Keeping your name after marriage?

Contributor: Liz2 Liz2
I am not married but we are talking about it. I do like the independence of keeping my present name and my b/f doesn't mind but probably his mother will.
10/01/2010
Contributor: buzzvibe buzzvibe
Technically I'm hyphenated, but that got to be complicated and too much of a mouth full, so I just use my married name now.
10/01/2010
Contributor: Tuesday Tuesday
Quote:
Originally posted by onehotmomma
I'm not married, and boy it's annoying. My kids don't have the same last name as me, and either I get called by my bf's last name whenever places call, or if someone is filling something out (like COmcast for instance for billing) ... more
Extra documentation when traveling? What are you talking about? There have only been one or two times in my 24 years of marriage to someone with a different last name that I had to show a checkbook to prove I was married/associated with him. Its never been a problem that my son has a different last name. Ever. Its not uncommon for moms to have a different last name these days, either through divorce or the mom not changing her birth name.
10/01/2010
Contributor: nolongerhere nolongerhere
Quote:
Originally posted by buzzvibe
Technically I'm hyphenated, but that got to be complicated and too much of a mouth full, so I just use my married name now.
Me too! I just sign a H. in front of my married name...I basically have 2 middle names now...But, I guess I still like that it's there if I needed it...lol. It's sort of comforting.
10/02/2010
Contributor: imp imp
I have personal reasons for keeping my family name, mainly because there's only a small few of us to hand it down the generations.
10/02/2010
Contributor: VieuxCarre VieuxCarre
Quote:
Originally posted by Tuesday
Extra documentation when traveling? What are you talking about? There have only been one or two times in my 24 years of marriage to someone with a different last name that I had to show a checkbook to prove I was married/associated with him. Its ... more
I've never heard of that happening. My mom never had those problems and she and I had different last names pretty much my whole life. We never had problems.

And it depends on where you're traveling. From state to state? Probably not. Traveling out of the country? Then yeah, I could see why extra documentation would be needed just to verify who you are. Otherwise, it just seems senseless to require multiple forms of identification.
10/03/2010
Contributor: VieuxCarre VieuxCarre
Quote:
Originally posted by Darling Jen
I'd consider changing my name. It really depends on a lot of things like my future partner's last name and if it's better/worse than mine. Tradition means nothing to me. But it would be nice if we had the same last name, whatever it ... more
I have a friend who wants to combine her last name with her boyfriend's when they get married and be the Thomato family. We joke about it all the time, but she would be the one to do something like that
10/03/2010
Contributor: ~LaUr3n~ ~LaUr3n~
Quote:
Originally posted by VieuxCarre
I have a friend who wants to combine her last name with her boyfriend's when they get married and be the Thomato family. We joke about it all the time, but she would be the one to do something like that
Yup, that's what I joke about doing since it is half and half anyways.
10/03/2010
Contributor: Mr. E Mr. E
My wife took my name when we got married. I don't think she even gave it a second thought, but that was like ...a hundred years ago.
10/04/2010
Contributor: UrNaughtyaAngel UrNaughtyaAngel
Quote:
Originally posted by Kindred
I did not change my name, and my wife took my last name but kept her own as well. However, what can be confusing is that she legally now has 4 names (given, middle, maiden, and last). Her maiden name is no longer a part of her last name. ... more
oh wow I didnt' know you could give yourself a new last name just like that? you know I thought you had to have like a .... legitament reason. Like I want to take my wife last name because I do not believe a woman has to take the mans last name.

I wonder if my future ex husband would be into that. Yes I said future ex cause I don't really see me as the marrying type and if I do who know if I could put up with it all.
10/05/2010
Contributor: UrNaughtyaAngel UrNaughtyaAngel
Quote:
Originally posted by Gunsmoke
I am male and married. My wife changed her last name, merged her first and middle names - and uses her maiden-name as a middle name! How's that for creativity!
That is super creative. So I guess we can all give ourselves new names if we have the money to do all the paper work that comes with it.
10/05/2010
Contributor: Kindred Kindred
Quote:
Originally posted by UrNaughtyaAngel
oh wow I didnt' know you could give yourself a new last name just like that? you know I thought you had to have like a .... legitament reason. Like I want to take my wife last name because I do not believe a woman has to take the mans last name. ... more
You can legally have your name changed to pretty much anything you like. Take the football player Chad Johnson for example. He changed his last name to Ochocinco to match his jersey number.
10/05/2010
Contributor: lamira lamira
In the future, when I do marry my partner, I let him know that I am keeping my name and adding his on. I respect my name too much to let it die when I marry.
10/13/2010
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by VieuxCarre
I heard this discussed on the Today Show this morning and thought I'd ask here. How many of you have changed your name, or would change your name, after marriage? Would you keep your last name after marriage? Vote and discuss!
I didn't change my last name for a few years after we got married. Sigel never complained or got angry, but when they forced the issue at the SS office he asked me in a very tiny voice if I would. When I did he was so proud, it meant so much. Now if I should ever make an honest man of Arch I will hyphenate to both their last names. I like that idea.
10/13/2010
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by Selective Sensualist
This is interesting, but I can't help but wonder what the second generation of such families would do when it comes to naming their kids. For example, John Smith-Jones marries Jane Harris-White. What would their child's last name be? ... more
The women I have met who hyphenated their last names at marriage tend to give their kids only their father's last name...or give boy children his name and girl children her name, and one couple named the first after his family and the second after hers. Keeps the kids from having to learn to write a long ass name.
10/13/2010
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by VieuxCarre
I've never heard of that happening. My mom never had those problems and she and I had different last names pretty much my whole life. We never had problems.

