Changing your last name .....
PlumCrazyGirl
Posts: 1,463 Member
Anyone else NOT changing their last name....
After the hassle of returning to my maiden name 8 years post divorce, I didn't want to change my name again.
Hubby to be is fine with this -- because he's saw what I need to provide just to change my name with utilities, insurance companies, drivers license, etc etc. (Depending on what I was changing I needed to provided a copy of name change document, copy of divorce decree, copy of marriage certificate, copy of birth certificate, and sometimes my social security card in maiden name).
Plus, his ex wife did not return to her maiden name after their divorce. Her professional licenses are in the married name so I get why she kept his last name. Plus, there's a son from that marriage.
Legally, I'm keeping my last name.
After the hassle of returning to my maiden name 8 years post divorce, I didn't want to change my name again.
Hubby to be is fine with this -- because he's saw what I need to provide just to change my name with utilities, insurance companies, drivers license, etc etc. (Depending on what I was changing I needed to provided a copy of name change document, copy of divorce decree, copy of marriage certificate, copy of birth certificate, and sometimes my social security card in maiden name).
Plus, his ex wife did not return to her maiden name after their divorce. Her professional licenses are in the married name so I get why she kept his last name. Plus, there's a son from that marriage.
Legally, I'm keeping my last name.
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I considered keeping my last name as my daughter goes by my surname and my h2b isn't her father but we do have a son who has his last name ! I didn't want my daughter to feel left out or upset that she didn't have the same name as us. After talking to her about it she wants my h2bs last name too as she calls him dad and he is her "dad" she hasn't seen her real dad since she was one and she just turned ten ! I also like that my name will become Becca Butterworth think it sounds bouncy and happy !! X0
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I'll be changing my last name, however much I dread the process. It just makes sense since our last names are so close. I'll be going from Salatti -> Salma.0
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I am changing my name. I just got it changed back to my maiden name after my divorce, but I also don't want 3 different last names going on in the house. I can see it getting confusing for schools, drs, etc. I didn't want my ex husbands last name- so I went back. My kids were ok with it. Right now, my degree is in my ex husbands name since I never bothered to change it (I'm lazy and figured if I ever got married, I'd have to change it again so I left it LOL).0
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I will be changing my last name... I'm kinda excited but at the same time I'm not because I've had my last name for 28 years and I absolutely love it! His last name isn't bad... I just like mine better. We've had several heated discussions about the topic (whether I should hyphenate or keep mine vs taking his vs him taking my name) and he won the battle. BUT, I will be getting a tattoo of my last name so I can hold onto it forever
Going from Pfeifer -> Skeens0 -
I'm changing mine! Hope it won't be too much of a hassle. I am not particularly fond of my current/maiden name, and my brother already has a son, so the name isn't dying off
Excited for a new last name! I think it's going to be sooo weird!0 -
Keeping mine professionally (and legally), but will use his socially.
It's been a sticking point for him, but I'm going on 33 and am well established in several career fields (emergency medicine - paramedic; law - attorney; government - planner). And that's just the beginning. Totally not worth it unless I become a housewife and stop working entirely. The email changes alone that are required would wreck havoc on several thousand interagency contacts. Nightmare. He finally said he understood and is okay with it. I feel badly that he's disappointed, but as I reminded him recently - his mother is Mrs. Monk... not me ;-)~
Koren --> Koren:) 0 -
I'm changing mine. I have a male, married cousin who can keep the name going and honestly, even though it's short, no one can pronounce it. There is a "W" pronounced like a "V"- it's Polish. My name-to-be can be mistaken in only one way but no one stares at it blankly and stutters while trying to say it, lol! MUCH easier!0
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I'm changing mine.
I think if I had been published already, I wouldn't do it, but right now all that I have to worry about it teaching (goodbye ratemyprofessor.com under my current name!) and my degrees. =]
kudeviz=>groff0 -
I'm changing my name and am very excited about it! I am very traditional.......have wanted to be a wife and get a new name since I was a little girl. At age 45, it's been a long wait!
Does anyone have advice about taking care of the name change? I've heard it's a pain, so I am open to learning from your previous experiences! 0 -
I always thought I would have no problem dropping my last name - but now that the time has come and I am 28 I feel like I have already made a lot of connections - professionally and personally with my last name and I am starting to publish this year ... I thought about doing the hyphen .. but in the end I decided just to change it now so my future kids and I will have the same name.
