# How many people with double-barreled first names do you know - and how many of them are female? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 12, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376 "2015-11-12T15:27:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/1 "2015-11-12T15:27:48Z")
I just got a business email from Robert-Michael _lastname_. And it occurred to me that this is the first time I’ve seen a double-barreled first name for an English speaking man. Have I just lived a sheltered life? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/2 "2015-11-12T15:35:39Z")
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer, actor, singer/rapper genius behind the Broadway show Hamilton? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/3 "2015-11-12T15:35:49Z")
I know two ladies who did it when they got married (both American but one’s a Kiwi now), but it’s not clear if their husbands followed suit. But I did know a single male from California who had a name like that. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/4 "2015-11-12T15:36:13Z")
What, you’ve never met Billy Bob Thornton? ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/5 "2015-11-12T15:37:43Z")
Y’all know some pretty famous people! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/6 "2015-11-12T15:40:30Z")
:smack: D’oh! Misunderstood. I thought you meant a double-barreled surname. Having grown up in West Texas, I knew a few. None now. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/7 "2015-11-12T15:52:27Z")
Off the top of my head, I have two friends (one male and one female) who go by first and middle names, but none with hyphenated first names (that I can think of). ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/8 "2015-11-12T15:53:54Z")
I know a Sally Ann and a Mary Anne. Can’t think of any men I know. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/9 "2015-11-12T15:56:17Z")
Kinda? I generally go by Maggie in real life, but when I’m forced to use my birthname (which I don’t really hate, but it just doesn’t feel like “me” anymore), I like the sound of firstname-middlename better than just my firstname. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/10 "2015-11-12T16:02:56Z")
I know three, and they are all friends. It gets confusing sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/11 "2015-11-12T16:09:45Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > Kinda? > > I generally go by Maggie in real life, but when I’m forced to use my birthname (which I don’t really hate, but it just doesn’t feel like “me” anymore), I like the sound of firstname-middlename better than just my firstname. I don’t think I’ve ever heard “Margaret-the” before. It’s unique. Be proud. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/12 "2015-11-12T16:16:12Z")
Ronnie James Dio John Paul Jones Any male being yelled at by their mother ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/13 "2015-11-12T16:18:11Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever heard “Margaret-the” before. It’s unique. Be proud. 😃 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/14 "2015-11-12T16:20:54Z")
I was thinking the OP was not referring to people who went by their first and middle names together, but who had literally two first names or a hyphenated first name. I know a young woman whose first name is Sarah Riley. Riley is not her middle name, it is part of her first name. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/15 "2015-11-12T16:27:35Z")
_I wouldn’t come home for weeks at a time She wouldn’t accept that she was free Oh Debbie Denise was true to me_ ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/16 "2015-11-12T16:30:04Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I was thinking the OP was not referring to people who went by their first and middle names together, but who had literally two first names or a hyphenated first name. Correct. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/17 "2015-11-12T16:48:10Z")
I know three women with double first names. My SIL’s is very unique! It’s Mary Something and when people call her just Mary it is very jarring to me. Well maybe I know more…I don’t know how the Joannes I know actually spell their names 🙂 I can’t think of any men I know. I don’t think it’ll be very easy to count famous people whose first names aren’t hyphenated. Most of those people are probably using middle names for their professional names. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/18 "2015-11-12T17:55:58Z")
Mary-Something (with or without the hyphen) is a fairly common construction. Mary-Kate, Mary Anne, Mary Beth, etc.–sometimes there’s another middle name, sometimes not. ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/19 "2015-11-12T18:06:44Z")
Double barreled names for women don’t seem all that rare to me - I worked with a Marie-Anne, grew up with a Betty Ann (given name Elizabeth Ann, but never went by that name), know a Lesley Ann and a Teri-Lynne, and once met a Jane-Gray (no idea what the story was behind that name.) Men - only one springs to mind - a Jean-Paul I used to be friends with, though many of his friends called him JP. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/20 "2015-11-12T18:18:09Z")
I work with Jo-Ann and Anne-Marie. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376.md?page=2)