How Will You Sign Your Name

[brightlight]

i kept my maiden name, but my husband''s family refers to me by their last name anyway. before we got married, i told my husband we should just create our own last name and both change names.

 

[blueroses]

I really don''t know. I wish I could find what I said about this on an old thread years ago when I was with my ex; I wonder if my answer has changed?

My last name is short and one of the most common names in the U.S. To complicate matters, I use my FULL name (first, middle--which is a surname--with my last) professionally. So people already think my middle name is my maiden name, and worse yet--they randomly hyphenate it. It''s a drag.

My wonderful BF/FFi''s name is German and LOOOONG. Like--full of silent consenants. My uber traditional sister said, upon getting the "I MET A BOY!!!" phone call, "You have my permission to keep your name."

But I''m thinking I''m going to change it in life, just keep it professionally. I dunno. I have a good year to decide, but still.

I''m a WAY old-school third-wave feminist, so I recognize the validity of keeping mine, BUT...My maiden name is still my father''s father''s father''s....there is NO matrilineal name passed down, so what''s the big deal, ya know?

I wish I had a solution like Freke''s!!

 

[blueroses]

Date: 5/29/2009 11:44:01 PM
Author: brightlight
i kept my maiden name, but my husband''s family refers to me by their last name anyway. before we got married, i told my husband we should just create our own last name and both change names.

I have two different sets of friends who did this--created a new name for themselves by combining parts of their "maiden" names.

I actually "named" one of them, since I had the winning suggestion!

 

[gwendolyn]

I'm doing things a bit weird. Will be changing my middle and last names--my middle to my maternal grandmother's maiden name, and my last to J's last name. When I sign things, it will probably be my first initial, my (new) middle initial, and J's last name, but we'll see if that feels right when it actually comes time to sign stuff.

PS: Didn't vote in the poll because there was no "other" option.

 

[SapphireLover]

I plan on taking DF surname when we marry. However, I am in a job where I will end up hopefully being published in academic journal prior to getting married. I don''t want to have one article in my maiden name and then change to my married name. DF thinks I should just publish in my married name, even though we won''t be married. My mum thinks that I should just keep my maiden name for work and then use my married name for private. I am not that attatched to my maiden name (haven''t seen my birth father since I was 11) but am not sure what to do.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Date: 5/30/2009 6:13:54 AM
Author: gwendolyn
I'm doing things a bit weird. Will be changing my middle and last names--my middle to my maternal grandmother's maiden name, and my last to J's last name. When I sign things, it will probably be my first initial, my (new) middle initial, and J's last name, but we'll see if that feels right when it actually comes time to sign stuff.

PS: Didn't vote in the poll because there was no 'other' option.

Gwen I love this idea! While I'm not even engaged yet I have often wondered what I would do. I know I will take my bf's last name but had wondered what to do with my maiden name. I'm not attached to it and it's the first or second most popular last name in the US. You can't any more generic if you tried! My mothers maiden name however is not a common name and I am the 6th generation in the small town I live in of that lineage. She made her name her first maiden last. I think it might be perfect if I change my name to fist mothers maiden and bf's last. I like it!

 

[jstarfireb]

What happened to all the hyphenators? I'm representing that crowd. I have so many reasons for wanting to keep my name, but he's one of those "traditional" types and insists on my taking his name in some way. So hyphenating was the only way to go for me.

Although I'm not actually changing anything right now...I've already applied for this year's medical license, and it would be too much of a pain to change it now. I'm waiting until next year when I can put my new name on the license application.

ETA: Speaking of long last names, mine is 7 letters and 3 syllables. His is 4 letters and 1 syllable, so it's not that much to add...but still, I'm creating an 11-letter, 4-syllable beast of a last name. Oh well!

 

[Lanie]

Date: 5/29/2009 1:01:35 PM
Author: Sparkalicious

Date: 5/29/2009 11:29:32 AM
Author: sunnyd
I''m pretty excited about it, though it took several years to perfect my swoops on my name!

LOL, just kidding.

I know you''re not kidding, Sunny.

... it''s okay - I do that too!

I''m not sure what I''m going to do yet. I have a very unique and really long last name ... I don''t necessarily want to get rid of it so I may just tack on Fi''s last name. Uhhh ... decisions, decisions.

Spark...how long is your last name? Mine is 13 letters. i''ve only met 2 people in my life with longer last names! You must be excited to eliminate the carpal tunnel!

 

[FrekeChild]

Hahahahahahaha!!!! So I just told FI my idea and he thinks it would be better hyphenated.

So he thinks:
Elizabeth Marie-Maiden HisLast

I think:
Elizabeth MarieMaiden HisLast

hmmm........

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 5/30/2009 1:14:51 PM
Author: Lanie

Date: 5/29/2009 1:01:35 PM
Author: Sparkalicious

Date: 5/29/2009 11:29:32 AM
Author: sunnyd
I''m pretty excited about it, though it took several years to perfect my swoops on my name!

LOL, just kidding.

I know you''re not kidding, Sunny.

... it''s okay - I do that too!

I''m not sure what I''m going to do yet. I have a very unique and really long last name ... I don''t necessarily want to get rid of it so I may just tack on Fi''s last name. Uhhh ... decisions, decisions.

Spark...how long is your last name? Mine is 13 letters. i''ve only met 2 people in my life with longer last names! You must be excited to eliminate the carpal tunnel!

Hers is 13 letters (You asked, so I felt the need to count since I wanted to know too!)

 

[PearlDahhhling]

My last name is already hyphenated. My Mom didn''t take my Dad''s last name when they got married, so I got stuck with Pearl dadslastname-momslastname. They''re both also very uncommon last names that are hard to pronounce...

So I have been waiting a loooong time to change my name! Haha. FI''s last name is also uncommon an hard to pronounce, but at least it''s only ONE name!

 

[mayachel]

This is something I''m always curious to hear how others have decided, as I plan to keep my name AND use his. For simplicity I''ve been telling people that I''ll use my last name prof. and his socially and promise not to be offended with variations.

My current preference is instead of - using TWO last names. So Mayachel middlename hislastname herlastname. My ultimate desire in this scenario is for him to take mine as well. Then we can add and drop as needed for work or social but officially have the same shared names.

 

[Squirrly]

although i finally figured out a cool way to sign my last name (and his doesn''t have the t-i combination

) i''m taking his. it just adds a couple letters, but i get moved waayyyy up in the alphabet, and i''m sure the kids''ll thank me later for that.

i might end up using my maiden for one of the kids'' middle names, if i can get used to it being in the middle and not the end of a name

 

[DearBuddha]

I waffled back and forth between taking my husband''s last name and keeping mine. My husband has the most common last name in the country, whereas mine was very rare but very, very recognizable to anyone with a good grasp on American Literature. In fact, people would always ask me if I was related to a certain writer (and I am), so the name recognition was always a little source of pride for me (despite the name''s power having nothing to do with my actions-God, am I Paris Hilton?!).

So for a while I hyphenated, but my DH is very old-fashioned and was really insulted. Eight months after the wedding, I finally buckled under and changed my last name.

I''m totally giving our kids my maiden-name as a middle name, though. It''s not even open to negotiation with DH

 

[katamari]

The only reason I would ever change my name would be if I had to enter into witness protection, and even then I would have to really weigh the options.

I kid, of course, but I am keeping my name.

 

[Octavia]

Date: 5/31/2009 5:51:29 PM
Author: katamari
The only reason I would ever change my name would be if I had to enter into witness protection, and even then I would have to really weigh the options.


I kid, of course, but I am keeping my name.

Hehe, katamari, I love it!! Next time people bug me about it, I''m totally going to use that line.