Cummings
> Rose0 -
Changing my last name is 1 thing i haven't thought about at all. But i guess it's because my h2b and i already have the same last name. (no we're not related did the research). As a little girl I looked forward to changing my last name because I have a brother to carry on the name. Oh well one less thing to stress about.0
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I'm changing my name and am very excited about it! I am very traditional.......have wanted to be a wife and get a new name since I was a little girl. At age 45, it's been a long wait!
Does anyone have advice about taking care of the name change? I've heard it's a pain, so I am open to learning from your previous experiences!
When I was considering it more closely, I reviewed a "free" kit online. It's really just a step-by-step guide on how to make sure you get everything and don't forget to do any of them. Also good info on the TheKnot.com.
http://www.bridekit.com/0 -
I am taking my H2B name but keeping my own too, without a hyphen. I have never had a middle name and am so attached to my own (am 33) that it would feel wrong not to keep it, its a part of me forever, A few people have made all sorts of comments on how confusing it will be for children or their schools. Regarding children (if we are blessed with any) I don't think it will be, they will have their fathers name and mines will be two names. Lots of families have different names within them these days I really don't think its a big deal as long as we are happy. Also with regards to anyone else I won't panic if they call me by my husbands name assuming its that but I will politely correct them. I have told my H2B this is what's happening and he hasn't questioned it. I haven't expected him to change a name so he never expected it of me and I am still taking his name too. Just my opinion on it but every one should have the right to choose one way or another!
Lee > Lee Walker0 -
The only advice I can give is that you need to do your social security card first. You'll need to take your marriage certificate in with you to do this. Then, I was able to get my license changed. After that, I had to send copies of my license, certificate and sometimes social (depending on what I was trying to change) to all of the places that carry my bills, etc.
Be careful of the passport issue. Unless you are going on a honeymoon out of country several weeks after your wedding- you need your license and your passport to have the same name. It could cause wasted time at the customs area if you have to wait for them to verify your new name, etc. Just way less hassle to change it after you get back.0 -
I am taking my H2B name but keeping my own too, without a hyphen. I have never had a middle name and am so attached to my own (am 33) that it would feel wrong not to keep it, its a part of me forever, A few people have made all sorts of comments on how confusing it will be for children or their schools. Regarding children (if we are blessed with any) I don't think it will be, they will have their fathers name and mines will be two names. Lots of families have different names within them these days I really don't think its a big deal as long as we are happy. Also with regards to anyone else I won't panic if they call me by my husbands name assuming its that but I will politely correct them. I have told my H2B this is what's happening and he hasn't questioned it. I haven't expected him to change a name so he never expected it of me and I am still taking his name too. Just my opinion on it but every one should have the right to choose one way or another!
Lee > Lee Walker
I was one hwo said it was confusing for schools and stuff. It might be regional, but everyone here has a horrible time figuring it out. My kids have their Dad's last name, I went back to my maiden name and my fiance has his last name. If they know me, they are calling my kids with my last name, if they know him but don't know they aren't his kids- they call them by his last name. It's just a mess. It's not confusing for my kids themselves, they get it. They know when my last name is different- it's everyone else who can't seem to grasp the concept..lol.
I will be going from Finley to Sweitzer. If I go Finley-Sweitzer, do I alwyas have to write the whole thing? Can i just use Sweitzer if I want?0 -
I was one hwo said it was confusing for schools and stuff. It might be regional, but everyone here has a horrible time figuring it out. My kids have their Dad's last name, I went back to my maiden name and my fiance has his last name. If they know me, they are calling my kids with my last name, if they know him but don't know they aren't his kids- they call them by his last name. It's just a mess. It's not confusing for my kids themselves, they get it. They know when my last name is different- it's everyone else who can't seem to grasp the concept..lol.
I will be going from Finley to Sweitzer. If I go Finley-Sweitzer, do I alwyas have to write the whole thing? Can i just use Sweitzer if I want?
haha exactly my reasoning, as long as we are ok with it and any kids we have I guess it doesn't matter what others struggle with or don't get. I guess it just depends on how much importance you place on names. I am one of those people who feel it is part of my identity and can't bear the thought of giving it up when I don't have to. xx0 -
I am changing mine and excited about it! It is a little weird to me though that I won't have my last name anymore! haha I was talking to my fiance's sister and she was like "everything changes for the bride...nothing really changes for the groom" and thats so true! My salon ordered me business cards and they say my new last name on them and its so weird to see!! Anyways, I can't wait!
