Changing Names?

Vikki2pay

Thoughts?

Did you? Didn't you?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/11/05/o.change.name.after.marriage/index.html

 

 

memj09

I changed my last name and never thought twice about it.  I don't see it as giving up my identity at all.  I am still me, only now my maiden name is my middle name and my last name is the same as my husband's.  I mean, I promised to be joined to him for life in front of God and witnesses so I have no problem letting the rest of the world know that.  A person's identity is more than the name they are given at birth as a happenstance of who their parents are.  I chose to change my last name which is an affirmative choice, in my opinion.

shellmh

I also never thought twice about changing my last name. I didn't even keep my maiden name as my middle name.. I kept my middle name. I love that DH and I have the same last name now.. it makes us feel more connected. And I love that our kids will have the same last name as both of us and it won't be confusing as to who it's parents are. I guess I'm just a traditionalist.

blondie157

i never thought twice about changing my name. i have alot of pride for the familyi came from, but also alot of pride for the family i married into.

 i kept my middle name- it was my grandmothers name, and im proud to bear it, i wouldnt give it up for anything. i can see where someone famous might not change their name, although i have heard that celebrities will change it legally, but keep their maiden for stagename purposes since their name recognition is everything.

 i might have thought about hyphenating if i were more established in my career, or i was published or something like that. but more than anything, i like the fact that my last name is now half the length it was, and pronouncable. the only bummer is i literally went from being the only person with my name(first/last) to having the same name as a famous french poker player, depending on which spelling of her last name you find.

SugarhillHnA

Ditto PP.  I changed my name (dropped my original middle, and kept my maiden as my middle name mainly b/c I've heard it's easier to prove your identity if you ever need to by doing it that way) and haven't thought twice about it.  It was weird the first month or so signing my new name, but I don't feel that I gave up my prior identity in any way.  My husband and I are united as one in this marriage and IMO changing my name to his was just one small part of creating OUR new family.  He could've just as easily changed his last name to my former last name as well, but frankly I wanted to move up a couple notches in the alphabet .

Vikki2pay

Good to hear, when I read this, I thought I was the odd ball, because I never looked back and took my new name.....actually hated my maiden name.

MariaIsMarried

Never thought twice about doing anything besides my maiden as middle and his last name. My mom did that (long before Hilary Rodham Clinton) and seemed normal to me. To me (an no offense intended) I find it "odd' when girls keep their middle name -- just because I'm not used to it. I feel like I'm much more connected to my maiden than my middle -- especially as a teacher.

alinaandjared

I actually kept my middle and hyphenated maiden and married

eris1995

I changed my last name and didn't think twice about it.  My mom and dad divorced when I was young.  My mom remarried and had my sisters.  I always grew up in a house with a different last name than everyone else.  I was thrilled to change it and have the same last name as my husband and now my son.

raerob214

Hi, 

I just joined and saw this post...

I just changed my name last weekend, and didn't think twice about it.  I got married in August and actually couldn't wait for the marriage cert. to hit my mailbox!  I felt like I was in "limbo mode" for the past couple months, still carrying my maiden name until last week.  To me, changing your last name is tradition...I grew up always knowing that I'd take the name of the man I marry - and always wondered what it'd be.  I kept my middle name, since my mother and I share the same one, and I'm proud to have taken my husband's last name   It's a symbol of our future family.

MaryKatie3

I kept both last names and my middle name.  So I can use my Maiden Name for my singing career and my Married last name for personal life.  Technically I am like a hyphenated last name but I don't consider it that.

 

 

Sterna1

I changed my last night to DH's last night, never thought twice about doing it.  To be honest I had a hard time the first month because I had been Ms. Maiden name for 30 years and being a teaching my poor students were confused (I teach Special Ed. and I have some of the same students from last year).  I've finally gotten used to it and cannot imagine going back to my maiden name.