And it depends on where you're traveling. From state to state? Probably ... more
Not really my son has his father's last name which isn't mine, we've never had any trouble travelling with him over the US/Canadian border. My husband has gotten grief travelling with his girls who share his last name just because I wasn't there with them. All they require is a handwritten and signed note saying the absent parent knows the children are travelling with their father/mother.

There is no paperwork to travel across the US.
10/13/2010
Contributor: Persephone Nightmare Persephone Nightmare
Quote:
Originally posted by VieuxCarre
If I ever get married, I do want to change my name just because I want no link to my biological father whatsoever. Plus, I feel that changing my last name to my partner's makes me more one with him. But, that's just me
/agree 100%! Lol
10/13/2010
Contributor: GeekWife GeekWife
I hated HATED my maiden name with a passion. I was never happier to walk out of somewhere with a last name that wasn't easily made into a word for a piece of male genitalia (which my maiden name was... and being a high school teacher at the time, I heard it turned that way about 25 times a day, minimum). Now my only problem is people either misspell or mispronounce my name, and I'm cool with that.
10/18/2010
Contributor: Danielle1220 Danielle1220
I am married and I changed my last name. I was going to hyphenate it, but my name would've been too long.
10/18/2010
Contributor: Serendipity Serendipity
Quote:
Originally posted by VieuxCarre
I heard this discussed on the Today Show this morning and thought I'd ask here. How many of you have changed your name, or would change your name, after marriage? Would you keep your last name after marriage? Vote and discuss!
I have zero plan to get married or take anyone else's name. i like my own name and who i am with it and see no reason to change it. i wouldn't ask any partner i committed to in ceremony to take my name either.
10/21/2010
Contributor: Midway through Midway through
Quote:
Originally posted by VieuxCarre
I heard this discussed on the Today Show this morning and thought I'd ask here. How many of you have changed your name, or would change your name, after marriage? Would you keep your last name after marriage? Vote and discuss!
I don't ever plan on marriage, but if it happens on a blue moon or something, I won't take anyones name.
10/21/2010
Contributor: Lonewolf Lonewolf
I figured I'd just had his name onto the back of mine.
10/21/2010
Contributor: Taylor Violet LXIX Taylor Violet LXIX
Quote:
Originally posted by VieuxCarre
I heard this discussed on the Today Show this morning and thought I'd ask here. How many of you have changed your name, or would change your name, after marriage? Would you keep your last name after marriage? Vote and discuss!
My name rhymes, I'm not changing it. Unless the rhythm of the hyphenation would enhance it.
10/21/2010
Contributor: Sapphire Pet Sapphire Pet
I hyphenated my last name since I have a professional connection to my last name but wanted to take my husband's name too. Sounded good to me!!
10/21/2010
Contributor: Kimbertrees Kimbertrees
Before I had my daughter I was all for changing my last name when I got married, but seeing as the relationship with her father didn't work out, and I'm already planning on changing her last name to mine... I really don't know if I'd feel that comfortable changing my last name from something that wasn't hers. Then again since the father wants to give up parental rights, if my future husband was willing to adopt her then maybe a name change for both of us? I just don't feel as comfortable about name changes as I used to be anymore. It would seem like a wasted effort if I changed my daughters last name, only to change mine a few years later without changing hers.
10/21/2010
Contributor: RosesThorns RosesThorns
When I married my first husband I hyphenated my last name... when I get remarried I intend to take his last name.
01/19/2011
Contributor: Beaners Beaners
I'll take my boyfriend's last name if we ever get married. I'll be going from a 4 letter last name to a 13 letter last name, haha!
01/20/2011
Contributor: SexyTabby SexyTabby
Quote:
Originally posted by VieuxCarre
If I ever get married, I do want to change my name just because I want no link to my biological father whatsoever. Plus, I feel that changing my last name to my partner's makes me more one with him. But, that's just me
Same, couldn't wait to take my hubby's namesake just to be rid of my father's name. I kept my middle name and ditched the last. To this day he will still try to include his name into my full name on legal things and I always have to correct him. Outside of that I wouldn't want my children to have a different name then me so going with the tradition seemed appropriate. Although in today's world society is much more accepting of different last names and the schools do better with it then previously so I'm not so sure the tradition would suit many.
01/20/2011
Contributor: PussyGalore PussyGalore
I will take his name just to rebel against the people rebelling against tradition. So tired of traditions being thrown out the window because it's the liberal, feminist thing to do. Sorry if this offends any one but I am firm believer in a few things that are "outdated" and "traditional" because I think they should be that way.

Of course, in the same breath, I want people to do whatever makes them happy.
01/20/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
I'm in the process of changing my last night right now. I'm going from close to the beginning of the alphabet to close to the end, lol.
01/20/2011