Going from Cote ----> D'Angelo0 -
I will state I have not changed my passport from my married name back to my maiden name.
There's no international travel planned so there's no big rush.
I'll also share I carry a copy of the court document changing my name, the divorce decree and my birth certificate in my work bag.
And believe it or not... .I had to supply all of these documents as part of my retirement paperwork.0 -
Oh, gotta add... regarding my degrees.
One earned under my maiden name.
Degrees earned while married my name as hypened maiden-married name.0 -
I'm changing my name. I thought about keeping it but since our future kids would have his last name anyway my last name is doomed as it is. I don't want to have kids with our hyphenated last names because everyone spells mine wrong and everyone says his wrong so it would just be a double mess. I'll be 25 at the time of the wedding and have been promoted twice at my company so far. I'm solidly mid level now but if I do get promoted again it will be my first time having a real person office with a door instead of a cube so I want to have the new name before that happens. I have heard of a website that is supposed to guide you through all the documents for $30 (you fill in a few answers and it auto completes most of the forms you need). I haven't used it yet but here is the link if anyone wants to check it out:
https://www.missnowmrs.com/default.aspx
I'm going from Hartmann to Galbavi.0 -
Thanks for all the tips on changing names!0
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I am changing my name, but it is a little bittersweet. My last name is pretty well known where I work, since my parents have both worked there but I am still changing mine. It will be very weird not writting out my mile long last name and going to a four letter last name LOL
Gardenhire --> Hart0 -
I'll be changing my last name which makes me a little sad. There is only 1 male cousin to carry the name on even though my dad is 1 of 4 boys. Its pretty unique in most of Canada and people always butcher it (french spelling causes people to pronounce every letter instead of the french way). I've been practicing my signature and I don't like the new one because my name will be short so I have to write the whole thing whereas now I write E. G with a squiggle. *sigh* Oh the problems...
I'll go from Guitard (pronounced Guitar - like the instrument) to Kelly.0 -
I'm changing my last name because it's tradition. I don't really care either way. Honestly, If I could chose to change something, I would change my first name. x.x I'm so over it. I will NEVER name my child so unique and so obnoxious. I hate telling people my name because all they do is ooh and aah over it so many damn times it's ridiculous. I'm glad people think it's cute, but damn, hearing about it for 23 years gets a little much. Anyway, I'll be changing my last name.
Barger > Nicholls
My first name also doesn't flow well with the last name, IMO. x.x0 -
The first name subject -- I gotta chime in on this.
Regarding my first name. As a child, known as a nickname and yes, there's a few family members who still call me my nickname. Professionally, the nickname, well, who is going to take a Barbie seriously -- (unless you work for Mattel Toy company.)
When my children were born, I was very specific on selecting names that were not unique, different or trendy.
And I ensured I called my children by their name - no nickname.
So, there's a Kimberly, Natalie and Matthew. No Kimmy - no Natie - no Matt.
My oldest gets to school -- her kindergarten teacher began to call her Kimmy.
My youngests goes to school -- is called Matt.
Go figure -- not my intent!0 -
I'm changing my last name because it's tradition. I don't really care either way. Honestly, If I could chose to change something, I would change my first name. x.x I'm so over it. I will NEVER name my child so unique and so obnoxious. I hate telling people my name because all they do is ooh and aah over it so many damn times it's ridiculous. I'm glad people think it's cute, but damn, hearing about it for 23 years gets a little much. Anyway, I'll be changing my last name.
Barger > Nicholls
My first name also doesn't flow well with the last name, IMO. x.x
Now you've got me curious...0 -
I'm changing my last name because it's tradition. I don't really care either way. Honestly, If I could chose to change something, I would change my first name. x.x I'm so over it. I will NEVER name my child so unique and so obnoxious. I hate telling people my name because all they do is ooh and aah over it so many damn times it's ridiculous. I'm glad people think it's cute, but damn, hearing about it for 23 years gets a little much. Anyway, I'll be changing my last name.
Barger > Nicholls
My first name also doesn't flow well with the last name, IMO. x.x
Now you've got me curious...
It's French and means I love you. 'nuff said. >.>0
