When I was 15 years old I legally changed my name. When I was 21 I did it again, and at age 22 changed it for the third and final time. I would guess that most people who know me have never known me as anything other than Heidi LastName. But, the fact is that LastName is not the name on my birth certificate, or at least not my original birth certificate. LastName is actually my mother’s maiden name while Surname is my father’s last name.
Let me explain:
When I was young my parents split up, my mom changed her name back to her maiden name and over the next 6 or 7 years I spent a lot of time hating my Dad. Yep, Lurch, the man I absolutely love and adore now and can’t imagine not having in my life. It’s a long story, a story I don’t want to get into; besides, this website doesn’t have the space to hold all the drama and emotion and turmoil. Suffice it to say, when I was eight I started using my mother’s maiden name and when I was 15 Lurch gave his official, notarized permission for me to legally change my name from Surname to LastName. As a side note, my identical twin sister kept Surname and my younger sister legally changed her name to LastName-Surname. Three biological siblings, three different last names. Your protestations of “But families should all share the same last name, otherwise it’s just so confusing!” will do absolutely nothing here. It’s not confusing to have kids who have different last names than their parents or other siblings. It’s not embarrassing or shameful, nor does it somehow make you less of a family. No, if anything, having a different last name than your parent, or your child, or your sibling is the most American thing you can do. Have you seen the statistics on this lately? If you have the same last name as, and are still living with both of your biological parents you are in the minority.
When I got married the first time I had no intention of changing my name to X’s name, a fact he had a bit of a hard time reconciling. Months later X’s father purchased plane tickets for us to visit him in the Midwest, and I was too scared to call and tell my father-in-law, keeper of X’sName, that my name his name was wrong. Instead I changed my driver’s license to reflect the name on the ticket so I could get on the plane, and that led to having to change my bank accounts and my social security card and everything else; the government doesn’t like it when everything doesn’t match.
The day my divorce was final I started the process of legally changing my name back to Heidi LastName (a process that was considerably more difficult and frustrating than changing from Heidi LastName to Heidi X’sName, I might add) and I vowed never to change it again, regardless of my marriage status. Frankly, I think if I change it one more time the state department will come looking for me thinking I am some kind of terrorist or criminal on the lam.
Anyway, with that kind of lengthy introduction, you may have already guessed that my reasons for not changing my name post-wedding are perhaps a bit more involved than may be expected. This not some flippant decision I have made in the last few months, it is not me stretching my feminist wings, nor am I trying to give Patriarchy a swift kick in the shins. My decision to be Heidi LastName is entwined in the very fabric of who I am, it is something I have thought about in a very serious way for over twenty years.
Twenty. Years.
I am not changing my name. I am not keeping my maiden name as a middle name and I am not hyphenating. J-Mo has a lovely, normal last name, it’s not impossible to pronounce or spell, it doesn’t have iffy undertones or a dirty double meaning or anything like that. Nor is Heidi Mo the name of some kind of convicted criminal or murderer. Frankly, this decision has very little to do with him or with us. Heidi Mo is just…it’s just not Heidi LastName. Heidi LastName is who I am and who I will always be.
Did you change your name when you got married? Do you plan to? Did you and wish you hadn’t? If you are one of the 3 male readers of this blog, do you have an opinion on a woman who doesn’t want to add your name to her driver’s license/passport/library card?
*Just to be clear, when the bank asks for your mother’s maiden name I don’t give them LastName, I have another code-word that I use in its place. (Also, when and where did this habit of using something that is PUBLIC RECORD as a “security question” for all your financial information begin!? You should ALL use a code word instead of your mother’s maiden name! “Batman” would be a more secure password, for heaven’s sake, at least it’s not something one would find through the ever-more-powerful Google!)
**I hesitate to mention this, but if you search for Heidi OneOfTheLastName’sIMayHaveHadOrAlmost HadAtOnePointOrAnotherInMyLife you may discover a true story about a woman close to my my age–A WOMAN WHO IS NOT ME!—who spent time in a Utah prison for manslaughter after being found guilty of the neglectful death/murder of her infant child. Yeah. I can’t make up that shit.
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I have far less interesting things to say about “Sass” as a last name, but I feel completely the same way. In other tangential news, we just hired a guy who created a new last name with his wife! Some people were being weirdly judgy about it.
