Women changing their last name to that of their husband after marriage...

[popcornbird]

This topic came up while I was in class today, and everyone had very opposing views on the issue. It seemed that most girls were against it, and more guys were 'for' it. I just thought I'd post it on PT to hear all of your opinions.

What do you think of women changing their last name to that of their husband, after marriage? I know its very common and something I believe most people do, but for some reason, I just don't like it. I have never liked it. I know that when I get married, I'm keeping my last name. I won't change it to my husband's family name. I guess its because I feel I should always have the last name I was born with...that of my family. The family/house I was born in will never change, nor will my rights/loyalty towards my family change once I get married. I was born in my house...my family's house...not my husband's. Why should my last name change? My husband will be my husband...not my father...so I guess I just don't see the 'point' in changing my name. I don't think marriage should take the family name away from a girl. Is it fair? What do you all think? I would personally hate to lose my family name to that of my future husband. :o

[Edwina's Secretary]

I tried to convince my husband to take my last name but he wouldn't....;)

Seriously...why should I stop being who I am....disappear off the face of the earth because I get married?

I told my husband when we first started dating that I would never change my name. He was shocked initially.

It is an inconvenience at times....but worth it to me (one of my sisters and my sister-in-law also use their birth names...)

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I also would not change my name. However, I'm 43 and still unmarried. I think it's less of an issue if you're younger. Some girls want to get out of their father's house and out from under his name.

I have a friend who married at 39 or 40 and she was more than willing to take her husband's name. I was totally surprised at this because she had always been a real independent type, but she explained they were going to be starting a business and the bank looked more favorably on the loan if their last name was the same. That's those stodgy old bank men for you!

I know some woman are proud to take their husband's name. I know it's more convenient sometimes, but I still would not do it, just because I've been me for 43 years - why change me now? ;)

On a side note, my mom always used to sign her name (name changed for privacy) Mrs. John Jones. One time I asked her why she didn't sign it Mary Jones because that was her name? She said no, she was Mrs. John Jones first, Mary Jones second! Needless to say, I have changed her mind on that one and now sometimes signs it Mary Jones. ;)

[Glacier]

I did change mine, but only because my maiden is very unusual, hard to pronounce and got alot of jokes! My husband has a nice, perfectly normal, easy to spell and pronounce name! It was soley for convinence that I changed mine to his!

[CatMama78]

I'm changing my last name, in three weeks actually. I think it's important to do so, espescially if plan to have kids. All having the same last name establishes you as a family, imo. What would we do if we had kids and had different last names? Now if I were a serious business woman, I would probably continue to use my last name for those purposes, but I'm not. And I'll be glad to change my last name.

[slick]

However, I'm 43 and still unmarried.
Tsk tsk....living in sin!! :eek: You shatter my image of you. ;) :D

[CatMama78]

Oh wanted to add that men can always change their last names, or you can choose to have a different last name all together. For me the importance is in having a unified family. NOT, that having different last names means you are not unified - like I said this is mainly for the children's sake.

[Edwina's Secretary]

and... the custom....which is not in all culture.... comes from the woman becoming the husband's property therefore she had no need for an identity separate from his.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
I also would not change my name. However, I'm 43 and still unmarried. I think it's less of an issue if you're younger. Some girls want to get out of their father's house and out from under his name.



First...I'm surprised, because I 'always' thought you were married for some reason. I had no idea!

Second...I guess I'm not one of those girls. He he he. I want to keep my family name. I guess it could be a convenience issue, but then, I will always be me. I wouldn't want my friends referring to me by my name, and suddenly, have to change what they know me as, just because I got married. I will always be my parents' daughter, my brother's sister, my uncle's niece, etc. To have the same last name as ALL of them and then suddenly change it just because I got married makes me feel something. I mean...its not like getting married makes you the 'property' of your husband. It makes you his wife, but you're still the individual you always were. I just don't see why I should change my name for him. I will always be a member of my family and don't want my family name being taken from me. :o LOL! This is certainly a choice issue though. I'm sure everyone sees it from a different perspective. One of the girls in my class said she feels it her 'right' to remain who she is after marriage, and not change half her name to her husband's. I had to agree with her. I think its the right of a woman to make her own choice on this issue, and keep her name if she wishes to. It is definitely something that's a very personal choice.

[CalliesMom]

Actually, I didn't want to change my last name..I know this is strange, but part of me felt like I was giving up my father by taking on my husband's last name. However, I made my maiden name my middle name and took my husband's last name. It's a bit confusing but at least I still feel like I have a part of the name given to me by my father (I hated my original middle name..so it worked out.) I also didn't want my children (if I have any) to have a different last name than me.

[carole]

To be honest PCB, I never gave it a thought, and I was proud to take my hubby's last name, even though it is the same as a girl's name and cause's so much confusion, I guess if I really hated his last name , then I would keep mine which is scottish.

I like the idea of hyphenating a name, using both the maiden name and married name if it suits.

I actually like having the opportunity of changing my name, I have done it twice, gets boring having the same surname forever;) , however I know more young women today are choosing to keep their maiden names, especially if they are in business, I think it just becomes confusing when the kiddies come along.

[Karen]

I changed my last name to Paul's when we married. I had a very common last name - there were three of us with the same first and last name in my own hometown. So I figured, why not change it to something less common?I will always be my parents' daughter, no name change could change that, any more than it could change the dent in my chin, the shape of my hands, or the color of my eyes. I was under no pressure from either family regarding my name, by the way.

I believe it is a very personal choice, up to each woman to her own choosing.

I worked with two woman who had always intended to hyphenate their future husband's name with their own. Neither did, because of the last names involved. Rather than becoming Ms. Maxfield-House and sounding like a coffee company, one woman changed hers to her husbands name. The other, rather than becoming Ms. Peck-Chase and sounding like a children's game (duck-duck-goose, anyone?) kept her maiden name.

My mother married at the age of 29, and was working as a reporter for a daily newspaper at the time. She kept her maiden name for a month in the publication, then was listed with both names for a month or so, then dropped her maiden name, once readers had gotten accustomed to the new last name. Othere married women I know kept their maiden name for business purposes, but use their husbands' names outside of work.

I retain my own identity no matter my name, am no one's property!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Of course there is the other side as well. My sister prepared the newspaper announcement of my parents upcoming 60th wedding anniversary -- listing the children and grandchildren.

