Double names arrive as a pair and are never meant to be separated. Think Ellie Mae, Anna Claire, John David. In the South, they’re as common as sweet tea, boiled peanuts and Sunday church. Which becomes a problem the moment you encounter outsiders who don’t quite hear them that way. Just a sk Mary Love Mateas, a 28-year-old surgical coordinator who grew up in North Carolina, where her name never required an explanation — it was simply understood. But at Duke University, where students and faculty come from all over the world, she found herself constantly translating it. In a TikTok video that struck a nerve with fellow “double name girlies,” she describes what happens when that shared understanding disappears. “Whenever I introduce myself, I have to explain my name,” she shared in the clip. “I have to say, ‘Hi, my name is Mary Love — it’s a double first name, like Mary Catherine.” Even then, it doesn’t always click. “For four years in college, I was consistently called Mary by my professors,” she said, recalling how often people assumed she was giving a first and last name. While she wouldn’t change hers — “I love it,” she tells TODAY.com — Mateas wants parents to go in with a clear awareness of how a double name may be received beyond the South. In the comments, thousands of viewers recognized themselves immediately. “If I wanted to be called ‘Mary,’ I’d introduce myself as Mary,” one wrote. Another chimed in: “As Lily Pearl, this is literally the story of my life.” That confusion, experts say, comes down to geography. “It is probably the most classic and distinctive Southern name style,” says Laura Wattenberg, a baby name expert who examines trends across time. “It’s a genuine, homegrown, native style.” For Mateas, the difference is something she’s felt firsthand. She says names like hers aren’t just common; they carry history. “Love” is a family name passed down through generations: she is the fourth Mary Love in her family. “I can think of five close friends right off the top of my head who had double names, all very different, not like Mary Kate or anything,” she says. For example, one friend was named Eliza Darden, and others carried older family names. Mateas and her husband, Catalin Mateas, who is about to graduate from medical school, plan to start a family. She isn’t sure whether she’ll continue the double-name tradition, not because she didn’t grow up cherishing it, but because it doens’t flow as naturally with her married last name. Her maiden name, Taylor, she says, “worked better” with a double first. Still, she’s not ready to let it go entirely. She’s considering using “Love” as a middle name, a way to carry the family tradition forward even if it takes a slightly different shape. “It holds a lot of sentimental value,” she says, “and that makes it feel special.” This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: There Are Only 3 Types of Middle Names. Which One is Yours? These Sisters Share Names With Two Single-Name Grammy Icons — People Think It’s a Joke 100 Girl Names That Start With ‘L’ This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less