Comment by Laurel of Sass Attack, RIP 2012 February 16 @ 7:10 amAn acquaintance of mine and her husband created their own last name as well. I didn’t meet her until after she was married and after an initial “Huh, that’s different…and awesome” I haven’t thought any more about it. I have found that a lot of people have a lot to say about what you choose to do with your last name. Perhaps not so much in larger cities or among people who live in larger cities, but from Small Town America it is a hot topic of conversation.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 9:23 amha! The kids both have different last names, so when I was married, I had two, unhyphenated last names to include them both. Divorced and reverted back to maiden which is the same as The Kid. The Girl has her dad’s name. I will only change if I marry The Hero and after that, it will just stay The Hero’s name no matter what.
Comment by Dee 2012 February 16 @ 7:10 amMrs. The Hero? Sounds awesome.
I’m so glad you shared this, there are a lot of people who have told me “But when you have kids don’t you want the same name as them?” and it has never really struck me as a valid, or even pertinent argument. Shrug, here’s to being non-traditional.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 9:25 amAs one of the three, I would prefer that people keep their names and not change them. That said, when I was married my spouse changed her last name because that is what she wanted to do. Which is perfectly fine.
As an aside, I’m not overly fond of the hyphenated myname-yourname but it really doesn’t matter what I think on that – a name is how you identify yourself and if you didn’t end up with the one you want, change it. Whether it is Raymond Luxury-Yacht or Throat Warbler Mangrove it doesn’t matter so long as you identify with it and like it.
I like my name. I go by my middle name but my first name is my grandfather’s so it has meaning to me.
(crawling back under my rock)
Comment by Chris Hansen 2012 February 16 @ 8:15 amIt sure would make identifying people a lot easier if we all just kept our names intact. That being said, I think Heidikins Throat Warbler Mangrove is quite catchy.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 9:26 amAs you know, I kept my name. It is a decision that raises eyebrows occasionally when I’m back east, but in SF it’s far more normal than changing.
I love your name, and I’m glad you’re keeping it!
Comment by Abby - Bright Yellow World 2012 February 16 @ 8:51 amI’ve noticed that depending on who I am talking to about it the eyebrows either do not move (people from larger cities) or they hit the stratosphere (people from my hometown).
I love my name too, I still can’t get over the fact that I have an X and a Y in it!
(Yes, I am thrilled by small things.)
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 9:27 amI changed my last name legally at 19 to my mom’s new married last name. I was estranged from my dad at the time and didn’t want his name on my degree. My step-dad was a big part of my life and I wanted to support him. When I got married, I wanted to have the same last name as T. I wasn’t particularly attached to my first two last names and I felt like with his, we could make it important to us as a family. It’s the first one that’s really felt like mine
Comment by Britt 2012 February 16 @ 9:13 amI love this story! And I really love that you have found the name that feels like it fits with you! Hooray!!
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 9:28 amI didn’t change my last name when I got married. I like my last name, I am used to it, and it’s what is on all my professional degrees. Plus, I just don’t look like my husband’s last name (it’s an ethnicity I am not), which I thought might be confusing.
My daughter does have his last name (not mine), and I will use his colloquially, but I am not changing mine.
Comment by meekasmommy 2012 February 16 @ 9:31 amI totally agree on the colloquial thing, at church or in the neighborhood I will respond to Mrs. J-Mo (although, it will probably take me a while to realize they are talking to me), we can be the J-Mo family, all that is fine. But my driver’s license and my taxes and my library card will stay the same.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 9:37 amWhat an interesting story. Who knew a last name could be so drama filled?!
I changed my name with my first marriage and then went back to my maiden name after my divorce. I realized how much I LOVED my maiden name and vowed to never change it again. Then I met The King who felt VERY strongly about me using his last name. VERY strongly. We had far too many discussions about it and eventually (obviously) I took one for the team and changed my name. I WISH I would have used a hyphen. (It’s hyphenated in my personal e-mail and I like the way it looks.) I should have hyphenated it for business as well.
But I didn’t. Oh well.
Comment by Isabel 2012 February 16 @ 9:38 amI really love my little sister’s hyphenated name, while in high school (and even, to some extent, college) she just used her hyphenated initials as a last name, Liesl DC, it makes her look like a rockstar or something.
