Is there are word for this?

[Coco-5]

Can anybody tell me if there is a word for when a person has two Christian names that make up their whole name. For example, David James, James Dean.
I have been searching on the internet, but to no avail. I swear my Mum told me a few years back but she has forgotten it, as have I and we both know it will not come back to us!
Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[Jonathan-Joe]

Someone asked this a few weeks ago. Mine was the only answer as follows:
The nearest I can think of is "patronym" where a child's surname is derived from the first name of their father.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patronym

[mike11111]

I have never come across any term to describe this. I presume you are referring to a name usually used as a forename being used as a surname. The reverse is also not uncommon; a name usually used as a surname being used as a forename. Scott immediately springs to mind.

[mike11111]

A patronymic is somewhat different. It is the middle name of any Russian derived, as has been said, from the forename of the father with the suffix 'ov' or 'ich' for boys and 'vna' for girls. The use of the first name and patronymic is the standard way of addressing any Russian, no matter what his rank. The members of the Politburo would not have addressed Mr. Khrushchev as such, but 'Nikita Sergeyevich'.

[mike11111]

Sorry, slight error above; I should have said that the male suffix is 'ovich' or 'evich'.

[Quizmonster]

Patronymics were - maybe still are - in common use in the fishing communities of north-east Scotland, where there seemed to be an unwillingness to extend the available name-list, as it were.
In the era I'm thinking of, there just were no Waynes, Shanes, Brads and so forth. Thus, calling someone Jeems's Willum (James's William) was a method of distinguishing that man from Ailick's Willum (Alex's William).
I don't believe there actually is a word to cover the circumstances you describe, Coco, but if you do discover such a thing, I'd be glad to hear what it is.

[NiceCupOfTea]

I know exactly what you mean, and can tell you there is no such noun. It only applies to surnames, and only double-barrelled ones at that. Or 'double-barrelled' since that was the answer, though not to your exact question.

[dundurn]

Further to Quizmonster's answer Scotland is also the source of some of these combinations due to the habit of using surnames as forenames. I believe a lot of them originated when mothers' maiden names were used as middle names and these started to be used as given names. Bruce, Douglas, Craig, Gordon, Fraser e.g. - all now common forenames, started out as surnames.

[boxtops]

If we are absolutely correct, let's make that "first names" or forenames, not Christian names - people can have double first names and not be Christian - e.g. Mohammed Ali.
If you go to places like Iceland, the parent's name is the child's family name, eg Simon's daughter Mary would be Mary Simondottir.
I find these names really confusing when people fill in forms - which name IS your first name?!

[scotman]

I agree with all the posters so far. Naming conventions are very variable all over the world. Various people have commented on the Eastern European patronymic system which gives everyone a 3-part name. Also you have the Spanish system which results in the same effect but by a different method.

[Quizmonster]

Arab names involve an avonymic as well as a patronymic element. Someone called Rashid (bin) Khamis (bin) Muhammed al Tikriti has Rashid as his given name, Khamis is/was his father and Muhammad is/was his father's father. The final name is either a tribal or regional indicator rather than a surname as we might see it.
(I've never actually seen the word 'avonymic' but, like patronymic, it is based on the appropriate Latin word, avus = grandfather, from which English has 'aval'.)

[espookid]

Not an answer but The footballer Phil Neville's father is Neville Neville Hmmm

[PeelerPal]

having two christian names as a full name, such as 'Gary Neville' or 'Craig David' is known as a contranym.

[PeelerPal]

sorry got that wrong, ignore last it's something like that though!