The Name Change Dilemma

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The Name Change Dilemma

by Sue Shellenbarger
Friday, May 13, 2011

Comments

[thatssojessy]

I feel like I would keep my maiden name for professional reasons (and its unique and awesome), but still take the last name. Thankfully, I don't have to make this decision anytime soon!

[schexyschteve]

I'm getting married on Saturday, and I think I'm going to change to his last name (for purely shallow reasons, I'd move up in the alphabet by 1 letter lol). To be honest, I haven't given it much thought. :X I guess I should decide soon?

[dangerousdame]

Congratulations! And if it's not important to you, it doesn't have to be decided yet.

[kitschaster]

Awwwwwh, Congrats!!!

[superfan1]

Congrats and many happy years of marriage! :)

[dangerousdame]

I'm still thinking and talking with my boyfriend about what I'll ultimately do. Right now, though, I'm figuring on keeping my name but letting my in laws call me whatever they want on birthday cards.

[windy_lea]

I don't think I will, either. Even if name-changing weren't inconvenient and confusing, the simple fact is that I consider my name to be part of my identity. I've lived 24 years with this name, and I should just scrub it off and tack on someone else's identity?

I respect that others no doubt view it differently, and think the choice is legit either way, but I'm partial to my can-you-tell-me-how-to-spell-that? last name.

[romp]

I've lived 24 years with this name, and I should just scrub it off and tack on someone else's identity?

This always seemed hella presumptuous to me!

[windy_lea]

That's why it pisses me off so much when some men make a big fucking fuss about women who don't want to take their husband's name. It takes real fucking entitlement nerve for a man to make it all about his wounded pride feelings when he's asking someone to rebrand themselves in a way he will likely never be expected to. If she doesn't care, cool, but family names mean things to some people. You'd think the guy who's busy trying to spread his would get that.

[sandvich]

I am not married (lol seventeen), but when I am I know I will hyphenate my name. It's a nice compromise, it won't lead to "Okay, who takes whose name?" debates if I marry a girl, and...I kind of just like the sound of Samantha Lane-[whatever]. I've always wanted multiple last names.

[bmh4d0k3n]

Yeah, I'm surprised the article doesn't mention hyphenation.

[marywebgirl]

Every woman I've ever known who hyphenates ends up just using her husband's last name. Even for something as silly as work email it can end up being a big PITA.

[mothwing]

Hi! I go by my long-ass, hyphenated name. And when I use my name it's my name, not my wife's.