I love your maiden name as well, and I know far too well the lengthy discussions on why a woman should take her husband’s last name, it’s exhausting.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 10:31 amI didn’t think about it much when we got married, but I think if I was to get married NOW I would think long and hard about whether or not to take my husband’s name, because I do LOVE my maiden name.
On the other hand, I don’t have any regrets that I took Bart’s name because it meant a lot to him, since his parents were divorced when he was tiny and he’s always had a different last name than his mom. He was really happy to have a family with all one last name.
Comment by Janssen 2012 February 16 @ 9:56 amI can absolutely see where he is coming from, and I actually really like Bart’s last name too, it seems very…classic. (Is it okay to say something like that? I don’t even know.)
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 10:32 amI’m on my 3rd marriage. I changed my name the first two times and reverted to my maiden name after divorcing. With the third, I kept my maiden name for 5 years. I just changed it very recently. Maybe this means I got married too soon? Regardless, it’s complicated enough explaining to people about being close to both my adoptive family and biological family and my twin being biological but adopted with me and raised together. I guess I feel more like myself with my husband’s last name, more stable and permanent and “this is me”, particularly because I waited so long. It’s like my adult identity if you will.
Comment by Jenn 2012 February 16 @ 10:10 amI like that, “my adult identity.” I don’t think I’d ever thought of it that way before, but it makes a lot of sense as to why someone would prefer to change their name.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 10:34 amI have been having this debate with myself (and my boyfriend and my best friend and my sister and anyone who will listen) for quite a while. I love my name the way it is. FirstName LastName are symmetrical to each other, ConsonantVowelConsonantVowelConsonant. Ten letters and you are done! However, my last name does represent the caste system in India which of course, I do not support. Indian tradition is to marry someone with the same last name, so there’s not really a clear cut rule to change your last name or not if you and your husband’s last names happen to be different. Not to mention there are a million girls with my name-try looking for me on Facebook, lol. My boyfriend’s last name is more unique, and I’d still get to keep my initials. I’d probably be the one and only FirstName HisLastName. He of course wants me to take his last name, and I do feel like it supports the idea of making our own family. As you can tell I have thought about this a lot and still haven’t made up my mind!
Comment by Sonal 2012 February 16 @ 10:20 amIt’s such a tricky business, trying to weigh all the pro’s and con’s and come to a definitive decision.
Side note, somewhat related to your symmetrical comment: My mother has beautiful penmanship and very often took side jobs to address wedding announcements, fill in certificates, etc in her calligraphy (the real deal, quill pen, bottle of ink, etc). When choosing our names she wanted us to have a tall letter at the beginning and a letter at the end that either hung down (a “y” or “g” or “p”) or stood tall (a “d” or “k” or “l”) so it was beautiful to look at. Luckily, both LastName and Surname have hanging letters at the end.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 10:38 amI’ve never liked my name. The syllable ratio is off, and it makes saying it awkward. That, and people almost always pronounce my last name incorrectly. You have to know that it’s English, and you pronounce it with a titch of English snobbery. Trivial details though, really.
I like ANYTHING that breaks with tradition, which is why I applaud your decision to keep your name. I also enjoy your stories because there’s always more detail that you would assume.
Kuddos to you, Mrs. um… er… Hmm…
Can I just call you Heidikins?
Comment by Sov 2012 February 16 @ 10:49 amAs you have probably guessed, I am not all that traditional….about anything. Shrug.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 12:02 pmWhen I got married, I happily dropped my maiden name (and my very provincial middle name). It was a done deal within a week of getting married. It was a trade up. My maiden name was at the end of the alphabet. It wasn’t anything weird or hard to pronounce (although I found myself spelling it a lot for people, especially over the phone). It was as common as Smith or Jones. But I always sat at the back of the class. Or the front, if the teacher felt like mixing it up and putting the seating chart in reverse alphabetical order. My last name sits neatly in the middle of the alphabet now, and I like it a lot.
So, it’s a little name change. What’s the big deal?
Then I realized that it would kind of be a big deal if someone asked me to change my first name. I have a post on my blog with exactly the same title as this post delineating the ways I am Elizabeth. I am not Mary Ann or Teresa or Jennifer. Nor am I Eliza, Liza, Beth, Betsy, Betty, nor any other derivation of Elizabeth, and especially not Liz. I am E.liz.a.beth. Or if you’re family, you can drop the ‘E’ and call me ‘Lizabeth.
