Keeping Your Maiden Name

[chic]

I had a friend whose husband took her last name when they married. He had brothers who had kids so there was none of the "have to carry on the name" angst. She was an only child.

As for hyphenated names...what happens when James Smith-Jones marries Susan Brown-Wilson?

I have a friend who did that too. It's not something you run into every day. I was surprised when I first learned about it.

 

[hollydolly]

My maiden name has been the same as my married name. That's what happens when you marry someone who has the same last name.

OMG Lois... who knew 2 people who had the name frankenjuliandreyfus.. would ever meet.... and Marry... what are the chances ?

 

[Remy]

I never got married. But I do think names matter. My last name was changed to my stepfather's when I was 7. We were never asked. My oldest brother, since he was over 18 kept the bio-dad's last name. More unusual but it suits my first name much better. Some people would think I now have a good last name. Short, not real common but not unusual either. But I hate it. Could I changed it back someday. I guess I could but the hassle at my age.

 

[feywon]

By the time i was in my 30's due to how many people were serially monogamous, Mom's and children not having same name was becoming common. Took first husband's name and kept till civil cermony marriage to #3.

Second, a common law husband, left when i was 6 months pregnant with daughter. (He at least paid child support until she was 3 months old and visited her some while we were in same state.) So i put my maiden name on her birth certificate.

So for several years we were three last name household. When divorcing #3 i lucked out: We were in Wyoming, where this a question on divorce papers about retaining married name or returning to maiden name.

By that time my sons were grown, daughter a teen, and now because i'd given her a family first name (she's 5th generation in matriarchial line with that first name) we had same name except for middle. Which makes putting our middle initials on forms and documents crucial. At medical providers they usually use date of birth along with name as identifier so that's easier.

But we've thrown more than one telephone solicitor of their script by asking 'Which one?' when they ask for us by either first or both first and last name.

 

[jujube]

I have a friend who did that too. It's not something you run into every day. I was surprised when I first learned about it.

Apparently it was more common among the rich, when a patriarch with no sons, only daughters, might require a prospective son-in-law to take the family name thus ensuring that Mortimer Moneybags the 1st would be supplied with, hopefully, a grandson named Mortimer Moneybags II, instead of John Poorfolk, Jr.