who have made up their minds about totally normal names being pronounced in weird ways … hes like ok I’ve told you five times and you’re clearly just determined to mispronounce it… when really they’re just ignoring him and dont care… in any case where it matters people are fine with whatever. You’ll be just fine whate’er you choose :wink:

18

In this case I would hyphenate [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] to make it more clear, but what really will make the difference is what she will be called at home, most friends and family tend to mirror what the parents and siblings call the child.

19

I grew up with 2 girls name [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] “[name_f]Gracie[/name_f]”, 2 girls name [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f] “MK”, a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Bridget[/name_f] “MB”, [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f], and [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. None of them had hyphens and everyone called them by their first and middle name. The nicknames were from family and super close friends only.

I prefer names without hyphens, but surpirisingly [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]-[name_f]Jane[/name_f] is very sweet with the hyphen. I say go with what you like the most. Nicknames and shortenings will happen regardless. As long as you push for [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] you’ll get it.

20

I don’t think a hyphen is necessary so long as you introduce her (and later she introduces herself) as [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f]

I call my daughter by both her first and middle name, [name_f]Siena[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f], and everyone else does too because that’s what we’ve always introduced her as. We’ve not had any issues with it so far, and she’ll be 2 in [name_u]August[/name_u]