hypenathed last name

[kashi]

Re: hypenathed last name

I personally do not have the need to cling onto an identity as I am already content with who and what I am.

I guess I don't see it as "clinging" to my name (and thus, identity) so much as not finding any particularly good reason to change it.

You do have a point regarding children, though. Kids normally take their father's name, anyway, so what does it matter? As a friend once said, since she was her father's property before, what does it matter if she changes her name to become her husband's property now?

Perhaps I'll change my name to my own, made-up last name. Or maybe I'll just go by my first name, a la Madonna, Cher, Oprah.

[DivaJen]

Re: hypenathed last name

You do have a point regarding children, though. Kids normally take their father's name, anyway, so what does it matter?

DD has my middle name and her father's last name. If she changes her name down the road, she can keep her middle name and change her last name or drop her middle name and keep her surname as a new middle name. At least she'll have a choice. Or, she can follow in her mother's footsteps and hold onto both names. I have a middle name from my mother's side of the family and a last name from my father's side. I like that.

[kashi]

Re: hypenathed last name

I have a middle name from my mother's side of the family and a last name from my father's side. I like that.

My sister-in-law did the same thing with her kids. I think that is a nice idea.

[tgavin71]

Re: hypenathed last name

I changed my last name when I got married. For me it was my third last name. One at birth, one when my mum remarried and one when I got married. I didn't need to change my when my mum remarried or when I got married. I did it because both names were, in my opinion better than the name I had before.
I hated my birth last name and always had the intention of changing it. I got teased a lot because of it. I remember sitting in a hall of 300 year seven students and having my name read out. The teacher stumbled over it for a good 20 secs. Finally I yelled out "Tongue" you know the thing in your head. It is pronounced exactly the same way. Of course everyone turned and looked at me. It is a horrid name.
Thankfully my mum remarried a better man with a better name. SO I took on this. No more teasing about my name but no one could pronounce it or spell it.
When I met my husband and he wrote down his phone number I decided then and there that if we married I would change it.

[neatdesign]

Re: hypenathed last name

I've been married twice, first at age 23 and then at age 30. I took my husband's surname both times. I haven't used my maiden name since my first marriage; I kept my first husband's surname after our divorce because I liked it better than my maiden name.

However, I was thrilled when I got engaged to my second husband, because I was so excited about getting a "normal" surname: Stevens. Easy to spell, easy to pronounce. Better than my first husband's surname, and much better than my maiden name.

That said, my first name (Jennifer) is EXTREMELY common, and now, with my married surname, my name is even MORE common. When I worked at Capital One, it was a slow night so I looked up Jennifer Stevens in their customer database. It only pulled up 6 records at a time and I had to keep clicking "Get More," which made it take some time to do. I stopped after it hit 300...

I've been thinking of changing my middle name. Not only because I never really liked it very much, but mostly because I'm worried that I'm more at risk for identity theft. Or, at the very least, mistaken identity (getting mail for some other Jennifer Stevens, etc).

Problem is, I can't decide what I'd like to have as a middle name. It would have to be something that I like, sound good with Jennifer, and be unique but not outrageous. But the biggest thing is that I really don't know, in the end, if it would be worth the effort. Knowing me I'll probably be way too lazy to go through with it.

~ Jenney

[Gruntina]

Re: hypenathed last name

Jen, Jenny, Jennie, Jennifer, Jenifer, genifer, and geniver etc..... aaack I can't escape!! I am also a Jennifer and it’s the #1st most popular name in my generation. I remember more than 4 Jennifer’s each course I took in high school so the Jen, Jenny, and Jennifer sounds were not enough to go around that we had to be announced with our last name. I also remember that cute things with names like key chains or necklace with the name Jennifer always ran out first.
I could use my middle name but a famous celebrity is well known with that name so no win here! But I want to honor my parents with the name they gave me so I am keeping it. But I do know the frustration of having a popular name.

[tinapbeana]

Re: hypenathed last name

my name is not all that popular, but in my 6th grade class there was a tina, utina, and davina. how weird!

[Homebody]

Re: hypenathed last name

I hyphenated my last name because after I married, I went to change my name on a local department store credit account. They were still using written legers and already had a customer with my new married first and last name. So they said, "Why don't you hyphenate your name". I said okay and that's how it happened with me. This was in 1978. I eventually (like 15 years later) changed my SS# (when they threatened to withhold a refund), but changed my driver's license the next time it came time to renew. Checking accounts and all have hyphenated. So I consider my hyphenated name my "legal" name, but answer to plain old C Brown or Mrs. Brown too.

I think it was a good idea since DH's name came up on a judgement when we have applied for our first real estate loan and it was not him. It was fairly simple to clear it up though.

YD just married and took her husband's name. I think my husband was slightly disappointed she didn't hyphenate her new name.