Let's say my parents are Mr. & Mrs. Jones. Oldest daughter...V. Jones...husband...N. Smith....next daughter B. Ander (she took her husband's last name) granddaughter L. Ander, son - P. Jones, wife - F. Peters, granddaughter J. Jones, daughter S. Jones, husband D. Brown.

The newspaper called back and asked who are all these people???

So.... it can be confusing. Also...when we travel we take a copy of our marriage license in case there should be any problem....

[Lillycat]

wow......what a lot of opinions.......i married a loooong time ago.......took my husbands last name.......didnt know anyone who didnt "do it that way"......although i love my middle name, i did replace it w/my maiden name which i dearly love.....thats about as "modern" as i ever got........it is now jonah's middle name.....smile.....i divorced at a time when it didnt happen as often as it does today......i still kept my married name as it was just simpler and i wanted my name to be the same as my childrens names and really ....that last name is a part of my history..........enough changes already!

[popcornbird]

Oh...that's another thing I've wondered about. If one ends up changing her name and then getting divorced, would she change it again? Then if she gets married again, change it again? Then if she divorces again, change it again? LOL!!!! That's another reason I won't ever change my last name. I do hope I won't ever get divorced, but of course, you never know, and if I 'was' going to go through such a situation, I wouldn't want to keep my ex-husband's name, so I'd probably go back to my maiden name, and then the cycle would go on. It becomes too much of a hassle...I think. :p

If I have kids someday, maybe I'll have them named 'first name, my last name as middle name, dad's last name as last name'. That would work in keeping their names related to both parents. He he he.

[moosmom]

Debbie,

You're 43???? :eek: I am TOTALLY shocked. You carry your age VERY well, missy!! ;)

I hyphenated my name when I got married. When I divorced 4 years later, I took back my maiden name. Why? Because I was tired of people saying, "Gee, I didn't know you were Italian. You don't look it!!"

My married name was DeOrio. My maiden name was Ploss.

[K9soul]

I took my husband's name when I was married, was excited to. I loved him so much, and wanted to share his last name and be a part of his wonderful family. I grew up without a dad around and my mother had my last name legally changed to her maiden name when I was still a child, because my father wanted nothing to do with me or my upbringing after they divorced. To this day, I don't even really think of myself from being from my Dad's side of the family, but from my Mom's with her maiden name.

I do not see it at all as losing my identity or becoming my husband's property, I don't care if it originated that way. I see it as two becoming one, and it seemed more appropriate that I would take his name rather than him taking my mother's maiden name :p. I don't see anything wrong if people want to keep their names, or simply adding their spouse's name to their own. For me though, I like the feeling of us having one name, somehow it just feels more like a bond, like family. Perhaps it was my traditional upbringing, but I'd just feel odd if my husband had a different last name than me completely.

Perhaps I'd also feel differently if my own family hadn't been so torn apart and scattered. But some people who don't like the idea might feel a bit differently if they found someone they loved with all their heart and soul. I'm not saying that it means there is less love there if the couple chooses to keep separate names, but just that sometimes your own outlook changes on such things when you find "the one." :)

[micki76]

Originally posted by K9soul
I do not see it at all as losing my identity or becoming my husband's property, I don't care if it originated that way. I see it as two becoming one, and it seemed more appropriate that I would take his name rather than him taking my mother's maiden name :p. I don't see anything wrong if people want to keep their names, or simply adding their spouse's name to their own. For me though, I like the feeling of us having one name, somehow it just feels more like a bond, like family. Perhaps it was my traditional upbringing, but I'd just feel odd if my husband had a different last name than me completely.

I couldn't agree more, Jessica. :)

[KYS]

I changed my name when I got married,
but kept my maiden name as my middle name.
Never again! If I ever re-marry I am keeping
my name.
Since 09-11th it is not so easy to change a name.

(of course if l ever remarry and I like
my husbands name better I might
change it.) ;)

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

I was excited to change my name when me and Eric got married.

I figured most girls are..:o

It is a next stage in your life.. when you become your own family..


If a girl doesn't take the husbands last name... which name do the kids get... To me that would be too confusing, and cause way too many arguements.

Me and Eric always argue about where to go first and how long to stay over the holidays.. i would HATE to have to argue over which last name the kids would get. Then if they all got his last name... I would be the only one in MY family without it :confused:

[catnapper]

Well, first off, I couldn't WAIT to get rid of my father's name. For various reasons... one, to me he is nothing but a sperm donor. End pf relationship. Second, my last name was Kirn (K-I-R-N). Written fast, people thought it was Kim (K-I-M). Which happens to be my first name. When I was younger, I was in a lot of newspapers and such and always listed as Kim Kim. UGH, how I hated it!

I never felt the name belonged to me. I always looked at it as a temporary thing that I would finally shed once married. I couldn't wait to get married and take my husband's last name. I love my husband's last name.

[Corinna]

I'm like Glacier I went from Kager(kegger) to Brubaker High school was He$$ . My girl friend is getting a deviorce and is dropping any last name Just using the first and last. so she is who her name is .Not her father or ex hubbys .

[GraciesMommy]

I never gave it much thought...I know a few who hyphenate and I think that is pretty neat.
I think you should have the same last name as your children if possible. I know when I remarried and my kids had a different name it has been confusing..

[Cincy'sMom]

I took Ralph's last name...never really gave it too much thought one way or the other...

In retrospect...only having 4 letters in my last name was easier to write then 8!! Oh well!! And maiden or married, bth names always get misspelled...no change there!

[kt_luvs_kitties]

When I got married I did take my husbands last name. At first, like within the month of us getting married, I would sign my first name, my maiden name, and then his last name. HE HATED IT! He said that when I married him, I became his wife, and his new family. I know it sounds obsessive and a little pushy, but I understood that he just wanted me to have his last name, and so our future kids would not be confused. So I did, and I am SO glad I did, I love sharing his name with him. It is a personal preference I guess. :D

[Kristl]

Originally posted by Glacier
I did change mine, but only because my maiden is very unusual, hard to pronounce and got alot of jokes! My husband has a nice, perfectly normal, easy to spell and pronounce name! It was soley for convinence that I changed mine to his!

Exactly the same reason I will change mine!

