[West Ender]

My maiden name was Sleddon and as far as I can ascertain it derives from Slaidburn, where my earliest traceable ancestors originated. It seems to me to be a good thing my ancestors used their birthplace as a surname rather than their occupation as they were, right up to my grandfather, all blacksmiths and my name would, in that case, have been Smith which would have made ancestry research extremely difficult.

I used to have a Spanish friend whose name was Manuel Martinez-Gammez. His father's name was Martinez and his mother's was Gammez but if he married, say, a senorina José his children would be known as Martinez-José. If his daughter then married a Senor Cadiz her children would then be known as Cadiz-Martinez.

Personally, I like the Icelandic way of surnaming where the offspring take the father's first name with the addition of gender. In that way my surname would have been Harrisdotter and my brothers would be Harrison. My son would be Colinsen, my daughters Colinsdotters, my grandson Garisen and my granddaughter Simonsdotter.

I can empathise with anyone who has children adopted by a step-father, who opts for a double barreled name, but it can get very complicated.