Are you changing or did you change your name?

[greenandchic]

Me and SO have been talking about engagement. Nothing is official/public yet but we have been looking at rings together, talking dates, where to live, etc though.

I initiated a conversation about names - my name. He doesn't care if I keep my name or take his. He's pretty "liberal" about that sort or thing and not taking his name won't break him. His ex-wife did change her name and kept it after they divorced. She built her career with her married name so that made since even though they don't have kids or any other ties. I on the other hand didn't take my ex-husband's name so there was no decision to change when I divorced him.

I'm thinking of keeping my name or at least hyphenate it with his if we get married. I love, love, love my last name (which is also a noun, and a first name) and I feel my first name is pretty bland without my last. The name was also my paternal grandmother's last name that my dad took. We're the last on that side of the family that holds the name and I want to keep it alive - at least for the rest of my life since me and my (older) siblings are not having kids to pass it down.

Most of my married peers kept their names or hyphenated it if they have kids. No one I know seems to care about taking the other other name and dropping their given name (no big deal either way) but I want to ask the LHCF population: Did you or are you keeping your name, or did you change it? Hyphenated? Are there any special reasons why you made whatever decision you did?

 

[greenandchic]

Silly me. I actually meant to post this in Off Topic. Mods, can you switch it for me? pebbles, Allandra, Supergirl, honeycomb719, Enchantmt, dontspeakdefeat, SVT

 

[MizAvalon]

I will be taking FH's last name. It's very important to him and I don't mind.

 

[tmhuggiebear]

I loved my last name because it is original and I built my business around it. I wanted to keep my last name. But FI felt a little hurt about it. So we agreed that I would take his last name and make my last name my new middle name.

So around family and friends I will go by his last name and professionally I will still go by my name.

 

[HappywithJC723]

I took my Dh's last name. It was important to him and I'm traditional in that sense. I did, however keep my middle name and maiden name. I just have it like I have 2 middle names. I chose not to hyphenate.

 

[kikigirl]

I will be taking FH's last name. It's very important to him and I don't mind.

Ditto. I'll take his last name.

I was thinking that I might hyphenate for publication-purposes only, to easily connect my former scientific publications to the future ones. I don't know if that's legal though.

 

[kikigirl]

I loved my last name because it is original and I built my business around it. I wanted to keep my last name. But FI felt a little hurt about it. So we agreed that I would take his last name and make my last name my new middle name.

So around family and friends I will go by his last name and professionally I will still go by my name.

This might just be the solution to my dilemna: make my current last name my new middle name

 

[delitefulmane]

If, and when, I get married, my name will stay the same. Not that I don't want to change it but my BF and I have the same last name NO RELATION!!!

 

[kikigirl]

If, and when, I get married, my name will stay the same. Not that I don't want to change it but my BF and I have the same last name NO RELATION!!!

I know you feel sad about this, but I've always found this cool

 

[getoffmylawn]

I'm married and kept my last name. Any accidental children will receive a hyphenation of both but mine will still be last.

ETA I kept it b/c something about changing my last name to his bothered me not to mention it's highly religious and I don't want anyone stereotyping or giving me trouble.

 

[greenandchic]

I took my Dh's last name. It was important to him and I'm traditional in that sense. I did, however keep my middle name and maiden name. I just have it like I have 2 middle names. I chose not to hyphenate.

I never though about having two middle names! That would be one long name for me, LOL.

I didn't mention his last name is also my brother's middle name - last name that's also a first name too.

 

[HappywithJC723]

I never though about having two middle names! That would be one long name for me, LOL.

I didn't think about the two middle names right off either. After taking a poll from a few of my married friends I realized that it wasn't such a bad idea for me. For some reason I just couldn't find peace with the idea of completely letting go of my middle and maiden name.

 

[lacreolegurl]

I took my Dh's last name. It was important to him and I'm traditional in that sense. I did, however keep my middle name and maiden name. I just have it like I have 2 middle names. I chose not to hyphenate.

I did the same thing. I loved my maiden name and my father had no boys, so it was important to me to keep it. I never use all the names at once...but legally they are all there.

Professionally, I used first name/maiden name/married name. No hyphen.

 

[Highly Favored8]

I will take his last name.

 

[cookiemonster287]

I'm changing my last name to his.
I like his better anyways. lol

 

[Nefertiti0906]

I loved my last name because it is original and I built my business around it. I wanted to keep my last name. But FI felt a little hurt about it. So we agreed that I would take his last name and make my last name my new middle name.

So around family and friends I will go by his last name and professionally I will still go by my name.

I did the same thing

 

[HappywithJC723]

I did the same thing. I loved my maiden name and my father had no boys, so it was important to me to keep it. I never use all the names at once...but legally they are all there.

Professionally, I used first name/maiden name/married name. No hyphen.

I never use all the names at once either. Usually I use my first name/middle name/married name.

 

[OhSoOthentik]

I am going to take my fiance's name.

 

[JudithO]

I loved my last name because it is original and I built my business around it. I wanted to keep my last name. But FI felt a little hurt about it. So we agreed that I would take his last name and make my last name my new middle name.

So around family and friends I will go by his last name and professionally I will still go by my name.

This is what I did...

 

[glamazon386]

I kept my name and added his without a hyphen. So now I have 2 last names.

 

[anon123]

I haven't changed my name at all yet. I was and still am thinking about changing my middle name to his last name. People sometimes just assume and call us Mr. and Mrs. HisLastName or even Mr. and Mrs. MyLastName, if I'm the one who made the original contact.

 

[greenandchic]

I kept my name and added his without a hyphen. So now I have 2 last names.

Hmmm, that's an idea...

 

[niknakmac]

I am keeping my last name mostly because my daughter and i have the same last name and I would like to keep it that way. I love FH's last name but for my current situation I think this works best.

 

[trendsetta25]

I will be taking FH's last name. It's very important to him and I don't mind.

IA. Changing my last name