[Fox-Gal]

I have never taken my husbands last names. I asked my first husband if he would give up his name, he's answer was, "NO WAY IN HE#$". I responded with "Then why should I?" He never brought it up again. :D

My husband now has a harder time dealing with it and wants me to change it. It's not going to happen!!

This is who I was born and this is who I will be till the day I die. There's a lot of history and pride behind my last name. For that reason I will keep it, family pride.

Maybe if there wasn't so much behind our family's name, I might have changed it, who knows what would have happened if it was Smith or something like that.

But after seeing a few girlfriends going through 3 or 4 last names........I think my way is esier. :)

[wolfsoul]

It all depends on what his last name is. If it's a great last name, sure, I'll take it. :D However, my last name is pretty famous in my city. I might not want to change it. All boils down to what his name is.

[CathyBogart]

I have always loathed my father and most of the people on his side of the family. I look forward to changing my name, though if I end up marrying my current BF I dunno....his last name is hard to pronounce and spelled oddly by American standards. (It's a Russian name) Maybe I'll ask if we can pick another name.

[Karen]

Thought of another. A friend of Polish descent (last name promounced like Coszatscaw) was marrying a friend of German descent - last name Stahlhut. They worked in the same office, and had a supervisor who never could pronounce either name correctly, though he tried very hard, and felt awful about it. Only to him did my friend say, "Yup - I'm gonna hyphenate" just to see the look of horror on his face. She then told him, it was okay, she was gonna take her husband's name - at least it had fewer letters for people to misspell!

[Barbara]

First time I married was 1975. I changed my name then because everybody did. It was not allowed then to keep your name I only could have hyphenated. I didn't want to do that because if you travel a lot and then have these hyphenated names especially if they are German:D which makes it more difficult to spell for everyone.

Then after I divorced I kept that name. I was already working and I didn't want to tell everybody: I've changed my name. No it's not what you think. I didn't marry, I divorced;) I thought I was still the same person, whether I had my dad's name or my first husband's. Plus, the name I have now sounded better.

Then I was living with my now husband for 16 years. When we married we definitely felt nobody will change his name. And that's as it is.:)

[Cookiebaker]

I think it's a totally personal decision, and it's up to the person. When we were getting married, I struggled a little with the decision. I didn't want to lose who I was, nor my heritage. But I decided to take hubby's name, and my reason was because when we married, it was and still is forever. I wanted to be one with him, one life. And I felt that to do this, I wanted us to have the same last name.

[lady_zana]

I love my husband very much but I have to admit that I'm a 'Stoner'...(so called for Lucy Stone, the first woman in America not to change her name when she married.)

The reason I decided to keep my own name is that someday I want to get my Ph.D. and it has been the Durbins who supported me and put me through school, not the Whitakers so I want to be Dr. Durbin someday.

[stacwase]

I got married right out of highschool and changed my name. We later had a baby and the marriage didn't work out - of course the baby had my husband's last name. I went back to my maiden name.

Then I got remarried and changed my name again. I then had the same name as all of my stepchildren (who we had custody of) but still had a different last name than my own son.

Now it looks like I'll be getting divorced. If I change my name back to my maiden name again, my son, my stepdaughters, and I will all have different last names! (Of course my stepdaugters will all get married and have different last names than me, anyway).

If I had simply retained my maiden name all along, and also given it to my son, then we would have the same last name.

I don't understand why we give our children our husbands' last names when divorce is so common and the mother usually winds up with the kids.

[Logan]

This is an interesting thread.

I have been married twice. Both times I took my husband's name. Never even considered not taking it, actually. And when I divorced after my first marriage, I kept his name because of my daughter. Otherwise, I would have gone back to my maiden name. I never had a middle name, so one benefit of taking on my husbands' last name was that it gave me 3 initials, finally! Ha Ha!!!

When Scott and I got married, I changed my name to his. When his ex-wife remarried last year, she didn't change hers, so she still has Scott's last name! :rolleyes: It all gets very confusing! LOL!!!!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Interesting subject!
here in Belgium, women never change their name after getting married. My maiden last name is Lobeau (unusual, even here!). So, on EVERY official paper, I am still addressed at as Lut Lobeau, not Lut Gabriels (Gabriels is Bernard's last name). When we write a letter to some married woman, we usually put both names on the address, which makes it easier for the postman;) !
For those who were on the Christmas-list too, you sure noticed that my name there was Lut Gabriels-Lobeau!
It makes things a lot easier! In other countries it is so difficult to find back a long-lost friend, because she has changed her name. Not here :)

ps. I don't understand why this is necessary when you plan having kids?? They always get the name of the father here, unless the parents are not married. This law is about to change too now; parents will be able to choose which name their kids will have.

[cali]

I dont have a problem one way or the other. chances are high that if I get married I will change my name. I just dont see it as loosing your identity, I dont see it as meaning anything.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I would have to agree that having children complicates the matter of names. Just read Stacwese's post if you wondering what I'm talking about. ;)

But since I'm also 43 (well...almost) with no children, and Terry has none, it's not an issue for us.

Gosh, 43, unmarried, no children....good thing I'm not living back in the 1800's! I'd probably be exiled! ;) Oh, especially since I'm living in sin! ;) :rolleyes: :p :D

I think everyone has brought up some very good points and there really is no right or wrong in this matter. It's all just personal preference and individual circumstances.

Debbie, you were such a wild child! ;) Newfam - hee, hee - great name. :D ;) :D

[Andie]

I will probably take Dustin's last name. I thought about keeping my last name of Mooring (Mom's maiden name - parents were never married) just to keep the family name going. My grandparent had 4 girls and one boy (poor Uncle Tom - it's no wonder he ran away from the sea of estrogen) and my uncle had two boys that have no want for children. I've used my step-dad's last name on every non-legal thing I could so much that I don't really connect with my last name anymore. *edit* Plus then we can be AC and DC


Maybe I'll trow out my suggestion of naming our first son Louie T. Mooring III just to see his lil fit he throws again :p (i'm so evil)

[Samantha Puppy]

For my entire life, I couldn't wait to get rid of my maiden name - Bowling. I just hated the way it sounded, looked. It took me until AFTER the wedding to realize that I was sad when faced with the prospect of changing my name.

Jaime Bowling was who I was for 26 years. Now all of a sudden, I'm someone new? I felt like the odd-man-out, my parents and brother were still Bowlings... why couldn't I be too?

