Why do some Brits have so many names?

[raccoon]

Herman's real name is Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone.

Hayley Mills has a bundle of names too.

[DS1]

1. We're conmen

and it's easier to fix passports this way

[applegrove]

2. Traditionally for rich people - sometimes the brides family wanted

their name to be passed on to the grandkids. So they did a hyphenated name. Hey ! if you were marrying a rich chick you might do it too.

That is what I heard.

[tjwmason]

3. Actually it was more the opposite.

When an aristocratic family was short of money, they would marry a daughter off to a wealthy pleb - naturally he would want to keep his name, but they'd add in their "illustrious" name as well.

[applegrove]

6. Well I knew it had something to do with being rich.

[khashka]

4. It's traditional

among the upper classes or wannabes. Tj once put me on ignore because I made a joke of him having so many names. Catholics do it too. My lover (of 18 years) is William Patrick Paul. Gives me a lot to work with - I can annoy him in so many ways.

Khash.

[KatyMan]

5. I have a non posh friend

who took his wife's name, as in he's Joe Smith and she's Jane Jones, and now he's Joe Jones-Smith now.

[XNASA]

7. Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno

I don't know.

[Chan790]

8. If I ever wondered what religion Brian Eno was raised in...

I do longer do. That's about as Catholic as one can get.

St. John Baptiste De La Salle is the founder of the Order of Christian Brothers, an order dedicated to the education of the masses in exceptional schools independent of ability to pay; most LaSalle schools still hold to this principle through massive endowments and generous financial aid based solely on need. (They're also the producers of some god-awful brandy which in part is how they fund that scholarship). They are considered among the most liberal of Catholic vocational orders.

I nearly was one.

John Baptiste La Salle was also one of the great pedagogical theorists of all time and a defender of the education of literature, science and math during a time when the church held that the lower-classes should not be educated in such things.

[XNASA]

9. I believe that both his parents were Catholic...

..as was his education up until he was into his teens.

[Hand]

10. Insh'Allah. nt

[JVS]

11. Are you sure you don't mean Masha'Allah?

[Hand]

14. I probably do. nt

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. You mean like

Tarquin Fin-Tim-Lim-Bim-Lim-Bin-Bim-Bin-Bim Bus Stop F'tang F'tang Olé Biscuitbarrel?

[SoxFan]

13. Yes, they do have long names...

Malcolm Peter Brian Telescope Adrian Umbrella Stand Jasper Wednesday (pops mouth twice) Stoatgobbler John Raw Vegetable (sound effect of horse whinnying) Arthur Norman Michael (blows squeaker) Featherstone Smith (blows whistle) Northgot Edwards Harris (fires pistol, then 'whoop') Mason (chuff-chuff-chuff-chuff) Frampton Jones Fruitbat Gilbert (sings) 'We'll keep a welcome in the' (three shots, stops singing) Williams If I Could Walk That Way Jenkin (squeaker) Tiger-drawers Pratt Thompson (sings) 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' Darcy Carter (horn) Pussycat 'Don't Sleep In The Subway' Barton Mainwaring (hoot, 'whoop') Smith.