# Hyphenating a child's last name. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179 "2011-08-18T15:34:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/81 "2011-08-19T22:55:24Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I obviously _can_ handle it. As stated in the OP, my main objection is really that it will be a PITA. I wouldn’t have had a problem with giving him both of our names when he was born, but I can’t say for certain because that wasn’t the case. Why do it now? > > Oh wait, you’re not actually going to read or absorb any of this, you’re just going to copy and paste it and shit on it again. I wasn’t trying to shit on it or you, but I can see how you read it that way; I should have been more clear and apologize for not doing so. When I spoke of men objecting out of ego, I was referring to those who respond vehemently to the notion of their wives retaining their birth names, not to your situation. (You object to your wife changing your mutual son’s last name years after his birth, yes?) ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/82 "2011-08-19T22:59:34Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I wasn’t trying to shit on it or you, but I can see how you read it that way; I should have been more clear and apologize for not doing so. When I spoke of men objecting out of ego, I was referring to those who respond vehemently to the notion of their wives retaining their birth names, not to your situation. (You object to your wife changing your mutual son’s last name years after his birth, yes?) Ok, damn. Sorry then, ‘the guy’ seemed pointed rather than generic. Let the civility resume! I agree that men who object to their wives keeping their own names are dicks. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/83 "2011-08-19T23:05:24Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Ok, damn. Sorry then, ‘the guy’ seemed pointed rather than generic. No need no apologize. The fault was mine for not making myself clear; your interpretation of what I wrote was reasonable. > [@](#): > > Let the civility resume! [Aslan] Here in Narnia, young prince, we deal in courteous language or hard knocks: nothing in between. [/aslan] ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/84 "2011-08-19T23:45:00Z")
**Skald the Rhymer** [Aslan] Here in Narnia, young prince, we deal in courteous language or hard knocks: nothing in between. [/aslan] [/QUOTE] You can just call me Peter. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/85 "2011-08-20T03:46:11Z")
Update: She has decided instead to make her name a non-hyphenated (is it ironic that that was hyphenated?) second middle name. I sent her the link to this thread yesterday…don’t know if that had anything to do with it… ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/86 "2011-08-20T14:37:22Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Update: She has decided instead to make \*\*her \*\*name a non-hyphenated (is it ironic that that was hyphenated?) second middle name. > > I sent her the link to this thread yesterday…don’t know if that had anything to do with it… 😕 She’s going to change her name to a non hyphenated name, but your son’s name to a hyphenated name? Or did you mean “his”, in reference to your son, instead of “her”? ETA: I think you mean that you son’s name will change from Billy Tom Ate to Billy Tom Nines Ate as opposed to Billy Tom Nines-Ate. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/87 "2011-08-20T15:23:37Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > 😕 She’s going to change her name to a non hyphenated name, but your son’s name to a hyphenated name? Or did you mean “his”, in reference to your son, instead of “her”? > > ETA: I think you mean that you son’s name will change from Billy Tom Ate to Billy Tom Nines Ate as opposed to Billy Tom Nines-Ate. Dang, yes. Lemme rephrase: She has decided instead that she would like to add her name to my son’s, as basically a second middle name. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/88 "2011-08-20T15:28:13Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > **Skald the Rhymer** > > [Aslan] > Here in Narnia, young prince, we deal in courteous language or hard knocks: nothing in between. > [/aslan] You can just call me Peter. [/quote] Silly rabbit. Peter was never a prince. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/89 "2011-08-20T15:31:40Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > You can just call me Peter. Silly rabbit. Peter was never a prince. [/QUOTE] Damn. King, wasn’t he. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179/90 "2011-08-21T15:05:21Z")
That sounds like a reasonable compromise that will make everyone as comfortable with as possible with his/her individual desire. Good for both of you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hyphenating-a-childs-last-name/593179.md?page=4)