I did a lot of soulsearching. I realized that the name didn't make me who I was, *I* do. I'm still me, no matter what last name I have. Hyphenating wasn't an option... Bowling-Patterson is WAY too much for an adult to be saddled with, muchless a kid - and I didn't want to have a different last name than my children. So I took a deep breath, sent in everything I needed to and with my new life came a new name.

[RICHARD]

Marriage name changes.

Year 0-1

Honey, sweetie and darling.

years 1-5

Honey and sweetie.

years 5-10

Hon.

years 10-?

You SOB, I told you to take out the &*#$! trash a half hour ago!
Are you gonna sit there and watch &*#$! sports all day long?

[aly]

I plan on taking my future husband's last name and am excited about it. Jessica put it well when she said it is a symbol of "two becoming one". My marriage will be special and I do look forward to that tradition. It doesn't mean I want to be away from my father at all though. I'll still feel just as close to my family as ever. I also don't feel I'll be my husband's property. I'm way too independent and stubborn to ever be anyone's property!

[CatMama78]

My mom kept her married name after the divorce. They were married for 17 years, so by that time, it's the name she knew. Also she had a horrible father and did not want to go back to his name. Does anyone know, can you take your maiden name as a second last middle name? That was something I was thinking about - it would never really be used, but it would still be there.

[Christiansmommy]

I was excited to take on hubby's name after we got married, and proud too. Even though, the first 3 letters of my maiden name are the same as the first 3 letters of his last name :) So it didn't change too much. I agree too, with what Jessica said. It makes me feel like we are "one" and we are a family that shares everything. JMO.

[ramanth]

I feel the same way as Jessica. :)

Plus, I'm a Smith so.... *laughs* Of course I'm marrying a 'Miller' and my sister is marrying a 'Jones'. :D

Perhaps if I had a more unique name I'd be more apt to want to keep it... or maybe not if it was hard to pronounce and spell.

[Queen of Poop]

I took both of my husbands names, out of respect for them and our marriage. I kept the first husbands name after our divorce more out of spite than anything else but ditched it when I got married the second time.

[Logan]

Originally posted by Queen of Poop
I took both of my husbands names, out of respect for them and our marriage. I kept the first husbands name after our divorce more out of spite than anything else but ditched it when I got married the second time.

LOL!!!! Sort of my train of thought, too! :o

[Catsnclay]

I took my first husbands last name when I married young, 4 years later I found my self divorced, so I changed my name back to my maiden name. 17 years later I remarried and although I took Tim's last name, I hyphenated with my maiden name.

Now to make this even more complicated, I was named after my father's mother. I was the first girl born after her 8 boys so I HAD to have her name (old school type thing). Nobody ever called me that name because everyone hated it (except my grandmother and I had an aunt with the same name). I was given the nickname "Bunny" and that has stuck ever since. Growing up I used my middle name, which is also my mother's first name (confused yet?!) So when I married Tim my legal name was XXXX Jeanette "Smith-Jones"......I started getting writers cramp! My parents then got divorced and my father wanted me on all his bank accounts etc, but since I basically had the same name as my mother, everyone was getting confused, and yes my mother took advantage of that situation ! (another long story)

Just this last year I legally had my name changed to Bunny and now have my maiden name as my middle name and Tim's last name. Let me tell you what a pain in the butt it has now become to change your name!!!! And to have it changed on all the legal and none legal papers!! I don't think I'm ever going to change my name again!!

I have a few friends that never changed their names when they got married and their children use both of their parents name as a last name ( Tommy Miller-Jones) It is no big deal any more to change your last name.

[catland]

My husband and I have the same last name (his) because we're a team and as we like to say to each other "we have a contract of love" (we're really sappy by the way).

I didn't get married until I was 35. That might have something to do with it - it just wasn't important to me to keep my old name. Hyphenating was out of the question because I personally think its a waste of time and makes writing checks and signing documents that much more tedious.;) (and in my case, it sounded really, really dumb) I'm guessing that people who go the hyphenating route have never bought a home and had to sign the zillion documtents required at closinig.

Finally, my husband is the most important person in my life and I plan on keeping him for a very long time.:D :D Having the same last name for me is a sense of unity. I didn't "lose" anything by shedding my former name.

[PJ's Mom]

I took my husbands name the first time. My kids have his last name and I kept it once we divorced. So, my kids and I had the same last name for a long time...until I got married again. Now we have different last names (something I didn't think about at the time) but in time, that will change.

[carole]

I think for most of my generation , it was just the done thing, no-one questioned it, and maybe only professional people kept their maiden name.

For me it simply is not an issue, I agree with Jessica, and feel as she does, I am proud to have my husbands last name, although originally I thought it rather strange to have a girls first name as my last, but I have become used to it now, but of course people still call me by my surname instead of Carole because of it.

PCB in Scotland it is quite common for a middle name to be a family surname, for instance my sister's middle name is Ferris, which is my grandmother's maiden name, luckily I escaped tradition and got Anne for my middle name, my mother's middle name is Clarke, again her mother's maiden name.

[Edwina's Secretary]

This is how it works in Mexico....as in many hispanic cultures.

Sara Smith marries Tom Jones

Children are:

Mary Jones Smith
Don Jones Smith

Mary marries Fred Anders Wilde
child is - Sue Anders Jones

Don marries Edna Port Wight
child is Ron Jones Port

Often only the initial of the second last name is used.

Some woman use the "de" or "of" As in Sara Smith de Jones.

A friend of mine said the only time she did this was at the hospital when she was givng birth....;) :D

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
This is how it works in Mexico....as in many hispanic cultures.

Sara Smith marries Tom Jones

Children are:

Mary Jones Smith
Don Jones Smith

Mary marries Fred Anders Wilde
child is - Sue Anders Jones

Don marries Edna Port Wight
child is Ron Jones Port

Often only the initial of the second last name is used.

Some woman use the "de" or "of" As in Sara Smith de Jones.

A friend of mine said the only time she did this was at the hospital when she was givng birth....;) :D

:eek: :eek: :eek:
Talk about confusing!!!

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
This is how it works in Mexico....as in many hispanic cultures.

Sara Smith marries Tom Jones




It's not unusual.......


OH, OH!!!

That explains CHICO AND DE MANN!!!!

:confused:

[PepperRSM]

Originally posted by Fox-Gal
This is who I was born and this is who I will be till the day I die. There's a lot of history and pride behind my last name. For that reason I will keep it, family pride.

