Meaning & use
double-barrel name
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Meaning
nouncountable
A name made of two parts joined by a hyphen, such as a surname or first name.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a double-barrel name' or 'two double-barrel names'.
Patterns
- have a double-barrel name
- take a double-barrel name
- a double-barrel surname
After they married, they gave their children a double-barrel name: Smith-Jones.
Her double-barrel name, Anne-Marie, is often shortened to Anne.
In some families, a double-barrel name shows both parents' family lines.
Word forms
| plural | double-barrel names |
|---|
Common combinations
- have a double-barrel name
- She has a double-barrel name, so people sometimes think she is married.
- take a double-barrel name
- He decided to take a double-barrel name after marriage.
- double-barrel surname
- A double-barrel surname can be long to write on forms.
- give someone a double-barrel name
- They gave their daughter a double-barrel name to include both families.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hyphenated name
- This is the more common term in American English; 'double-barrel name' is especially British.
- compound name
- A broader term for any name made of two parts, not necessarily joined by a hyphen.
Word family
- double-barrelled adjective
- Describing a name that has two parts joined by a hyphen (British spelling).
Commonly confused: double-barrel name or nickname?
double-barrel name vs nickname
A nickname is an informal name used instead of your real name; a double-barrel name is a formal name with two parts.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'double-barrel name' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A double-barrel name has two parts joined by a hyphen, like Johnson-Smith. The other options do not show two parts joined by a hyphen.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “double-barrel name”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.