Keeping/not keeping maiden name after marriage (mother-in-law, loving, child)

[jeninmt]

Thankfully I was one of the lucky ones and had an amicable divorce (still do). I could understand why someone would want to revert to their maiden name because of this, but I also had my unmarried sister's misdeeds to make my maiden name less than desirable as well.

[azoria]

My name has been the same since the day I was born--it's mine and I'm keeping it. I have been married 23 years and have never regretted keeping my permanent name......permanently.

We have run into a bit of extra documentation hassle over the years as a long married couple without the same name. We keep our marriage certificate on hand because health insurance wants proof of marriage for benefits every so often, other types of declarations and investments have demanded proof of marriage. No problem.

I'm really happy that I never changed my name. It's really easy to remember since it's always been the same.

[GoingNCircles]

I changed my name back after divorcing my first husband. Now that Im married again , I refuse to change it until I feel like it will be forever.

[Pastelito de limon]

In my bf's culture, women do not take the man's last name. Children have two last names, one from mom, one from dad. I don't like the sound of my name coupled with his surname (my initials would be L.L...no) and would either keep mine or do a hyphenated thing with both last names.

[dodgegirl37]

My father's last name ends with me. My sister and I are the only children who carry on the last name from my dad's side. My sister, already married, very gladly chose to take her husband's last name. I am old fashioned and traditional, so I am okay with losing the last name of "Gronberg." Too many people have a difficult time pronouncing it the correct way, and at school my students just call me Miss G.

I say, bring on the new last name!

[Whyte Byrd]

Originally Posted by totallyfrazzled

Just wondering what the general trend is nowadays....

Who cares about trends? Make your own path. I proudly took my now exes last name--then gratefully gave it back. If I were to remarry--which I doubt I'll ever want to do--I'd proudly take his last name, too.

[breeze823]

Originally Posted by JustJulia

I took my husband's name. If we got divorced, I'd probably keep it so my children and I would have the same last name.

this is me...

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by Whyte Byrd

Who cares about trends? Make your own path. I proudly took my now exes last name--then gratefully gave it back. If I were to remarry--which I doubt I'll ever want to do--I'd proudly take his last name, too.

You're generous. I'm selfish/lazy in this department, too. I keep them until I absolutely have to get rid of them. It's a bad policy, though, because it definitely makes no sense to use some other man's name after you marry another, while if I had reverted back to my maiden name, perhaps I wouldn't have changed it anymore. If I don't wanna deal with this issue again, I certainly should stay away from marriage - which I do anyway.

[HomeHuntress]

I have a double last name, which is basically my maiden name and my husband's name without a hyphen. Alphabetically I'm found under my maiden name. I kept it for professional reasons and personal reasons. Because I already had a middle name that I didn't want to drop I legally have four names (First, Middle, Maiden Married). It can get annoying sometimes since it's easy to look at my name and think it's First, Middle Maiden, Married but I've gotten used to it. Our kids only have my husband's last name.

To me dropping my maiden name would have almost signified leaving my family and my identity. I see marriage as the union of two families. I'm just as much part of my family as I am his.

[nebulous1]

Originally Posted by Chowhound

WTH,

LOL at Mrs. Brotherly-Lamb.

Think of it if she married Mr. Mint Jelly

or they had a kid named Rack of Brotherly-Lamb!