Married or Maiden name on degree?

JeniBug82

Just taking a quick poll, to anyone who is getting married while still in school, would you have your maiden name or married name on degree? I am getting married in March, and graduate in May. I am not sure which I prefer because I started this journey while it was just me, before I met my husband to be, but I am committing my life to him and will be finished after we are married...anyone else in the same boat?

san.marie

To me, graduation is a celebration of your journey, just as a marriage is a celebration of your love.  If along that journey you changed your name, then why not include it?

MelG06

I think you should put our maiden name on your degree... It's been your name all throughout your education years, and it's the name you've gone through college with. Plus, if something should happen (which is probably unlikely, because I'm sure you'll have a happy marraige!), I think it would a better idea if you don't have his name on your degree... kind of like the tattoo issue... never get a man's name tattooed on you, because it can't be removed!

LauraT25

I'm getting my married name on my degree.  I think it's a personal choice, though I can see Mel's point.

tldh

Which name are you using professionally?

Karebear852k3

I see Mel's point too, but when I finally graduate, I will put my married name on my degree.  My maiden is on my bachelor's degrees, but I hate my maiden name.  Plus FI and I have gone through the school thing together (he has been there through high school, college, and now graduate school)

LauraT25

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_students_married-maiden-name-degree?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:684Discussion:81c651f4-7f6c-4eda-bb87-a1d81db83583Post:f94d43eb-eb62-4f4a-b59e-2dc87dcb2642">Re: Married or Maiden name on degree?</a>:
[QUOTE]Which name are you using professionally?
Posted by tldh[/QUOTE]

That's a really good question.  OP, you should definitely think about this when making your decision.  Also, it might not be a bad idea to talk to some female professors in your department to get a more specific prospective from them.

stephdonjon

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_students_married-maiden-name-degree?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:684Discussion:81c651f4-7f6c-4eda-bb87-a1d81db83583Post:d64f0a73-87ae-4052-ab2e-5c6b808997a3">Re: Married or Maiden name on degree?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Married or Maiden name on degree? : That's a really good question.  OP, you should definitely think about this when making your decision.  Also, it might not be a bad idea to talk to some female professors in your department to get a more specific prospective from them.
Posted by LauraT25[/QUOTE]
That's a good idea, and oddly something I hadn't thought about. Come to think of it, I hadn't thought about the name thing at all. I'll have one semester left of my masters after the wedding, so I don't know yet what I'll do. Probably use my married name, since that's what I'll be going by professionally at that point.

HeatherBob

Personally, I would use my married name. I am in the same boat - I'm getting married in January & graduate in May. Although I started this journy with one name... I'm ending it with another & that's a good thing. It's nice to see how one has changed from start to finish

ctat6800

Would you consider hyphenating both of your names?  I've also seen degrees that have first name, maiden name in parentheses, and then married name, or you could do vice versa.  Just a thought!  I am in the same boat, and will probably use my married name, but I started school after we had met and he has been a huge support for me (both emotionally and financially) during my schooling.  Good luck to you, and congratulations!

segreantarmed

I've been with my fiancee since high school, but I will be using my maiden name on my degree and then changing my name afterwards. Maybe not the popular choice, but it's the one that's right for me.

MyWedding13

I plan on getting my maiden name on my degree since that is the name I am using professionally.

callalily13

Ya I understand your dilemna because I will be getting married before I finish my PhD so my degree will have my married name on it and I will be addressed as Dr. Konish. I recently thought about that and how weird it is that I will never be addressed as Dr. Kinworthy, but it doesnt bug me its just weird. So you just have to decide if you think it is more important for you to be addressed by your maiden or married name, especially if you are going for something with a title.

aznsong50

I'm in the same boat--I'm in the middle of working on my PhD (as in, it will be YEARS before I finish), and I'm getting married next July. I've basically decided that I want to use my maiden name professionally, and take his name in everything else. What it came down to for me was this: Who earned the degree? For me, Jennifer Fong did all the work, and, perhaps more importantly, getting this degree was Jennifer Fong's dream. Jennifer Govea has different goals. Anyway, I hope that helps, and congratulations!

JCM10

I'm graduating in May '12 after our Jan '12 wedding...I'll be getting my married name on my degree, as it's all I'm going to use and will be my legal name when I graduate.

rkjensen

I'll be married next summer and graduate the year after, I'll have my married name on my BA.

AlmostMrsStrong

Huh...I never even considered this. I've been with my FI since my first semester of college (even though I swore I'd stay single for my entire freshman year...oops!), but we aren't getting married until after I graduate.

