How to Address Someone With a Hyphenated Name

Many couples use hyphenated names.

You may know or meet someone with a hyphenated last name but have no idea how to formally address them. Hyphenated names are more common for women who keep their maiden name as part of their last name rather than only taking their husband's name. Some cultures also make use of hyphenated last names since their surnames are a combination of several family names. Luckily, dealing with hyphenated names is easy with only a few rules to follow.

Instructions

1. Pronounce hyphenated names as one word. You do not need to say each word separately. Neither name is necessarily more important or emphasized than the other.

2. Use the first letter of the first part of the name when alphabetizing hyphenated names. Because they are one word a name like Smith-Jones would be after Jones-Smith.

3. Capitalize both names within the hyphenated name. Computer records may record names with the second half in lower case, but this is incorrect and the result of computing limitations or errors.

4. Address a woman with a hyphenated name using "Ms." even if she is married. For wedding invitations or other letters to a couple, you can address each person using their original name if the woman has kept her maiden name. For example, a husband and wife named John Doe and Jane Butler-Doe could be addressed Ms. Jane Butler and Mr. John Doe.

References

• Artistic Addressing: Etiquette