I am particularly attached to my first name, all of my first name, because that is who I am. I wouldn’t want to trade it. Getting married doesn’t change who you are. Heidi LastName is who you are, so, rock it.
xo -E
Comment by Elizabeth 2012 February 16 @ 11:08 amVery fascinating. My name is too short for most nicknamed/truncated versions of it, although for a while I was called “D” and really hated that. My only nickname is heidikins, and that’s longer and only really used by people who a) read this blog or b) think I’m awesome.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 12:04 pmA nickname should be a term of endearment, not something you hate to hear.
Also, if I ever get a divorce, I’ll keep my married name. I like it well enough and don’t want it to be weird for my kids.
xo -E
Comment by Elizabeth 2012 February 16 @ 6:12 pmYou already read my blog about this. I continue to be conflicted, but I press forward. Shrug.
Comment by The Mrs. 2012 February 16 @ 11:17 amIt’s all just so tricky.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 12:08 pmI like the idea of blending names, with husband and wife taking her last name as a middle name and his last name as, well, last name. But given how long my last name is, totally impractical to me! No one wants half the alphabet as a middle name. I’ll just change my last name if and when I marry.
Comment by Stacy 2012 February 16 @ 11:22 amI have heard of the blended names, and I think it’s a really nice, new tradition. Feminist alert: I also like the idea of a man having to grapple with and come to terms with what it entails to legally change his surname. /rant.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 12:05 pmI am totally struggling with this right now!! I most likely will not officially change my name, but rather unofficially and colloquially be Mrs. so-and-so. My mom always regaled me with horror stories about changing her name back to her maiden name after her first marriage. Also, my sisters and I are the last of the line! If we all switch our names or do not pass along our name to potential offspring, this E line dies with us! (We don’t have any cousins to carry it on either!) That makes me incredibly sad.
That said, I LOVE what someone wrote above about taking their husband’s name as part of their “adult identity.” That settles very well with me. Hmm.
So, as usual, you write about something incredibly timely and important for my life as well.
Comment by j 2012 February 16 @ 11:59 amI *totally* get the “end of the line” angst. On my Mom’s side I have 54 first cousins. FIFTY-FOUR! Out of that huge group, there are only 5 of us who have carried on my LastName. FIVE! That makes me really really sad.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 16 @ 12:07 pmWhen my parents got divorced my mom kept my dad’s last name for the five years that she was single before she got remarried. I’ve never asked her about it, but my feeling is that Nancy S**** was such a part of her identity that she didn’t want to go back to her maiden name.
I look forward to taking the last name of whoever I marry, but I totally understand when someone might not want to. I do want to somehow keep my current last name as part of my name though, but I love my middle and my last name, so I’m not quite sure how I’ll do that. Two middle names, I guess.
Comment by Melanie 2012 February 16 @ 12:40 pmI really love the idea of keeping your maiden name as part of your married name. Two middle names is in no way excessive.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 17 @ 11:00 amThis is an interesting topic to me. I’ve thought about it off and on for years. I have never been married or even close to it so my opinions might change if that happens but here are my thoughts relating to my last name. I adore my last name. It’s at the beginning of the alphabet and fun to write and like you, it’s me. Oh so, for the last 28 years, all I know and love, me.
Every time I’ve gotten close to a guy I think about if it would work in a marriage situation and whether or not I would take his name. I have to say there has not been a single last name I would be willing to make mine. In all honesty there are not a lot of names that flow with Fumiko, but that is neither here nor there.
As it stands now I have no plans on taking anyone’s last name. My name is mine, it’s me and I like it… a lot! I may feel differently if I were to find a man who I was totally in love with and respected on all levels and had an acceptable sounding last name. If I felt like it would show him my devotion to him I would consider it. However all those things may not change my mind in the least.
With that being said I think changing your name is a very personal thing. If a woman, or man, wants to drop their last name for their spouse or if they want to “middle name” it, I think it’s a matter of much thought and perhaps prayer. I personally am not a huge fan of hyphenated last names. I think they are a bit silly but people have to do what they feel is right for them.
Miko
Comment by Miko 2012 February 16 @ 12:57 pmhttp://www.fumikoalger.wordpress.com
I like the hyphen, but I think the “having two last names” thing is my preference, if I were to have two last names. Something like Heidi LastName MoName, does that make sense?
