# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/21 "2015-11-12T18:29:15Z")
I married into a West Texas family. Winnie Mae, Joe Bob, Jenna Beth, Leigh Ann to name but a few. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/22 "2015-11-12T18:32:20Z")
When meeting and speaking to people, there’s no audible distinction between “first and middle names together” and “literally two first names or a hyphenated first name.” So I assume that many of those people are thinking of _are_ first and middle names together. That certainly _is_ a common mode, probably more so for women, but also not rare for men, in some areas and cultures. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/23 "2015-11-12T18:35:15Z")
What with all of the Mary Whatevers from Catholic school and living in the southern US for the past twenty years, I know quite a few women. I know way fewer men with double first names. I can think of a John Michael, Jean Claude and Jim Bob. One of my friends goes by a nickname at work and among friends, but his family calls him Paul Chris. He went to live with an aunt and uncle when he was an adolescent and they had a son named Paul also, so they went by Paul Chris and Paul David. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/24 "2015-11-12T18:36:27Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Any male being yelled at by their mother Indeed. My given name is Michael, and I usually go by Mike. If someone who doesn’t know me well calls me Michael, I’m not at all offended, but if I think they have a sense of humor, I’ll note, “About the only people who call me Michael are female relatives, unless they’re mad at me, at which point I’m MichaelJOHN!!!” 😃 The only people I’ve ever known who’ve regularly gone by a double name have been women of Irish descent: I know a Mary Pat, and a Mary Colleen. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/25 "2015-11-12T18:57:18Z")
There was Jean-Claude Killy, but he’s the only one that comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/26 "2015-11-12T19:10:58Z")
I know a José-Luis, a Kate Elizabeth (who generally goes by Katie Liz) and a Liam Kyle. There are more folks I know of - actor Jean Claude van Damme, golfer José Maria Olazábal, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter (I swear to God), and Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Piccard are a few. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/27 "2015-11-12T20:27:47Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > There are more folks I know of - actor Jean Claude van Damme, golfer José Maria Olazábal, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter (I swear to God), and Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Piccard are a few. Jean-(whatever) is a very common Francophone male name. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/28 "2015-11-12T20:59:52Z")
I know at least one in my son’s age group (4), and can think of another younger one. I remember knowing of an adult years ago who went by Emma in the workplace, but signed all her emails “Emma Kate”, which unreasonably annoyed me (it looks like a five year old’s signature). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/29 "2015-11-12T21:17:37Z")
There’s the actor, Mark-Paul Gosselaar. ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/30 "2015-11-12T21:31:42Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I know a Sally Ann and a Mary Anne. Can’t think of any men I know. I’ve come across a couple John Thomases and John Davids. ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/31 "2015-11-12T21:33:36Z")
There’s also [Steve Dave](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFdJNdLU_1Y). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/32 "2015-11-12T21:36:50Z")
I work with a woman named Anne-Marie something hyphenated. Her mother was a big That Girl fan. ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/33 "2015-11-12T21:37:09Z")
Does Gianluigi, as in Gianluigi Buffon, count as one first name or two? If so, I’ve met a Giancarlo or two. ---
**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, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/34 "2015-11-12T21:46:29Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > There’s the actor, Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Nice! Oh, the actor who unfortunately shot himself with a prop pistol, **Jon-Erik Hexum**. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/35 "2015-11-12T21:47:07Z")
Three, all female, one of whom is my mother. (Few pronounce the first half of her name correctly, so she goes by the second half only, but it’s not her middle name.) ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/36 "2015-11-12T21:50:10Z")
Jean-Michel Cousteau? BA DA DA BA DAAA BA DAAAA! ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/37 "2015-11-12T21:54:54Z")
Names of people I know personally who fit the description: Anne-Marie Mary-Katherine (although, I don’t know if she hyphenates) Jean-Paul ---
**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, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/38 "2015-11-12T22:00:55Z")
> [@Abner\_Ravenwood](#): > > I’ve come across a couple John Thomases [snip] _snigger_ ---
**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, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/39 "2015-11-12T22:43:04Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > _snigger_ In vintage guitar circles, there is a noted expert and author named John Thomas. I know he travels to the UK a lot; I have no idea how he deals with his name over there. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-with-double-barreled-first-names-do-you-know-and-how-many-of-them-are-female/737376/40 "2015-11-12T22:59:17Z")
The only person I know with a double first name is a Jean-Paul, a man. [Previous 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=1) [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=3)