Did you or will you change your name after marriage?

[Jon&Lindsey 0]

Interesting thread. I took my husband's name when we got married. I didn't really like my name before, it was kind of boring, and I don't believe I was giving anything up by changing it - to me it's just a name, no great significance. I'm still me, nothing has changed in relation to me and my own family because I took my husband's name. My mother's side of the family is from Germany, and J has a German-sounding name, so I kind of liked that. Also, my initials are now LAW, which I like. If I had free choice of any name, I would take the German name from my mother's family, but I'm quite happy with my husband's name. I think it's up to everyone to do what they want and no one should judge/make assumptions based on their choice, however, they do and I didn't want to have people think weird stuff about us because I didn't take his name. I like the unity of us both having the same name and it seemed easier to do it at the AOS stage and get all the changes done at once

[Uncle Wally 2]

My wife asked me if she should take my surname when we got married, and I told her it was completely up to her. She gave it a good think, and after awhile, she chose to take my name, to some reluctance perhaps.

Soon thereafter, she applied for her first passport, using my name. This caused a bit of a poop storm at the local Japanese passport office apparently, where it was decided that a descendant of the Sun Goddess could not have one's adopted dirty tainted foreign name appear on a holy Japanese passport (this wouldn't have even been an issue had my surname been "Takahashi" or "Suzuki"). The only possible compromise was that her passport be delivered to her with our surnames hyphenated: Maiden name-My surname.

As it tuned out, she really liked the ring to it as it was the best of both worlds and thus relieved her of her previous dilemma. And as long as they weren't going to change her name to "WifeOfJackass", I didn't really give a #######.

Anyway, something to think about- hyphenating to combine your two surnames.

[Chamy and Gatita 3]

I have been wondering about my husband's 2 surnames, and if he can keep them both here in the US. FYI for anyone interested, we went to Social Security to apply for a card today, and on the application i put both last names, with no hyphen, and they accepted it, without a peep.

[TBoneTX 46,126]

The Hispanic double-surnames are interesting to deal with, si man. Fortunately (for simplicity's sake), the bride took my surname, but unfortunately, she too now "has to buy a vowel," oof man.

What irked me is that the Social Security people wouldn't let her drop her FIRST name. She remains Maria Cristina, but goes by Cristina, and she wanted to can the "Maria" for ease. No dice, no man. Furthermore, no one here in the U.S. can grasp that the H in "Christina" is superfluous, si man, so THAT name (like our surname) will also be misspelled, aargh man.

[SterlingGirl 1]

I'm keeping mine because of all the ####### I've gone through as far as my last name. Story is as follows:

Had my mother's maiden name for about 17 years of my life. She got remarried when I was 8 years-old, but my stepfather later decided to adopt me as his own. After all the legal rigmarole and mumbo-jumbo, my last name was changed to my newer maiden name. So that meant going up to the SSA, waiting in line, and getting a new card.

Then I got married. Once again with the SSA, and waiting in line and it being a general pain in the ###.

Then I got divorced. SSA one MORE time, waiting, confusion, changing documents, blah blah.

So I'm back to my adopted maiden name, and dammit, it's staying right where it is. My fiance hates his family name anyway (its his biological father's, and let's just say that his upbringing wasn't exactly Beaver Cleaver), and he actually is looking into getting it changed to his pen name, as he's a writer who is quite well-known by the last name he chose. IF he legally changes his last name, I'll most likely change it. Again.

Oy.

[LikeALadybug 2]

Wow SterlingGirl, that sounds like a real pain! And it kinda made me laugh....sorry!

I kept my last name after I got married. I love my last name and we have a coats of arms - apparently we're related to a knight.

Really though, I just don't see the point, it's such a hassle with everything needed to be changed and what about my signature? And I love my family and I live so far away from them, I just feel like I would completely disown them if I did that. That sounds really lame but it's true though...

I did ask my husband to change his name though. I'm glad to say he is considering it...no pressure from my side though.