That's what I think about my situation. My last name is very irish and in the past few years I have learned a lot about my personal family history/culture, so I think it would be hard for me to give it up in that sense. Then again, I agree, it all depends on your personal situation/preference. If my last name was common and didn't have much cultural significance to me, I probably wouldn't care about changing it. Then again, I am pretty far off from getting married right now, so maybe I'll totally change what I think about this subject in 10 years or so :p

[Kater]

I've never really given this much thought...hmmm. I guess it would depend.
I like my last name, but I'd take his if my first name sounded better with it. ;) If I was already an established veterinarian with my family name, I would keep it. As for the kids, I think hyphenated names are just too long, so they would take their fathers last name whether or not I kept my maiden name.
My sister-in-law and sister both took their husband's last names. My mother did also, and replaced her middle name with her maiden name.
I guess I'll worry about this when I'm actually engaged…and that is NOT now! :p

[koxka]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
:eek: :eek: :eek:
Talk about confusing!!!

Confused!!! LOL .That's me after reading all this post!!!:rolleyes:

Is as simple as that: If you are born p.e. Teresa Perez or Jose Gonzalez, you are Teresa Perez or Jose Gonzalez all your life- Plain and easy! Esay to keep track of you, medical records, and administrative stuff.

If you have kids, they have firts the last name of the father and second the last name of the mother.And going on....for the following generation!

Now, there is a law that you can choose if the name of the mother came firt instead of the father name. But if you choose that option all of your kids must follow the same rule. But I'm not sure about that.:confused:

As Sara has stated :
"Some woman use the "de" or "of" As in Sara Smith de Jones." Is used socialy and "de bon ton". But does not have any legal effect.

[Vio&Juni]

My boyfriend asked me if I would keep my name or change it when we marry and then said: please keep it, you're such a Casian :D
Probably I am going to keep it or hiphenate, at almost 30 years old I am so used to it.

[cali]

As for the kids, I think hyphenated names are just too long, so they would take their fathers last name whether or not I kept my maiden name.

lol very true my best friend has a hyphenated name "bjorinson-tancrede" for legal things she uses her full hyphenated name but otherwise she goes simply by "tancrede" lol her first name being "stephanie" is long enugh that combined with her middle name, and her hyphenated last name.... :eek:

[lovemyshiba]

Originally posted by catland
My husband and I have the same last name (his) because we're a team and as we like to say to each other "we have a contract of love" (we're really sappy by the way).



Finally, my husband is the most important person in my life and I plan on keeping him for a very long time.:D :D Having the same last name for me is a sense of unity. I didn't "lose" anything by shedding my former name.


I couldn't agree with you more:)

I was very proud to take on my husband's name, and I don't feel as though I lost anything by giving up my father's name.
Marriage is a unity of two people, bringing us together as one. Having the same last name is important to me.

I have no problem with women who do not change their names, it is strictly a personal choice.

[RICHARD]

One warning about a hypenated name.

The hyphen drops your name to the bottom of list as far as your name goes.

Companies do not put a space between the names and hyphens, a computer sees the hypenated name as one long name.

------------------------------

When you change your name CHANGE YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING and do it the SAME WAY, EVERYTIME.


I had some knucklehead yelling and screaming at me once-she was lost in the system.

She called to have a medical record release form filled out and I couldn't find her on the computer.


Janet Doe-Smith was Janet Smith-Doe in my computer- She was 'experimenting' with her last name and decided to take a few years off of her age to boot.



:rolleyes:

[lizzielou742]

I'm planning on changing my name when my boyfriend and I get married. I like his last name much better than mine. My new name will be Elizabeth Morgan....I think it sounds beautiful. I can't wait!

And no, we're not engaged...yet ;)

[joycenalex]

richard is right, be consistant about your hypenated name usage. all the time i've spent searching in the filmroom stacks or the hospital computer for a on/off hypenated name could have been put to better use (like giving alex the wonder dog tummy rubs or magic the meow-king ear skritchies)
Originally posted by RICHARD
One warning about a hypenated name.

The hyphen drops your name to the bottom of list as far as your name goes.

Companies do not put a space between the names and hyphens, a computer sees the hypenated name as one long name.

------------------------------

When you change your name CHANGE YOUR NAME ON EVERYTHING and do it the SAME WAY, EVERYTIME.


I had some knucklehead yelling and screaming at me once-she was lost in the system.

She called to have a medical record release form filled out and I couldn't find her on the computer.


Janet Doe-Smith was Janet Smith-Doe in my computer- She was 'experimenting' with her last name and decided to take a few years off of her age to boot.



:rolleyes: ;)

[aly]

Originally posted by lizzielou742
I'm planning on changing my name when my boyfriend and I get married. I like his last name much better than mine. My new name will be Elizabeth Morgan....I think it sounds beautiful. I can't wait!

And no, we're not engaged...yet ;)

Hey, nothing wrong with planning ahead :)

And the future name is beautiful!

[Felicia's Mom]

I took my husband's name when I got married. Back then, I thought that was the only way to do it.
I kept my married name after we divorced. Because my brother had married someone with the same first name as mine.

[jazzzytina]

Well, my response is somewhat humorous. My husband said, Honey, you can keep your married name if you wish, and I said, oh, no, Darling, I love you SOOO much that I would be proud to have your last name

so I went from Taylor to Helmstetler.

I do still love and adore my husband (and his family) but damn that name is hard for so many people!!!!

:D

[lbaker]

One thing I don't understand is so many women (here and outside PetTalk) say they want to keep their own "family" names. Well, isn't your family name actually your Dad's family name? Where does your Mom's family come into play :confused: Not to start anything weird or anything but, think about it...what's in a name really "a rose by any other name...."

[christa]

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I just love my husband so much, I was proud to take his name. I have an excellent relationship with my parents, so it wasn't that I wanted to get rid of my maiden name . . . I still use my maiden name as my middle initial . . . I couldn't imagine not taking his name.

[jazzzytina]

Marriage name changes.

Year 0-1

Honey, sweetie and darling.

years 1-5

Honey and sweetie.

years 5-10

Hon.

years 10-?

You SOB, I told you to take out the &*#$! trash a half hour ago!
Are you gonna sit there and watch &*#$! sports all day long?



LOL RICHARD!!!!!!!!!!