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 17 @ 11:02 amFor whatever reason, I have this minor obsession with identifying people who have all 5 vowels in their name. I love it when they introduce the players for a sports game, and I can scan all of their names. (I know it’s weird; it’s just my thing). Anyway, my first and last names contain A E I O but no U. Lo and behold, I am engaged to someone with the U in the last name! If I hyphenate, I’d be a 5-voweler….but I don’t want a hyphenated name, and I think that would push me into crazy-zone. I am taking his name. I’ve had my last name for 38 years, but, eh, it isn’t something I feel that connected to. I love how my middle name is spelled, so I’m dropping my maiden name.
The one fun thing about my last name– it’s Watson. My dad used to do business trips with a guy, last name of Holmes. If that was the case for me, I’d probably think twice about changing it!
Comment by Kristen 2012 February 16 @ 2:29 pmHaha! This is awesome. I’ve only got 3 vowels (sad face), but I also have a y, which is sometimes a vowel. Does that count?
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 17 @ 11:03 amMy work is filled with husband wife teams and the majority of them DO NOT have the same last name. It was only slightly confusing when I started and one time mistakenly assumed people had the same last name as their spouse. Since I know so many who don’t now, it doesn’t seem that odd to me. I think down the road to when I might marry. Part of me really plans to keep my own name. I’m an only child, I’ve had this name for 27 years, no one else in the world has my name. I’d rather like to keep it that way.
Plus I’m an “A” name and I really dislike moving down in the alphabet
Comment by Kim 2012 February 16 @ 5:28 pmI used to work for a company where the owner and the head researcher were husband and wife. She purposely kept her maiden name in business because it was a lot easier than trying to explain that “no, even though we’re married it doesn’t mean the research is rigged.” I mean, the research could have been rigged, who knows, but it wasn’t the first thing you thought about when seeing the company roster.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 17 @ 11:04 amYou’re right, as if the decision to change your own name is not difficult a decision enough in itself, the government sure knows how to make it a real chore (I totally get why, but still …)
BF and I have talked about this and I think I’m going to hyphenate – I think if i had decided to completely not change my name, BF would be really upset …
Comment by respect the shoes 2012 February 16 @ 6:55 pmI have had several (x)BF’s who really really hated the idea of me keeping my name, and a few who despised the idea of hyphenating. I really lucked out with J-Mo, he (thankfully!) has very few opinions on the whole subject. He doesn’t care either way and that has been absolutely wonderful.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 17 @ 11:05 amHahaha oh if only you were here for the last week of my life. Have been to the DMV not once, not twice, BUT THREE TIMES.
Comment by amy 2012 February 17 @ 9:02 amOh girl, I feel you there!
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 17 @ 11:06 amThis was something the husband and I still debate! After my divorce and going back to my maiden name (a process that I detested), I did not want to change it again. When we did get married, the husband was very adamant about me changing it. I’m a little strong-willed, so it has been an issue of a few arguments. I’m slowly coming to terms with being Mrs. NewLastName, but I still have some issues with it. Now, some days, I’m okay with changing it and some days, I’m not.
Still not sure what I’m going to do, but I’ll do it if and when I’m ready… and to me, that’s the important part.
Comment by Shannon 2012 February 17 @ 1:29 pmI have a really hard time with the argument part of these types of discussions. I’ve argued with plenty of (x)boyfriends on this issue, and the more upset they were the more defensive I became. I don’t understand how–in my case–they could have POSSIBLY put more thought into ME changing MY name than I have.
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that kind of issue. Believe me, honey, I’ve so been there.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 17 @ 1:45 pmGood for you. I think people should be able to make the best decision for them without other people judging them for it.
Personally, I hate my last name and have thought about changing it to something more manageable, but I don’t want to go through the hassle.
Comment by Jennie 2012 February 17 @ 4:55 pmGoodness, it is a huge hassle. Gaaargh.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 12:49 amI married at 21. Took his surname. When we divorced at 24 I didnt want to change it back, as I was estranged from my family and didn’t want their name. Then the years pass, and frankly I couldn’t be arsed with the hassle and cost of changing it. So everyone knows me by my ex husbands name. I don’t live it but what’s in a name. Really it’s my first name that matters more. If I get married I will change it.
