CPW: Did you change your name when you got married?

tlc35

I saw this discussion on another board and was curious

Km380

I changed mine but I miss my maiden name. My married name is super common and it causes problems sometimes

Menrandes

I had a pretty embarrassing maiden name.  I couldn't wait to change it.
And I married someone with an embarrassing last name.
I traded up anyway.  

mflowers929

I changed it because it was important to me. MH couldn't have cared one way or another and actually would have been happy just living with me forever. 

flyoffeve

It was not even a question for me to change it or not. I knew that I wanted to do it. I am very traditional when it comes to things like that. It is tough because our last name is misprounced and spelt wrong a lot. It is a pain when I have to spell it- like picking up a prescription- I say the name, they start typing before I start spelling and then get all "that's weird" and huff to retype. That is the only time I miss my easy-to-spell maiden name.

TheAerialist

Kateisoptimistic said:

I changed mine legally but use my maiden name professionally.  I didn't want to change it but It was really important to MH so we compromised. 

exactly this!

forevermyfenix

Speshul Snowflake here. DH and I aren't legally married though we are committed to each other. He gets covered under his father's health insurance as long as hes in school and isn't married. Since he's got some chronic health issues that require lots of specialists, it isn't worth it to get the legal document done. I do plan on changing my last name though since my maiden name is so commonly messed up. 

tlc35

I didn't change my name. The idea of changing all my personal and professional stuff made me anxious and my H didn't care.
ETA: and sorry for the "of course" wording.  Fail at trying to be cheeky.

Nikolie93

Well, my first marriage was at the young age of 19 and it just didn't work out, but we lasted 12 years so I was his name for a lot of my life. By the time I went through everything I was way too lazy to change it back so I kept it. Then I met MH and we got married almost 2 years ago, even though it was a pain in the ass I couldn't live with my new husband and have my ex husband's name. That was just kind of disrespectful in my eyes.

So, I have changed mine...twice. I don't know who I am anymore :-SS

reginaphilangee

I changed my name, but I definitely like my maiden name better As a kid I had a best friend who asked me to marry him (I think we were 4 or 5) and I said no because I didn't like his last name. To me it was always kind of a given, but only because I liked the idea of sharing a name. Names are special. 

Also: the kid's dad is still my dentist and whenever I get my teeth cleaned he comes in and asks "So! Does ******** sound any better to you!?" Every. Single. Time. 

LizBlue

I didn't change my name because I didn't want to and my husband didn't care. He has his name and I have mine. It wasn't because it was "too much trouble" though. It's because I didn't want to.

nikiswimr

Yes, but not of course (so I guess I'm a SS). I didn't want to and wasn't going to but MH felt strongly about it. When we got married I was feeling happy and emotional and signed his last name last minute. Then I had to actually go through with it.

eliida

Kateisoptimistic said:

I changed mine legally but use my maiden name professionally.  I didn't want to change it but It was really important to MH so we compromised. 

Same here!

SeaParrot

Special snowflake here too. My husband took my family name when we married. He decided to - I never even suggested it and I was planning to take his. He's a pretty progressive guy.

jordangoodnight

I kept mine and took my husbands... So now I just legally have two last names. I use his name day to day but I just couldn't part with mine completely.

meredithcarole

I wasn't overly fond of my maiden name. It took me about 6 months to change though. H's last name gets misspelled a lot so that's been a bit of a pain to deal with. I use my full name (first, maiden, last) professionally.

alm288

LizBlue said:

I didn't change my name because I didn't want to and my husband didn't care. He has his name and I have mine. It wasn't because it was "too much trouble" though. It's because I didn't want to.

I also didn't change my name. I honestly couldn't find a reason to change it other than tradition and DH doesn't care. Also my academic publications are under my last name.

ImJessesGirl

I did... both times, lol

The first time I got married, I did. Then changed it back to my maiden name when we got divorced because I couldn't imagine marrying someone else still having my ex's last name attached to me.
Then this time, I changed my name.

I can't imagine not changing my name. But that's just me.

yellowcat10

I did not change my name and was pretty clear with everyone my whole life that that would not happen.  It is mine!  At times MH asks if I ever will if we have kids.  I want to hyphenate and said I would change to that, but he does not want to.  So for now I agreed that if it works out any kids get his name.  

We have no boys in our family so the last name ends with us, just can't give it up if it is not necessary.

schuebja

I had thought about hyphenating, but both my maiden and married name are really long, so it was one or the other. I ended changing my last name because I really wanted DH's last name.

MellyMel15

I'm with you @alm288 and @LizBlue. 

I went back and forth over it after I got married, but my DH said he didn't care and both of our last names are on the longer side and people often mispronounce or screw them up, so it's not like I was going to "Smith" or something easier to spell or say. I'm also a writer (a former reporter who is now working in communications), so everything I've written is under my maiden name.