What''s so wrong about the "hyphen"?

[WFPaveChampagne]

I see a lot of people are opposed to it...I always kinda assumed that if you were keeping your last name and adding his you would use a hyphen. Mine will be Swenson-Parrish, does that mean that if I didn''t include the hypen i wouldn''t always have to include Swenson, in signatures and what-not. I am in the military, so my last name is a big deal....everyone calls me by my last name. Not sure how all this works.

 

[NyssaLynne]

It is my understanding that if you do not use the hyphen it is similar to picking up a 2nd middle name, so no you would not have to include it in signatures if you didn''t want.

I did not take my husband''s last name when we married, due to having young children from my first marriage, however I occasionally sign my name as first mylast hislast (without a hyphen) especially when dealing with the schools and his children from his first marriage. They tend to insist on seeing his name linked to mine in some way to believe we are married.

 

[icekid]

you don''t have to hyphenate. i am considering moving my current last name to my middle so that''s a possibility too. hyphenating is just not an option for me as we both have long last names so i think it would sound silly. i think your name sounds nice hyphenated though! honestly i would probably just keep my last name for career reasons as i am going to be a physician, but my bf really wants me to change my last name!