[DJFyrewolf36]

My husbands last name is hypanated already thanks to his moms divorce. He said he didn't want me taking his last name until he changed it lol!

I have too many things under my last name. I'd have to fill out an entire forrest of paper to change things. Thats prolly why I will never do it.

[Cataholic]

Even before I was this high-powered lawyer (LOL, honest), I never wanted to change my name. I liked my name, and really didn't like the thought of changing it "just because". I never thought down the line to what name the child would have. But, in reflection, that child doesn't know any other name but the one you bestow upon him/her at birth. That is different than someone that was brought up as Smith, and will now become Jones at marriage.

So, fast forward to Jonah...welllll...he has my last name. I wouldn't dream of having him with another name. He carries with him some of my mom, as Jonah's middle name is her maiden name. That to me, is the wonderful part of not being bound by tradition. Jonah's name is HIS name. Created by yours truly.

I never thought that a child having another name than that of his mommy was much of a deal. In 2005, it is VERY common (sadly or not) to have the child have a different name that that of his parent. Hopefully the teachers that are educating the child are quick-witted enough to overcome the hurdle of last names, and still know that Bobby Smith's mom is Jeannie Jones. Hopefully. If that is still a concern, you might want to investigate other school districts. :D

[RobiLee]

To be honest, I never even thought about it. I was 18 when I got married and at that time I never even thought about keeping my own name.

I just think it is whatever a person is comfortable with and wants.

Johanna....what if Jonah's father wanted his son to have his last name. Would you have considered it? I'm just curious. I don't know the situation and if Jonah's father is around.

lbaker...I really like what you had to say..lol. That is one of those things that make you go hmmmm.....you have a very good point!

Robin :)

[lizzielou742]

Originally posted by aly
Hey, nothing wrong with planning ahead :)

And the future name is beautiful!

Hee hee hee, thanks!!! :D :D :D

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by RobiLee

Johanna....what if Jonah's father wanted his son to have his last name. Would you have considered it? I'm just curious. I don't know the situation and if Jonah's father is around.
Robin :)


I considered it, and flatly rejected it. It is an incredibly difficult name to pronounce and spell. He isn't around, and this was ONE of the things we fought about hotly. I wasn't so sure of WHY it was so important to him, in the scheme of things. He argued long and tiringly so about 'pride', 'heritage', 'tradition'. Odd, for many reasons. We weren't married, and I had no intention of marrying him. I wanted Jonah to have my last name. In Ohio, the mommy makes the decision. Thankfully.

[sirrahved]

I never considered not changing my name, and I'm happy with it. My maiden name was Buchholz... so I married a Harris! Not a single person has asked me how to spell my last name since the wedding! My sister married a Brown, and my aunt married a Smith. I guess with a name like Buchholz hanging over your head for so long you are glad to put it behind you!

I think it signifies the two of you becoming one family. I've heard of some couples that pick last name together. I've always thought that was cool, but could never do it! I'm a "go with the flow" type.

[RobiLee]

Originally posted by Cataholic
I considered it, and flatly rejected it. It is an incredibly difficult name to pronounce and spell. He isn't around, and this was ONE of the things we fought about hotly. I wasn't so sure of WHY it was so important to him, in the scheme of things. He argued long and tiringly so about 'pride', 'heritage', 'tradition'. Odd, for many reasons. We weren't married, and I had no intention of marrying him. I wanted Jonah to have my last name. In Ohio, the mommy makes the decision. Thankfully.

I'm glad things worked out for you and I didn't know that mommy had that option in the state of Ohio. Thats pretty cool. I can tell you after having raised my son (he is 21 now) and running him around to all of his different activities and hanging out with the other parents at those activities that it could be kind of confusing if the main parent didn't have the same last name. It is usually the mommy who is with the child and I can't tell you how many times the mom would explain why her last name was different and that she was little Billy's mother. There was one sports mom who had divorced and remarried and then divorced again and she took back her first ex's name so that it would be the same as her childerns. She said it was so much easier for her kids and her to have the same last name. I thought it was great that she realized that and cared more about her kids then the name.

[slleipnir]

I don't know. I personally don't think I would care either way. To me, it's just a name..but then again I don't/haven't really thought of marriage at all and doubt I will for quite a while ;) I'm sure I would change my name though...but, you never know.

[Edwina's Secretary]

One thing I don't understand is so many women (here and outside PetTalk) say they want to keep their own "family" names. Well, isn't your family name actually your Dad's family name? Where does your Mom's family come into play

Keeping my birth name had nothing to do with my father... it had to do with ME.

Shortly after we were married we visited an accountant to discuss some financial matters. I had an account that wasn't wisely invested. We discussed alternative investments and selected one. He completed the paperwork and passed it to me to sign. As I was about to sign he told me to sign on the next line instead. The reason why? I would be co-tenant...the account... MY ACCOUNT... would be in my husband's name. We did not open the account.

On the way home I asked my husband if he now understood WHY I did not change my name. I am willing to share all that I own with him but I am NOT willing to become invisible...merely an extension of him.

Plus... I like being able to say that both my names are four letter words....;) ;)

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
I am willing to share all that I own with him but I am NOT willing to become invisible...merely an extension of him.



It works out fine between Wonder Woman and her airplane.:confused:

[Twisterdog]

I really could care less. It's not a big deal to me. If I were to marry someone to whom it was very important that I take his last name, I would ... unless it was something horrible. :p I have two friends who married brothers. The brothers' last name is Barney. Neither of my friends took that last name, they both said they just couldn't deal with it. LOL

It's just a name. It's not who I am.

[K9soul]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
I am willing to share all that I own with him but I am NOT willing to become invisible...merely an extension of him.

I'm just curious, and this is not meant angrily or asked in a sour manner, but is that how you see those of us who take our husband's name or just how you would feel personally?

I've never thought about all this very much but have more since it was brought up. I think it would be harder now for me to 'change identities.' I wasn't very happy as a child and my last name was twisted around and used to torment me in school. I've never had that association with my name now and I feel more attached to it, and I think it would be much tougher to change again now.

[Edwina's Secretary]

It is just how I feel personally. And, I was in my 40's before I married....

However, you should make sure, if you do change your name, you retain credit. I've seen too many widows who encounter significant problems because everything was in the husband's name and consequently, they must reestablish credit in their own name.

