Poll: Changing your name?

kkaew816

Changing mine!

emilykathleen511

I'm still undecided  I'm having a LOT of trouble deciding too. Ick. I just feel like damned if I do, damned if I don't kind of a thing. Ugh.

kristigiles

I havn't completely decided yet, but I think I'm going to make my maiden name my new middle name and drop my old middle name.  I don't really want to have 4 names and I'm more attached to my last name than my middle name.

andreaadam

I am taking his new last name name, which is exciting and sad to me since my sister and I are the last family members with our last name, so basically the name ends with us. FI is getting adopted by his stepdad, which is interesting at 28, but he's the man that's been his dad for the past 20 years, so it seems right. We're not sure when the adoption is finalized, and I keep pushing that we need to find out soon so we can get his paperwork going before we fill out the paperwork so I don't have to do the name change thing twice!

gcourteau

I am taking FI's last name, even though I LOVE my last name. But I am very traditional and can't imagine not having the same last name as my husband and children.

Veittobe

I am probably going to change my name.  But I'm not sure how that will work professionally.  My patients all know me as my maiden name and my diploma has my maiden name displayed as well as my license.  I'm sure I could change it and just make my patients get used to it.  It would take time, but I'm sure they would catch on. 

But sometimes I wonder if I would like to keep my name.  A friend of mine used to have 4 names - one first, 2 middle, and one last.  Maybe I could do that?  Leave my current middle name and maiden name as my two middle names and add my future husband's last name as my last?  That way, no hyphenating.  The kids will have the same names.  But I could still keep my last name professionally.  I'm still deciding.  

maybe984

This is something I have had a slightly hard time with.

I LOVE my last name, but I also believe in the tradition of taking the husband's last name. It's the one thing I'm kind of old-fashioned about. I'm not crazy about my FI"s last name... it sounds a little awkward with my first name, I think.

I have a three-syllable first name (MaryBeth) and currently a single-syllable last name. I feel like it flows really well. But, my FI has a two-syllable last name. Which will make my new name a mouthful.

My mom did the whole changing the middle name to the maiden name thing... "First Maiden Married" which I would like to do. HOWEVER, even this kind of bugs me... because my middle name is an old family name that means a lot to me.

Hyphenating our names would sound awful, so I thought of doing two middle names... but with the first name MaryBeth AND an existing middle name, I feel like I already have far too many initials. Seriously, who has the initials MBKGE? It would get ridiculous.

So, in essence... I'll probably take his name... but the middle name issue is still a hot-button topic.

kassie411

I'm changing mine.  I guess after waiting this long to finally get married I'm looking forward to having a new last name.

debbieupper

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_minnesota-minneapolis-st-paul_poll-changing-name?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:81Discussion:0b83a8c4-dd56-4acc-a013-097b6e61617dPost:829f32d0-9334-400d-b765-53073976f546">Re: Poll: Changing your name?</a>:
[QUOTE]I cannot wait to take his name! My name is so difficult, 12 letters, plus there's an f and z in there which is annoying over the phone. FI's is a bit easier at 8 letters, but mainly people will be able to prounouce it correctly!
Posted by juliels53[/QUOTE]

<div>Right there with ya! My current last name isn't long, but it's unique and is ALWAYS so annoying to spell over the phone, and no one pronounces it right. I've never really loved it, so I'm excited to take FI's name (which is also pretty unique).</div><div>
</div><div>A few people have mentioned that they don't want to change their names because they're established professionally with their current name ... that's interesting, because I've got a bunch of published newspaper articles and I wonder how that will go if anyone searches me out using my new last name once I'm married ... guess they won't see any of my old stuff?</div>

zephyr_marie

I'm old-fashioned so I'll be changing mine. It's important to me that we both have the same last name, and he's not giving up his last name, and hyphenating is out since that would be a ridiculously long last name. I'm a little sad to give up my last name, though, and hadn't even thought of changing my middle name to my maiden name... hmmm. Definitely an idea, though, especially considering how common my middle name is.

TriSaratops10

I still haven't completely decided - as a doctor it is REALLY hard to change all of the licensing credentials, etc - but I like his last name and I'm not terribly attached to mine. I'm also a little dorky in the fact that I would be a little sad that people wouldn't realize that I wrote some of the papers that I've had published, but that's not too much of a biggie.

beka0404

Moving my last name to my middle name. It has a unique back-story, and I hate to part with it, but hyphenating would be a nightmare as my soon-to-be last name is just as wacky.

MoriaMN

I've thought hard about this too. At first, I was hoping to combine names or pick a new one symbolic to us. FI was onboard when the talk was "in theory", he's not particularly close with his father, so it seemed to make sense that we make a fresh start as a family together. Now he's backing off. I'm not sure if it's because some of the reaction we got or what. I'm conflicted about taking on his name too--I didn't realize how attached I was to my own name and the more I think of it the more it seems easier professionally. We may end up just leaving it all the same.

Brianne09

I never really considered  keeping my name. The only thing I don't like is that his name is even more common than the one I already have, but at least everyone will be able to figure out to spell my new last name.  Honestly another reason I'm really excited to change my name is that I will no longer have the same name as my dad and his side of my family.  I'm also just really traditional and think its an awesome way to start this new phase of our life.