Why did the the British actor Terry-Thomas hyphenate his name?

Question

His real name was Thomas Terry h**r-Stevens, but he opted to be known as Terry-Thomas for the stage. But what was the point in hyphenating his first and second names? Is there a precedent for this in the English language?

Answer 1

He changed his professional name from Thomas Terry after repeatedly being asked if he was related to stage legend Ellen Terry. Needing a catchy professional name he added a hyphen which he likened to the gap in his teeth.