[wolflady]

Interesting question and interesting points of view from those who opted not to take the last name.
My sister retained her last name when she married, because she has worked so hard to get a phd, that she wanted to keep her maiden name with it.
I, on the other hand, have always belived that when you marry, you make your own family unit, so having the same last name makes it so....for me. My parents didn't have different last names, and I probably would have felt wierd if they did. Whose last name would I have taken? I would have been torn...why did I get the certain last name and not the other? Are my parents really married? These are all things I probably would have wondered about growing up.
I was a little torn about giving up my last name, because you don't hear it very often...and my family is small and there are only a couple of boys (my 2 cousins) to carry on the family name. But, I did want my own family unit, so I took my husband's last name. However, I did hyphen my last name into my middle name, so if you look on my social security card, I have my full first name, middle name-maiden last name, married last name.
Does that makes sense?
**hugs**
Karen

[K9soul]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
However, you should make sure, if you do change your name, you retain credit. I've seen too many widows who encounter significant problems because everything was in the husband's name and consequently, they must reestablish credit in their own name.

That is a good point, probably not something a lot of people really think about until it comes about. And if something happened to David (God forbid), I definitely think I'd be less willing to change my name from what it is now. Also if I had carried my maiden name until 30 or 40, I might have felt differently about changing it.

[RICHARD]

Here's a question.

Why is identity so closely tied to what your name is?


A rose by any other name still smells just as sweet?

Or does the smell change when the name does?:confused:

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by RICHARD
Here's a question.

Why is identity so closely tied to what your name is?


A rose by any other name still smells just as sweet?

Or does the smell change when the name does?:confused:

Yes....but "things" are implied with names. As an example, if a rose was actually called "Stinkweed" people might not think it smells so sweet. They would have a preconceived notion of what to expect when they encountered the smell, already putting negative conotations on it before determining for themselves whether they think the smell is sweet or stinky.

[K9soul]

I think names tend to just become a part of who we are and how we think of ourselves. Think of your first name for instance, though some I'm sure would happily change their first name, it still becomes a part of that person. When we meet a new person or even a new pet, the first things we take in are their appearance and their name. I think it is a natural identification process going on there. Later as we get to know them better, we start associating their personality with their name. I think that is why sometimes people will develop a dislike to a certain name too, if you grew up or spent a lot of time around someone who's personality was cruel and mean, and you didn't know anyone else by that name, I'd be willing to bet you'd carry some association with the name. How many parents would want their child's name to be Hitler? You see where I'm coming from a bit here? It's hard to put into words.

I know with my dogs, when I hear or say their names, they aren't just a name, I have emotions and feelings that are elicited by seeing and hearing their names, associations.

Perhaps if we got up from day to day and said "I'm going to be Amy today" or "I'll be Shirley this week," names wouldn't have such a sense of identity, but it is the very first way we identify ourselves to the world whether it be greeting someone informally or putting it on legal documents. I think after awhile, it just becomes a part of who we are.

I do think in some cultures and in the past, names had more actual meaning, even surnames. Someone who's family livelihood was tailoring might be the Weaver family and so on. A house name from medieval Europe was a complete definition of that person's place in society. I do think last names definitely have less definition to them now than they did at one time.

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
Yes....but "things" are implied with names. As an example, if a rose was actually called "Stinkweed" people might not think it smells so sweet. They would have a preconceived notion of what to expect when they encountered the smell, already putting negative conotations on it before determining for themselves whether they think the smell is sweet or stinky.

Deoderant???

Don't go all philosophical on me.....I don't multi-task very well.;)

Garlic is called the "stinking rose", but some people LOVE the smell, other do not...

What happened before things had a name???

What did the cavemen do?:confused:


K9,
But, does a name change really tweak your essence? Who YOU believe you are???

If you want to be Shirley or Amy for the week, you still go back to being who you were when you started!

You were --------- before you became Shirley or Amy.

It doesn't change the starting point. Your name may change later on, but does a name change who you are physically of mentally?

[K9soul]

Originally posted by RICHARD
K9,
But, does a name change really tweak your essence? Who YOU believe you are???

If you want to be Shirley or Amy for the week, you still go back to being who you were when you started!

You were --------- before you became Shirley or Amy.

It doesn't change the starting point. Your name may change later on, but does a name change who you are physically of mentally?

In theory of course it shouldn't, but would I feel different if suddenly tomorrow I became Gertrude? I think it would have an emotional impact, a sense of losing something that was mine, a part of who I was. Now I didn't really feel that way when I changed my surname to my husband's, but also the reason I was open to the change was because I wanted the identity of being family and having the same last name. Logically it doesn't make a lot of sense that you'd feel or be any different no matter if you changed your name every day, but I guess it is one of those things that is hard to explain the why of. Definitely for me, a first name has more identity tied into it than a last name, a first name is the word for who you are, a last name is who your family is, sometimes also identifying your culture as well, i.e. if it is a Spanish or Chinese last name.

I think it was Val who started a thread in General once asking if people felt their name affected who they became and how happy they were in life. It was an interesting conversation and some people seemed to feel that if they had been named differently they might have turned out differently. I suppose in the end it all comes down to how much of an identity it is to each individual person.

Many animals identify each other by their scent or sound. I suppose with people we have lost a lot of our senses over the eons and use written and spoken language to identify each other. It is interesting to think about and consider, but my brain is going on vacation about this time so I can't get any deeper into the psyche of it than this :D

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by RICHARD
What did the cavemen do?:confused:


Grunt and pull the girl around by the hair? :confused:

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
Grunt and pull the girl around by the hair? :confused:

That was before Hallmark cards and Valentine's day..:eek:

[IRescue452]

I'm keeping my last name and my kids are getting my last name. I happen to be very family oriented toward my family and would like to keep my identity. My older sister and younger sister have our mom's last name, I have my dad's and my two youngest sisters have my stepdad's. My mom just used whatever sounded the best with the first names she liked.

[Andie]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
However, you should make sure, if you do change your name, you retain credit. I've seen too many widows who encounter significant problems because everything was in the husband's name and consequently, they must reestablish credit in their own name.


Not a problem for me cuz I'm the one with the credit and Dust is the one without any. So basicly everything is in my name (even his truck) so if we ever have a fight he'll be in the doghouse (literally) and walking. ;) :p

[Andie]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
However, you should make sure, if you do change your name, you retain credit. I've seen too many widows who encounter significant problems because everything was in the husband's name and consequently, they must reestablish credit in their own name.


