View source for Reunion 2004, Robert Croxton Whitney, Hyphenated Names

{{Breadcrumb2|Miscellaneous|Whitney Family Reunion, 2004}}

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<h2>Hyphenated Names<br />
<font size=-1>by Robert Croxton Whitney<br />
26 June 2004</font></h2>
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Abbreviations:
:AEG = Allan Green
:JMP = Mike Poston
:JP = Jinny Parks
:RCW = Robert Croxton Whitney
:RLW = Robert L. Ward


'''RCW:''' This is about hyphenated surnames.  The British have a quick term for it called,
&quot;double-barreled names,&quot; which I'll probably be using.  It's a little quicker than saying
double hyphenated surnames.

If you go to the movies these days, and you're able to sit through about (5) minutes of credits,
you'll be finding people with double-barreled names.  Of course, many people on the payroll are
now listed than ever before as apposed to a 1939 movie which probably listed no more than (25)
names.  Nowadays, for example, in &quot;The Prisoner of Azkaban,&quot; in the credits there
are (3) females who had double-barreled names and (2) males.  This ratio is really vice versa from
what you normally find.  Most of the double-barreled names are usually females.  By the way, in
the credits of &quot;The Prisoner of Azkaban,&quot; the very last enumerated individual under
Stunts is someone named &quot;Joanna WHITNEY.&quot;  I have no idea who she is.  Another
movie, &quot;The Chronicles of Riddick.&quot;  If you look at the credits there you'll find (6)
females with double-barreled surnames and only about (3) men.  Several decades ago it was the
British who had mostly double-barreled names listed in their credits.

The earliest reason for this may be the following quote, &quot;Through the last quarter of a
century [from 1920], a fashion set in for double names.  Double names are legitimate when
property is represented that has descended through an heiress.  It is right that the several
generations who held the estate should be remembered in the name of the present proprietor. 
Such a double name is not irregular, for such have the warrant of a royal license.  No objection
can be raised to such names a Spencer-Churchill because each surname represents a fact in history
of a family, the extension of one family and the devolution of its estate on the other.&quot;  Now
of course that's changed these days.  What is the reason for the frequency these double
names?

One of my acquaintances told me the reason she adopted the idea of the double names was to
make it easy for her highschool friends to find her in the telephone directory.  Her maiden name
being unusual would be easy to find.  Another reason for the frequency of double names is
possibly the divorce rate being so high, roughly 50%.  Those who divorced with children involved
most likely went with their mothers.  Sometimes the mother remarries again, the children have a
step-father.  Child is raised in part by the step-father who they loved.  The children tag on their
step-father's name to their own and we have a double name.  This apparently doesn't happen that
often with boys.  Why this is so it not quite clear to me.  The higher incidence is going to be the
more females with doubled last names then boys.

In history the famous double last name guy is going to be the Russian, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakoff. 
A younger contemporary of his, also a composer, was Mikhail Ippolito-Ivano.  These days, I ran
across a high-ranking international ping-pong player, Jan-Ovagenna.  Henin-Hardenne, who is a
high-ranking female professional tennis player.  The Hardenne part of her name is from her
husband.  His name is Pierre Yves Hardenne.  Do you remember Chris Evert?  She got married
and then she was know as Chris Evert-Lloyd.  A few years later they got divorced and she went
back to Chris Evert.  This seems to be the practice among pro tennis players.  I want to add that
some titled Britishers actual names are several surnames names long, minus the hyphen.

In sum I think that the reason for the frequency of female double last names is because of the
divorces, the daughter's liking their step-father and so adding on his surname to their own.

'''AEG:''' I can give you one other cause of this, as an example, young professional women
who have pride in their name in their line of work, and who marry and are willing to attach their
new husband's name, but are not willing to give up the presence of their own name, because they
have a certain notoriety associated with that name.  I'm thinking of a young woman who worked
for me.  Her name was Killian, and she was a choral conductor and a voice teacher.  She left and
went elsewhere, after she left my school, she got married to a very nice fellow named Pacl, so she
became Killian-Pacl.  It's maintaining the identity, especially if there's some kind of work identity
associated with it.

'''RCW:''' Caveat emptor, they say.  These names are not necessarily in your lineage.

'''AEG:''' It could drive a genealogist crazy.

'''JMP:''' How do you alphabetize a hyphenated name?

'''RCW:''' You go by the first of the two names.  It's the one that gets alphabetized.

[Inaudible discussion by members of the audience JP, AEG, JMP AND RLW.]

'''Addenda:''' After discussing the subject with a friend of mine he said he knew a lady who
had a double last name both of whom were her ex-husbands!

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Copyright &copy; 2004, 2006, Robert Croxton Whitney and The [[Whitney Research Group]]