Portmanteau last names

[Anonymous]

My husband is lobbying for a combined last name for our kid(s). Something like Patill if our last names were Patel and Hill (these are not our last names). I'm worried this will seem really dated/trashy in 10 years. The portmanteau is an actual last name - not as common as either of our last names, but a google search revealed plenty of people with it, so it wouldn't be obvious that it was a portmanteau unless you knew us.

We both agree that we don't want to use his last name only, and don't want to hyphenate. My last name is nicer sounding and I'd prefer to go with his name in the middle and mine as the last name.

The best argument for the portmanteau is that neither of us would mind being called "Mr./Mrs. Patill" but he would mind being called "Mr. Hill" and I'd mind being called "Mrs. Patel" (but not really. just a tiny bit).

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I know at least one couple who have done it. If I hadn't been told, I never would have known. I don't think it's a big deal.

[Anonymous]

I think it's fine- go for it!

[Anonymous]

I think if you want a portmanteau name, the parents should have adopted it when they got married. I think it would be more of a hassle to have 3 different last names in the same family for no real reason.

[Anonymous]

You keep your name, he keeps his name, and the baby gets his name. If you want, you can give the baby your name as a "first" last name, which is basically a middle name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think if you want a portmanteau name, the parents should have adopted it when they got married. I think it would be more of a hassle to have 3 different last names in the same family for no real reason.

I'm sympathetic to this but also wonder if it's really an issue. We already have two different last names so you can't send us mail to the XX household. But with the portmanteau we would happily go by the Patill Family... so maybe it would make it easier on people? The only situation I worry about is traveling, especially internationally, but since we'd have the birth certificate with our names, again not sure how much of an issue the different last names would be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You keep your name, he keeps his name, and the baby gets his name. If you want, you can give the baby your name as a "first" last name, which is basically a middle name.

Why can't we use his last name as the "first" middle name?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think if you want a portmanteau name, the parents should have adopted it when they got married. I think it would be more of a hassle to have 3 different last names in the same family for no real reason.

I don't follow. Changing two functional adults' names is easier than remembering a third last name for a new person? When does the third name add any additional effort?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You keep your name, he keeps his name, and the baby gets his name. If you want, you can give the baby your name as a "first" last name, which is basically a middle name.

How about she keeps her name, he keeps his name, and the baby is Firstname Hislastname Herlastname? That's an option too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You keep your name, he keeps his name, and the baby gets his name. If you want, you can give the baby your name as a "first" last name, which is basically a middle name.

Why can't we use his last name as the "first" middle name?

I think that's the convention in most Latin American countries. But the US is not a Latin American country, and usually when a child gets both parents' last names, the father's last name is the last last name, the official one.

[Anonymous]

OP,

1. Nobody will know it's a portmanteau name.
2. If they did know that it was a portmanteau name, so what?
3. Anybody who thinks that a portmanteau name is "dated/trashy" is somebody whose opinion you can disregard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You keep your name, he keeps his name, and the baby gets his name. If you want, you can give the baby your name as a "first" last name, which is basically a middle name.

Why can't we use his last name as the "first" middle name?

I think that's the convention in most Latin American countries. But the US is not a Latin American country, and usually when a child gets both parents' last names, the father's last name is the last last name, the official one.

Please note the distinction between "the child usually gets the father's last name" and "the only choice is for the child to get the father's last name". I know plenty of people who were born right here in the US who do not have their father's last name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You keep your name, he keeps his name, and the baby gets his name. If you want, you can give the baby your name as a "first" last name, which is basically a middle name.

Why can't we use his last name as the "first" middle name?

I think that's the convention in most Latin American countries. But the US is not a Latin American country, and usually when a child gets both parents' last names, the father's last name is the last last name, the official one.

This is clearly not a family who cares much for convention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know at least one couple who have done it. If I hadn't been told, I never would have known. I don't think it's a big deal.

I agree. I'm almost 50 and I know only one couple who did this. The name sounded like a name. (I actually asked the origin and he told me "French" and laughed. He told me later that it was a combined name. His wife was Jewish and he was Irish.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,

1. Nobody will know it's a portmanteau name.
2. If they did know that it was a portmanteau name, so what?
3. Anybody who thinks that a portmanteau name is "dated/trashy" is somebody whose opinion you can disregard.

Thanks. People on here have been surprisingly positive (for dcum). Definitely swinging me towards the portmanteau.