To change or not to change: taking your husband’s last name
I recently met a new mother through a good friend of mine and we exchanged contact information. Upon closer inspection I saw that she had given me her maiden name, not her married name. I am told she plans to change her name any day now. Thing is? She’s been married for over two years now.
When I got married I changed my last name the first full day I was home from the honeymoon.
So did two friends of mine. We all married under the age of thirty, some of us closer to it than others. And neither of us had made a seriously substantial name for ourselves in our respective careers.
Of course, there are some other things that change after you get married. To read more about what you might want to consider, dread or even look forward to, click here.
So what’s the deal these days on changing your name? Keeping your last name? Or, the ultimate, taking on a new name without letting go of the old one.
Regardless of the reasons for changing your name, it is best to start with the Social Security Administration.
For some, its a matter of letting go of the past and all that is attached to a name. It can also be a chance to become someone else, a new you perhaps, or it can just signify that your new roles, wife, spouse, perhaps even mother?
Some people want a name that is easier to spell, easier to pronounce, or one less or even more conspicuous, hinting towards an ethnic background or religious affiliation. And for some it is just a question of tradition, establishing yourself in your newly created family.
I’m curious, did you change your name after you got married? If so, how soon did you make the change?
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