Not a problem for me cuz I'm the one with the credit and Dust is the one without any. So basicly everything is in my name (even his truck) so if we ever have a fight he'll be in the doghouse (literally) and walking. ;) :p

[Andie]

Originally posted by Edwina's Secretary
However, you should make sure, if you do change your name, you retain credit. I've seen too many widows who encounter significant problems because everything was in the husband's name and consequently, they must reestablish credit in their own name.


Not a problem for me cuz I'm the one with the credit and Dust is the one without any. So basicly everything is in my name (even his truck) so if we ever have a fight he'll be in the doghouse (literally) and walking. ;) :p

[Suki Wingy]

My mom never did it and I'm not gonna either. That's just weird. Come on, you had your own name, a name which you are very proud to have, then you just change it?

[mina'smomma]

Originally posted by Karen
I changed my last name to Paul's when we married. I had a very common last name - there were three of us with the same first and last name in my own hometown. So I figured, why not change it to something less common?I will always be my parents' daughter, no name change could change that, any more than it could change the dent in my chin, the shape of my hands, or the color of my eyes. I was under no pressure from either family regarding my name, by the way.

I

This is the same reason I'm changing mine as well. I'm a Smith and if you want to see just why look in the phone book. You won't see any of my relatives. Plus with the first name Renae it is way too common.

[Samantha Puppy]

Originally posted by Suki Wingy
My mom never did it and I'm not gonna either. That's just weird. Come on, you had your own name, a name which you are very proud to have, then you just change it? I happen to be a newly married woman who changed my name to my husband's. I don't think it's weird, nor do I think less or differently of anyone else who chooses NOT to. How would you like it if I said I thought *not* changing your name was stupid?

You are free to think what you want, but you may want to be a bit more tactful in posting your thoughts unless you don't have a problem stepping on people's toes...

[ramanth]

Originally posted by mina'smomma
Plus with the first name Renae it is way too common.
You think Renae is common? Try Kim Smith! :p :D And my sisters are Linn and Jenn. LOL!

[slick]

I think Debbie is right in that names do give away a preconceived notion....take, for example, Brandee - with two e's. Be honest, what comes to mind? Certainly not some high-class lawyer yet, she could very well be.

I've never been married, nor do I ever intend to but I think I would also keep my own name, not because of identity (I already know who I am) or the other reasons you've all listed, but because of convenience. Everybody knows me as a Heys and so I shall remain. Just my 2 cents worth.

[RICHARD]

On the news this morning I heard that Tah Raise Ah Heinz Kerry will be now known as......



Teresa Heinz.


:confused:

[persianmom]

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I know when I married I took my husbands last name, not because I didn't like my madien name but because I felt like I was honoring the man I loved, and we were starting are own family. I stayed married for 26 years and when we divorced I kept his name because it has been a part of me for years and my son will have that name for life and He will always be part of me. When Christine married she took her husband last name. I don't know that she thought of not taking his. But she will always be a (last name) and now part of other family. That I love dearly. I guess it is a matter of choice and what the women feels comfortable with. I do know working as a nurse that hypen names do cause confusion. Your never sure do you use the whole name or part of the name.

[RICHARD]

Here's another example of the mixups that happen when adults play the NAME GAME.

Here I am looking for a patient in the database by the name of ASHLEE S -

I try every friggin spelling in the book for the first and last names.

I spend 5 minutes looking and find out that the child is an "Also Known As"....because someone made a notation on the schedule-but didn't bother to change the name in the DB....

The last name begins with a "C"...


The patient is 6 MONTHS old is chronically ill and has a TRACHEOSTOMY...

Of course, should the child come into the emergency room and in the confusion the parents do not let the ER docs and nurses know about the kid's OTHER name, there is the chance that no one will be able to find the kid's chart.

One important thing about a PATIENT RECORD is that there is a
TONS OF INFO ON A PATIENT. Blood types, Allergies, and special precautions.

Just think about it-

The nurse pulls out your ID with your hypenated/maiden/married name but you have not made everyone aware of your name change.

YOU are allergic to penicillin or some other drug - in your unconcious state you can't tell your doctor that you ARE ALLERGIC, the records room can't find your chart and the nurse is loading up the syringe...

----------------------------------------------

Is t he million dollars you get in a lawsuit worth the loss of your six month old child because you can't figure out who's name is going on the birth certificate or patient record?
:rolleyes:

[Suki Wingy]

I am VERY proud of my name and can trace my family all the way back to the countyin Ireland where they lived. It will stay that way for my whole life. I have a very Irish last name.

[melandchico]

Choice....that is the key word. As far as I am aware, anywhere except the province of Quebec, People can keep their maiden name or take their spouses last name.

In Quebec, we don't have the choice. We are obligated by law to keep our birth name when we marry. I am so mad about this.

I got married almost a year ago and wanted to take my husbands name. We are planning on having kids soon and since this is my immediate family now, I wanted to share the same family name. I love my husband and would be proud to have his name. When we have children they will have his name and as soon as we move out of this province mine will be changed too.

In Quebec the only way you can change your name is if you change your birth cert. How ridiculous is that? When we get pregnant, I am planning to convienently be in Nova Scotia (where I am from) to give birth and will put my last name as my husbands last name so on the childrens birth records it is all the same.

My mother-in-law was married 10 years and when they moved to Quebec she had to change her married name and all her ID back to her birth name. When they moved back to NS, she changed it all back. What a pain in the butt.

The point of my post is, I don't feel that the choice should be made for you by a government law. I think it should be the choice of each induvidual person what is best for them and what they believe in.

[king2005]

If u want to change ur name to ur husbands, its best to do it this way

old-new

My reasoning is for ID. I get so many people goming into work & they changed their lastname to their husbands & didn't keep thiers, its hard but I have to refuse them if I have her old name only.

But if her ID had both names on it, then ID is never a problem.

I plan to do his when I get married. I want his name & I want mine. Its just easier, u never know when ur gonna need either or.

[Suki Wingy]

Maybe I should move to Quebec

[king2005]

thats why nobody likes quebec hehehe

[mina'smomma]

Originally posted by ramanth
You think Renae is common? Try Kim Smith! :p :D And my sisters are Linn and Jenn. LOL!

No thanks Kim. I have a younger cousin with the same name up in the tip.