Married Ladies - Did you change your name?

[Litigatrix]

Did a search to see if this had been asked before and nothing came up, so here goes:

It's one of my new year's resolutions (which I rarely make) to clean up the MESS which is my legal name. I currently, LEGALLY have 2 first names and 2 last names. My first name is a name which I never use and was never called, since I have always gone by my middle name. Then I really had to make my life miserable by HYPHENATING my last name when I got married. On every credit card I have, there is a different name... It has gotten so bad that it's affecting my credit rating. I hate this.

Anyway - I am thinking of doing this: Axing my "first" name altogether, since it's useless and no one knows me by that name. I will now use my SECOND name as my first name. I want to legally use my maiden name as my middle name, and use my husband's last name as my last name.

I have a LOT of credit cards, passport, SIN #... oh it's gonna take me the better part of 2007 to get all this sorted out.

But I want to know, from all the married ladies out there - Did you change your name when you got married? If so - why? If not, why not?

Good luck to you in that--do you have to get a court order?

 

[CastoCreations]

I changed my name. I hate the hyphen. I hate in last names of married women and I hate it in race naming. Example: African-american, Jewish-american, etc. I hate it hate it hate it

I totally agree!

I took on my husband's name with pride! Once married, it wasn't just "his" name, it was mine too and I had no problem with it. I am not defined by my last name. But we are joined together as husband and wife and should share in everything - including sharing the same last name.

Plus my initials didn't change. LOL And I'm definitely not his property in any way, shape, or form...although sometimes I think he wishes I was! hee hee

 

[Faith]

I'm getting married in July and I intend to take my future husband's name.

 

[maggie7]

Yes!! Couldn't wait to get rid of it!

 

[ilzabet]

i did. i didn't even think about it actually. it's old fashioned, but i've always felt like taking my husband's name was one more way to solidify our status as a new family.

it wasn't really that hard to change everything once i had my new driver's liscence.

 

[twinkle.tink]

I changed my name...my maiden name is very long, ethnic, hard to pronounce...I love my family, but in all honesty it wasn't hard to give up

 

[Syntagma]

I changed my name!

 

[TammyD]

I didn't change it, and don't think I ever will! Even my husband still calls me "Ms D" or "Madam D" when he's trying to be funny.

 

[ranskimmie]

I took my husbands name.

 

[Vegas Long Legs]

I hate it in race naming. Example: African-american, Jewish-american, etc. I hate it hate it hate it

I agree! If you are a citizen of this country - you are an American period.

 

[Holliwood]

Took my husbands last name and getting a divorce and can't wait to get rid of it real sooooooooooooon!!!!

 

[twiggers]

I changed mine for several reasons: (1) Tradition (2) Green card....they would've looked at us really funny if I hadn't changed it and may have denied my app.

 

[Sunshine]

I hyphenate..I love my family name and all it stands for, it means so much to me. I thought about not taking my husbands last name at all but decided as he is my future it was a good match to keep both.

 

[bagnshoofetish]

I took my hubbies name. I'm proud to honor his family. I don't feel any less for my family because even without my maiden name I'm still my fathers daughter and proud of it as well.

 

[sandra]

I kept my own name. Mostly because it is a very rare name (I think there was only one other family in Canada with it!) and I am the last living person in my family with the name so I feel like I should carry it on as long as possible. I remember when I was a kid I told my dad that I wouldn't get married so my babies would have our name...boy, despite my good and innocent intentions, he just about hit the roof!

Then there is a good friend of mine who regrets having changed her name because changing it back to her maiden name when she was divorced was such a hassle.