Single vs. Compound Surnames
 
Q.    If   an  author's  name  first  appears  as  Elizabeth Smith-Firdawsi  (I'm  trying  to  create  an  example  where  the
forename and  first surname clearly belong to  one ethnicity, and the  second surname belongs to another, suggesting it belongs  to someone she married), and  the next time  it appears as Elizabeth Firdawsi ... is that a name-change?

We hope you will say "no," or "put in  a  667  to recheck at next occurrence, but we think you won't.  Are  we right?
Do  we have to change the heading?
 
A.  Right, I won't. That's a  name change, not  a difference in fullness, and  you need  to change the heading. Happens a  lot
when  women  marry, hyphenate then divorce and de-hyphenate. Only  exceptions I'd make would be  a case where various forms are used  in same publ., or form in publs. goes back and forth "regularly."
 
Q.  Just  a follow-up:  Since the single surname retained in the second instance was  the (presumed) married name, it seems as  if  the  woman  has  not divorced or remarried (yet).  That's our problem.  We can't decide if  the "form in publs. goes  back  and  forth 'regularly'" until  we  have  more  than  two instances, so we're reluctant to  change  the heading at  the  second instance. But we have to?
 
A.  Yes.

---------------------------------------
Diane Humes of CPSO