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Changing your name...

brizzie918brizzie918
100 Comments
in Pennsylvania-Philadelphia
I thought I would be sooooo excited to take my husband's last name! My last name isn't the greatest and i have been looking forward to the day when i could finally change it.  Now that the times has come, it is bittersweet.

are you/have you changed your last name?  Have you hyphenated?

Also, how do I go about doing it? Especially since I live in California...the bank didn't even think my marriage certificate was real!

ADVICE...SUGGESTIONS...?
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Re: Changing your name...

  • PharmJenPharmJen
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Start with your license and SS.  Then just make a list (it gets really long) of all the things you need to change - usually just a phone call will do for things like credit cards, car insurance, etc.  There have been some recent posts on this board about changing your name but I'm not sure how far back they are.  You may want to ask on your local nest board since each state is different (e.g. in MD I had to change SS before my license, in PA I don't think it matters).  There's a helpful check list on TN that you can check out also.

    I changed right away.  Dropped my maiden name.  5 months later, I *still* have a few things that need to change over, especially at work. 

    PS - your siggy is HUGE.  = )
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  • rachelk456rachelk456
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    No idea how to go about it, but I'm excited to change mine too. I like my last name, but FI's is even better. It's not too common but still perfectly easy to pronounce and has a sophisticated sound to it. I work in a school, so I'm always referred to as Ms./Mrs. lastname, so its helpful that it's easy for the kiddos to read/say.

    I do think I would hypenate if the names were both real short, like 1 syllable. I like when people do that. I also know someone in a situation where the guy wasn't close with his family, but they were with hers so they took her last name. I think I would do the same if that were me.

    I think it is a big decision though, and that no matter which way you decide, you should do what you think is right for you since you're the one who has to live with it!

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  • miguelhilary2010miguelhilary2010
    5000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I'm a blonde haired, green eyed, white girl with a hispanic last name LOL.  I didn't really care about changing my name.  I have a brother, so he can carry on our family name.  Since I'm not a doctor or anything I just changed it, no hyphenating.... plus, if I hyphenated my initials would be HRHR which I think is wierd.

    I changed SS and Drivers License, then changed it at work (which automatically updated insurances and retirement accounts, but you may have to do that separately), then moved on to credit cards, car insurance, rental/homeowners insurance, etc.  Its a million times easier to change your bank accounts in person with your marriage certificate in hand than to call/fax info all over.  If you have the time to do it, just show up in person.

    I still have a few things in my maiden name, mostly because I don't want to carry my marriage certificate around for "proof".  Eventually it will be consistent.
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  • ev4149ev4149 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    I guess I'm in the minority... I'm keeping my name.  Part of it is that I like my name and won't give it up.  The other part is that I'm a lawyer, and it would be a pain to change over all of my licenses, as well as to re-network myself with a new last name.
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  • miguelhilary2010miguelhilary2010
    5000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_changing-name?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:105Discussion:9c7f9de1-aff9-4bd4-9e93-da659d18f106Post:a0f3b1cd-9b24-48af-82e7-967f6f4449c5">Re: Changing your name...</a>:
    [QUOTE]I guess I'm in the minority... I'm keeping my name.  Part of it is that I like my name and won't give it up.  The other part is that I'm a lawyer, and it would be a pain to change over all of my liceneses, as well as to re-network myself with a new last name.
    Posted by ev4149[/QUOTE]

    I completely agree with this.
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  • nicole8586nicole8586
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I will be changing my name. People who know me from growing up are always going to refer to me as nicolef. It is inevitable! I am actually excited that my new last name will not be mispronounced. I went all through school having to correct people on how to say my name, now even with professional calls it is still mispronounced.

    I understand not changing your name for professional reasons (doctor,  lawyer etc.) But I do like the idea that some stars (Kelly Ripa is one) who change their name for personal aspects but not professional. Not sure it would be as easy for a doctor or lawyer though.

    Just curious, for any one who is keeping their last name, if you have children will they be hyphenated, dads last name or moms last name?
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  • ev4149ev4149 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    I think it would be tough to go by one name professionally, and one name personally (if you are a doctor or a lawyer).  For example, I need to show ID when I go to court.  In that case, my PA driver's license and my PA attorney's license wouldn't match.  I think it just has potential for a logistical nightmare.  That is, unless you're Kelly Ripa, and everyone knows who you are.  Hollywood is different - people have different "stage names" all the time.

    As for kids - they will definitely not have hyphenated names.  I counted it out, and if we hyphenated our last names, the kids would end up with an 18 letter last name!!  Yikes.  They'll probably take my FI's last name, although we were thinking we might give the kids my last name as a middle name.  It's not set in stone though.
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  • taccotentaccoten
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I took J's last name and my maiden name is now my middle name.  I dropped my old middle name.  J got me a beautiful necklace from Ginette NY as a wedding gift that I've been dying to have with my new initials - JHH!!

    I was happy to take his last name.  Now I can party like a true Irish on St. Patty's Day!  Irish by marriage!  :)

    I am waiting for the original marriage certificate to come back to me.  As soon as I have it I will change my name.  I already changed it on all the insurance stuff/work stuff.
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  • nicole8586nicole8586
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011

    I figured it would be easier in hollywood!

    18 letters! yikes!

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  • rachpassrachpass
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I cant figure out what I want to do.

    My mother never changed her name and both my sister and I have my dads last name. It wasn't never really the issue that people think. Yes most of the time my mom got called Mrs.Dadslastname by my friends when I was little and sometime people assumed my folks were divorced. But really those things were never even a blip on her (or my) radar. Because of this I am not as predisposed to changing my last name...

    On the other hand my FI really wants me to do it (and my crazy FSIL even went so far as to say she wouldn't ever talk to me again if I didn't. I told him that makes me not want to do it just for the sake of being bitchy). He likes the idea of us being a family and I do think that is sweet. He has a VERY Italian last name though and I am always unsure how how Rachel sounds with his name. I think I would be more gung-ho about it if his name sounded like it went with mine better. Is that lame of me?

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  • nicole8586nicole8586
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    ev and or rach - would you go by Ms. maiden name or Mrs. maiden name?
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  • rachpassrachpass
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I guess Mrs.MaidenName. I will be married... I dont know. It kinda murky waters

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  • ev4149ev4149 member
    500 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    Probably Ms. MaidenName.  In my head, Mrs. MaidenName is my mom, haha. 

    But I would in no way be insulted if someone called me Mrs. HisName.  I figure that's bound to happen, and I'm fine with that.
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  • nicole8586nicole8586
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    lol I thought the same thing Mrs. Maiden name would be my mom.
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  • rachpassrachpass
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I dont have that problem. Ha. Hmmm I really dont know what I will do...

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  • nicole8586nicole8586
    2500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_changing-name?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:105Discussion:9c7f9de1-aff9-4bd4-9e93-da659d18f106Post:44a04b3c-9915-48e7-a95f-2fac68b2cd21">Re: Changing your name...</a>:
    [QUOTE]I dont have that problem. Ha. Hmmm I really dont know what I will do...
    Posted by rachpass[/QUOTE]

    true! what does your mom go by?
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  • rachpassrachpass
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I guess Mrs.HerMaidenName. But everyone just calls her by her first name. I cant even think of the last time I heard someone call her by her last name....

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