Your New Names

I am going to hyphenate (which is not at all disrespectful). I like my last name. It sounds good with my first name. It is long and difficult to pronounce, but everyone of my fourth graders can say it correctly!

I think I am older than many of you (34) and to be perfectly honest, I prefer my last name over FH's. His last name is butchered constantlyas it is a phonetic nightmare.

However, it blows me away to think that a woman's father or family would feel disrespected or short-changed if she took her husband's name. I also think it is silly to think that a woman is less of a legacy to her family if she takes her husband's name. My father would EXPECT me to take FH's name as a symbol of the beginning of a new family. I will always be his child AND his legacy and I am not any less of a legacy than my brother is. NAME doesn't equal a man's legacy. JMO

If a woman feels the need to keep her maiden name as a form of identity, I would sooner adopt a maiden name as a middle name (or a second middle name) than hyphenate. I am sorry. I am just not progressive enough to NOT take his name. Unless of course if it was 'Lipschitz'

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Posted by KandM2006

Now on the legal aspect, ALL my state and city licensing is under my name!

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Are you by any chance referring to teaching licenses? I ask only because I have two and I think they are registered by SS#. If that is the case, would I need to change those to my new name? Seems silly to do if one keeps their SS# forever.

I haven't come to a complete decision yet, but I know I will keep my last name somehow. I am a journalist, and even though I am not some famous writer, my byline is unique and I don't want to change it.

I am deciding between keeping my name professionally and taking his, with my maiden name as my middle name, socially (and I guess legally). But I am leaning toward not changing at all because I have my mom's last name as my middle name and don't want to change that either. He is fine either way. And FMIL shouldn't care, since she's divorced and remarried and doesn't have his last name, anyway! If I keep my name fully, kids will have both names.

Oh heck yeah my last name is very long its 12 letters and kinda scarey looking my fh is is only 5 letters and very easy

Warning - Goldi is about to ramble on....

When our ancestors came over from 'the old country', many of them had their names changed for them to make them more 'American'. It was either that or the people at Ellis Island couldn't write or pronounce the surnames given at birth to the immigrants. There are many people in Hollywood who change their names to either sound 'less ethnic' or 'more Hollywood' and noone thinks anything of it. Especially Jewish people IMO. Thats why when Adam Sandler makes his Chanukah songs, people are often shocked to learn that someone is Jewish. I love each version of that song - they crack me up.

It seems that in my family, the women tend to marry men whose last names are increasingly more ethnic sounding that their maiden names. I keep laughing because FH's last name is identifiably Russian and with the names we talk about naming our children, our kids will sound like manufacturers of Vodka or members of the KGB. I picture them walking like Russian soldiers to the dinner table. We both laugh about it. It wouldn't stop me from taking his name though. Maybe I'll just call the kids by initials.

I can't wait to change my name..All my life I have had a long first name (7 letters) & long last name(8 letters)...Now my last name will be 5 letters

I wouldnt say I like his better. I just always grew up that that's the way it was. However, I felt funny about it and brought it up to FH and he tells me he doesnt care do what you want I kinda was looking for that of course your taking my name thing. Now I feel like Im imposing

I'm definitely taking FH's last name, although I am not a fan of it.

My last name is 8 letters, French, and botched daily. His is 5, very Irish (funny, I have no irish in me whatsoever), and it's STILL botched...but not as often as mine.

I don't think it's disrespectful to drop one's maiden name - I think it's traditional and socially expected.

It's just another change that marriage brings that I'm looking forward to!

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Posted by kissy27

I can't wait to change my name..All my life I have had a long first name (7 letters) & long last name(8 letters)...Now my last name will be 5 letters

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Not only was my first name ten yes ten letters long but my middle name and last name added in made me a walking history lesson in school never mind the fact it was never pronounced right or spelled right and people were forever trying to shorten it to something

I am not a huge fan of FH's last name at all. Not that I am particularly attached to mine either, but it just goes with my name. I'll have to get over it I guess.. although he said he would ok with me keeping my name

im going from c usenza to mauro...i cant wait.
the costanza thing was killing me!!!

I am changing my name. I was not raised by my birth father, so I have no particular attachment to it, and I was never officially adopted by the man I consider my father- so it makes my decision easier.

the only thing is that I just might have the most popular name in the world..

Jessica Flores! (McCourt is a little more unusual- though Frank-the author- did make it more popular, no relation that I know of LOL- or lese Uncle Frank would be paying for my wedding!!! )

I cannot wait to have my FH's name...so now I will have a nice Irish first name and a nice Irish last name to go with it I don't like my long annoying Polish last name