Because an American can have a double barreled last name but there is little practice for a triple barreled one

Because an American can have a double barreled last name but there is little practice for a triple barreled one

Roger Ebert, the renowned American film critic, is a perfect example of someone who could have had a double-barreled last name but instead opted for a single last name. Ebert, who was born in Urbana, Illinois in 1942, is best known for his work as a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times and for his television show with fellow critic Gene Siskel, "Siskel and Ebert At the Movies."

Ebert's last name is a simple and straightforward one, but it could have easily been a double-barreled last name if he had chosen to use his mother's maiden name, "Sulzberger." Ebert's mother, Annabel, was the daughter of Martha and Herman Sulzberger, and Ebert could have easily chosen to use both his father's and mother's last names to create a double-barreled last name, such as "Ebert-Sulzberger."

However, Ebert chose to stick with his father's last name, Ebert, and did not adopt a double-barreled last name. This decision is not uncommon among Americans, as double-barreled last names are not as common in the United States as they are in other countries, such as Spain or Latin America.