The latest trend: Should women change their last names when they marry? (wife, how to)

[Mrs. H]

I generally feel that when you get married, your name changes to that of your husband. I was brought up this way. However, nowadays, the trend seems to be the ever popular hypenating your name or just keeping your maiden names. Now, I know some exceptions to this rule might be if you are a famous person, which I am not, or if you are a professional (i.e., attorney or doctor)...but I basically think that changing to your new married name represents your commitment to your marriage.

Anybody's thoughts on this?

[MB2]

I kept my maiden name, for a number of reasons, and my honey doesn't and didn't mind at all.
Taking someone else's name doesn't mean anything, really, but your commitment, heart, soul and mind does.
What good is a name change, when it is not a true commitment in the inside?
I say...there is no "protocol" on it, whatever makes one happy, and whatever works for the individual.
Look and search the forum....esp. the "Relationship" thread....this topic was debated and discussed before....

[dynimagelv]

Let me offer some insite into the hyphenated names thingie.....I manage a Las Vegas Hotel Reservations office....when people use hyphenated names they need FIRST to us the same name all the time.....i.e. Ms Smith-jones makes a reservation....then hubby calls to confirm res.....says this is jon jones.....nope dont have a jon jones....hubby gets po'd cause wifey said she'd make the res.....

Some computer systems in use in hotels do NOT recognize hyphenated names [has to be smithjones]

NOW suppose Susie Smith-Jones grows up and marries George Patfarken-Parkenfarer......she is now Susi Smith-Jones-Petfarken-Parkenfarker.....all of this to fit into a Standard 26 character last name field in the computer.......



I HATE HYPHENATED NAMES

[Mrs. H]

LOL...thanks for the insight on the hypenated name.

MovingBack...I wasn't sure if this topic had been discussed recently so thanks for the suggestion. I'll be looking this up soon.

[MB2]

Originally Posted by eyhossenlopp

LOL...thanks for the insight on the hypenated name.

MovingBack...I wasn't sure if this topic had been discussed recently so thanks for the suggestion. I'll be looking this up soon.

You're welcome.
It's on here....SOMEWHERE....LOL......it sure's been a while. (I only remember, because I posted on it as well.....and the viewpoint of different people on this was very interesting! )
Happy New Year!

[GreenMachine]

I'd be happy to change my name.

[kaykay]

I'm old-fashioned! I'm good with women changing to the husband's last name. I don't think it represents any kind of loss of identity or anything like that.

Personally, I did not like my maiden name. So if I hadn't married by the time I was in my late 20's, I had every intention of having it legally changed! Thankfully, I did marry and didn't have to go to the trouble!

[Mrs. H]

Originally Posted by kaykay

Personally, I did not like my maiden name. So if I hadn't married by the time I was in my late 20's, I had every intention of having it legally changed! Thankfully, I did marry and didn't have to go to the trouble!

You know what -- me too...I didn't like my maiden name because my first name [Elizabeth] was too long for my last name [Cruz] so when I met the hubby, I knew that, despite how long his last name is [Hossenlopp], I would be happy to change my last name too! It's funny you mentioned that KayKay...

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by eyhossenlopp

You know what -- me too...I didn't like my maiden name because my first name [Elizabeth] was too long for my last name [Cruz] so when I met the hubby, I knew that, despite how long his last name is [Hossenlopp], I would be happy to change my last name too! It's funny you mentioned that KayKay...

Well, I'm not as open about giving my real life name on the forum as you are. (Kaykay is my middle name doubled!) So let me just say that my maiden name alliterated with my first name. And my last name (maiden) has kinda a "cutesy" meaning in English. Again, I'm not going to say what it was. Just suffice to say that I even remember in college people snickering about it when the roll was called the first time.

Now if I could just figure out how to get them to quit requiring my maiden name on my driver's license!

LOL! I will tell ya this--If I had not married and had to have it legally changed, I was planning on
having my last name changed to "Taylor." Just liked that name!

[MainStreet]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

Let me offer some insite into the hyphenated names thingie.....I manage a Las Vegas Hotel Reservations office....when people use hyphenated names they need FIRST to us the same name all the time.....i.e. Ms Smith-jones makes a reservation....then hubby calls to confirm res.....says this is jon jones.....nope dont have a jon jones....hubby gets po's cause wifey said she'd make the res.....

Some computer systems in use in hotels do NOT recognize hyphenated names [has to be smithjones]

NOW suppose Susie Smith-Jones grows up and marries George Patfarken-Parkenfarer......she is now Susi Smith-Jones-Petfarken-Parkenfarker.....all of this to fit into a Standard 26 character last name field in the computer.......



I HATE HYPHENATED NAMES

I hate hyphenated names also.

A couple years ago, I went on a road trip to visit a college friend and her family in "remote" (I laugh now) northern Michigan. Hours into the drive I realized I had forgotten the paperwork with directions and her phone number. So I convinced myself that I knew the area well enough to get to it by memory. Was I wrong.

I drove around, lost, for 3 hours and stopped at a secluded pay phone in near a cherry orchard that was firing orchard cannons at 3 a.m. Could I find their listing? Heck no! Why? That darn hyphenated name.

Resigned to never finding them, I headed back into town to get a hotel when my paths cross with two sheriffs deputies, one who had gone to high school with her. I then got a police escort.

I'll never let her live that hyphenated name down.

So if you don't want anyone to find you....hyphenate your name!