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Hispanic Surnames Often Contain Two Names, Causing Bureaucratic Challenges in the US
The tradition of using paternal and maternal surnames is common in Spain and Latin America, but can lead to complications for Hispanic Americans.
Published on Feb. 7, 2026
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The tradition of using two surnames to identify one's paternal and maternal lineage is common in Spain and Latin America, but can cause bureaucratic headaches for Hispanic Americans. More than 68 million people in the U.S. identify as ethnically Hispanic, many of whom use two surnames. This can lead to issues with government IDs, travel documents, and other official paperwork that typically only allows for a single last name.
Why it matters
The use of two surnames is an important cultural tradition in the Hispanic world, but it often clashes with standard naming conventions in the United States. This can create challenges for Hispanic Americans in their daily lives and interactions with government agencies and businesses that are not familiar with the dual surname tradition.
The details
In Spain and most Latin American countries, surnames are composed of two names - the first from the father and the second from the mother. However, in the U.S., people with typical Hispanic surnames often simply use the paternal surname to conform with the norm of a single last name. This can lead to assumptions that the mother's surname is a middle name. To avoid this, some Hispanic Americans continue to use both surnames, hyphenate them, or combine them into one name. But this can still cause issues, such as when getting a driver's license or green card, where government systems may not accommodate the dual surname format.
- In 2026, the U.S. Census estimates that over 68 million people in the country identify as ethnically Hispanic.
The players
Susana Pimiento
A Colombian immigrant living in Austin, Texas who owns a translation and interpreter services agency. She has had to use various strategies to deal with her two-part surname when interacting with U.S. government agencies and businesses.
What they’re saying
“Before I got married, I told my husband, 'I'm not taking your name, you know? There is no way.' So then when my green card came with Susana de Hammond, we laughed. We thought that it was a joke. But, oh my gosh, it was so hard to straighten it out!”
— Susana Pimiento, Business Owner (ksgf.com)
The takeaway
The use of dual surnames is an important cultural tradition in the Hispanic world, but it often clashes with standard naming conventions in the United States. This can create bureaucratic challenges for Hispanic Americans when dealing with government agencies and businesses that are unfamiliar with this naming practice, highlighting the need for greater understanding and accommodation of diverse cultural traditions.
