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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Travis Loller

Explainer: Why are many Hispanic surnames formed from 2 names and how does that work in the US?

Hispanic Surnames Explainer - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

What's in a surname? For many people from Spain and Latin America, it's about who your father is and who your mother is.

The tradition of using two surnames helps clearly identify familial relationships in much of the Spanish-speaking world. But in the United States, having two surnames can be a bureaucratic headache, or worse.

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