Comment by A 2012 February 17 @ 5:19 pmThis is fascinating!! Thank you for sharing!
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 12:50 amIt wasn’t hard for me because I was so amazed to get married at all that I wanted it to be really “official.” And yet, I deeply miss my maiden name and sometimes still inadvertently sign it. It was the name I carried on my mission. . . the name by which I was a new teacher . . . the name given to a much loved friend’s daughter. . . the name on my diplomas. . . I am grateful that my parents didn’t give me a middle name so that I might keep my maiden name as some part of myself.
I too believe names have great power; we have deliberated a long time over each son’s name because it becomes a very important part of your identity.
Comment by Science Teacher Mommy 2012 February 18 @ 1:25 pmMy sister named her first daughter her dear friend’s maiden name. I love that. I do love my maiden name, I just can’t imagine giving it up.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 12:52 amThe concept of changing my last name has always been foreign to me. I am who I am, and changing my name would make me feel like an imposter. That said, I get why people like to change their names. The thing I totally don’t get is why children still take their father’s name if the parents have different names. To me, children seem closer to their mothers, and it makes more sense for the naming scheme to follow the maternal line. But I think names are like hometowns — sometimes they fit you and sometimes they don’t.
Comment by Sra 2012 February 19 @ 5:58 pmAgreed. I know some cultures use the mother’s name as the child’s name, which, frankly, seems to make a lot of sense. After all, there is never a question about who the mother is, either she birthed the kid or she didn’t.Sperms are a lot trickier.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 12:56 amI never changed my name either, both for professional purposes (I’ve had my byline for over a decade now) and because Scott’s last name is so difficult for people. But funny enough, it was never even a question for us–like, it was only assumed I would keep my name. And in California, not a one of my friends took their husband’s name after getting married, but now that I’m back in the South, people give me the funniest look when I give them a surname that is different from my husband’s, as if they don’t believe we’re actually married! Weird.
Comment by Camels & Chocolate 2012 February 19 @ 11:03 pmI really think it has so much to do with where you live and what customs are in that area. My very small hometown 50 miles south of me it would be unheard of to keep my maiden name. In my downtown lifestyle it is unusual, but not completely unheard of. I’m sure if J-Mo and I head to a larger city no one would even bat an eye.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 12:57 amI didn’t want to drop my middle or maiden name when I got married, because they are both important me. I just added the husband’s last name at the end, so now I have two last names with no hyphen. Some people think it’s weird, but I thought it worked out well. I’ll go by either last name depending on the situation.
Comment by Jannifer 2012 February 20 @ 3:53 pmI love this, I had no idea of all this, but goodness, I love this.
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 12:57 amI think it’s pretty cool that you’ve had so many different names!
Comment by Andi of My Beautiful Adventures 2012 February 20 @ 7:41 pmxox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 12:58 amI am married and I did change my name!!! I LOVE my “new” name! I married into a more than wonderful family and I can’t be more proud of who they are, my husband is, and who I am! ……………………. I do, however, understand why you’d never want to go through the whole name change process again!!! It is quite long and tedious!
Comment by Alaina 2012 February 21 @ 11:14 amI am so happy you had such a great experience with such a huge change! Congrats!!
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 12:59 amIt wasn’t until I was a teen that I realized there actually were options. Silly as it sounds I hadn’t really thought about it before then. I did decide to change my name to my husbands when I got married. He was concerned I thought I HAD to do it that way and made it clear he’d be fine if I chose to keep my maiden name or other use some other name. Which I thought was cool. Unfortunately my in-laws thought I wasn’t using their name and freaked out about it, which was completely unnecessary since I’d said I wanted to switch my name.
Comment by Heather 2012 February 22 @ 8:15 pmOh lawsy, the in-laws are an entire new level of angsty explaining. (See: father-in-law/airplane ticket debacle above).
xox
Comment by heidikins 2012 February 22 @ 11:00 pmI will be getting married in September & I will be acquiring my fiance’s last name. Truth be told, I am looking forward to not having to spell my last name for everyone or correct their pronunciation. My last name is very German, and while only five letters, you would be amazed at the number of ways I have heard it pronounced or seen it spelled. Fiance’s last name is very simple & common.
Comment by **Dawn** 2012 March 13 @ 8:02 pm