I think I'd rather have my maiden name on my degree, even if I got married before my graduation, if I had spent the majority of my time in school as Jane Maiden instead of Jane Married.

DramaGeek

I got married in Dec and graduated in May.  My degree has my whole name - Laura Rae Maiden Married.

Jcarlson9

I had never even thought about this. By the time I graduate I will have been with my FI the whole 4 years. I am getting married the summer between my sophomore and junior year so by the end I will have spent 2 years with my maiden name and 2 years with my married name.

I think I might go with Julia Anne (Maiden) Married.

Tara_A

I am graduating in December and getting married next month. I am placing my maiden name on it because college has been my hard work, my long nights, and my money. Because of all that I want it to reflect what I have done without being married so that I never "lose perspective" of what I accomplished before I married my dream man. 

sleepybeck

I'm getting married next June and I graduate law school in May 2012. I'll have my married name on that degree.  I plan on practicing under my married name, and that's what I will be called when I get that degree.  Changing my name doesn't change who I am as a person... it's still me who earned the degree even if my name is different from what it was when I started the degree.

tldh

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_students_married-maiden-name-degree?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:684Discussion:81c651f4-7f6c-4eda-bb87-a1d81db83583Post:bb56c640-58ff-4e13-a19e-371c8a943c5e">Re: Married or Maiden name on degree?</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm getting married next June and I graduate law school in May 2012. I'll have my married name on that degree.  I plan on practicing under my married name, and that's what I will be called when I get that degree.  Changing my name doesn't change who I am as a person... it's still me who earned the degree even if my name is different from what it was when I started the degree.
Posted by sleepybeck[/QUOTE]

Well put.  My college certificate, law school certificate and Ohio supreme court certificate all have my maiden name.  My Pennsylvania (and maybe New Jersey) supreme court certificates will have my married name.

marendale

Wow I seriously never thought about this.  I'm glad this was posted about!  I'm in nursing school and half of it I'll be single and half I'll be married.   I did realize I had to get two lab coats because of this - one with maiden name and one with married name.  But I never thought about the degree.  It does sting a little that my maiden name won't be receiving the glory on the degree, but FI was there all along the way and we will be one in spirit afterwards... so I think I will go with married name on the degree.  I'm also definitely using my married name professionally.

peoniesandpixels

I'm getting married next summer and graduate that winter, I'll be getting my maiden name on my diploma since I won't be changing it till after I graduate just to make things easier.

caitlinm9

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_students_married-maiden-name-degree?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:684Discussion:81c651f4-7f6c-4eda-bb87-a1d81db83583Post:6335ae8a-c1aa-4637-ae91-bcfe2c029a88">Re: Married or Maiden name on degree?</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm getting married next summer and graduate that winter, I'll be getting my maiden name on my diploma since I won't be changing it till after I graduate just to make things easier.
Posted by peoniesandpixels[/QUOTE]
I'm in the EXACT position. I was actually not going to get married until 2012 (long story, military blah blah...) and my advisor said that was good because I wouldn't have to deal with the name change thing. I'm a speech therapy major and I have hours documented with clients that go towards my degree. Apparently it's really confusing if you change your name in the middle of your education and they could lose your hours (ahhh.) Soo to save the hassle and the chance of more headaches I'm keeping my maiden name and then change my name after graduation and I get my certificates ect. THEN changing my name...... But both of my diplomas will have my maiden name. Kind of one last nod to my parents :-)

lemasted

Im getting married at the end of October and graduating in December. I talked with my mom, who raised me as a single parent & paid for a lot of my education, about what name I should get on my degree. She would like her name, or my maiden name, on the degree as caitlinm9 said "one last nod" to her. My fiance, on the other hand, thinks I should have my married name on the degree since my name will be changed to that right after we are married. I think I am going to have Danyle Maiden Married put on the degree as a compromise =]

Okashiko

I know this is probably thread rezzing at this point, but I had to post...

I'm really conflicted about what I should do as far as the whole name-change goes. I'm getting married in May, with one semester left on my Master's degree. If I change my name in May, it means a crap ton of paperwork having to notify the Uni, the Federal Student Loans people, etc. BUT, I'd have the name on the degree that I'm going to have for the rest of my life. On the other hand, I could wait a few months, and temporarily allay the hassle.
I just don't know what I should do. I also don't want to potentially offend my FI by not changing it. I don't want to hypenate because it would sound rediculous.