Both last names for the baby
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Both last names for the baby
| Tue, 10-19-2004 - 3:12pm |
Hi,
Has anyone given both last names to their baby (of the mother and the father)? I am married and I have kept my maiden name. I am 10 weeks pregnant and I would like our baby to have both last names. Is it legal? Should the names be hyphenated?
Aga
Has anyone given both last names to their baby (of the mother and the father)? I am married and I have kept my maiden name. I am 10 weeks pregnant and I would like our baby to have both last names. Is it legal? Should the names be hyphenated?
Aga

It is legal and hyphenation sometimes works. It's largely based on how long both surnames are.
In most states in the US a child can be given the mother's surname, the father's surname or a third, completely unrelated surname.. it varies a bit by state, so you might want to check your states website for guidelines.
If your surnames are something like Smith & Black (for example) baby A.B. Smith-Black ( or Black-Smith) works well. If one's short & one's long, it still works (ex: Smith & Millburn) Baby A.B. Millburn-Smith or A. B. Smith-Millburn) If, however both surnames are long.. it stars to get unwieldy.. ex.: Millburn & Gladstone.. Baby A.B. Millburn-Gladstone(or A.B. Gladstone-Millburn!)
I'd keep both first & middle names relatively short, one or two syllable names unless both surnames are short!
I think children with 2 last names is getting very common, so your child won't be alone. I plan on doing the same thing...
Now that I think of it, I also know a woman whose maiden name was "Smith" and then she married a guy whose last name was "Fox-Lewis" so when she married she really would have preferred he had ONE Last name, so she could have hyphenated her name, "Smith-Fox" or "Smith-Lewis" but instead she took on both of her new husband's last names which caused even MORE confusion for her at work.