I did not change my name when we got married. It seemed like an unnecessary hassle, and I would be going from an easy to spell and to say name to one that always has to be spelled for people and is always mispronounced.
I’ve been thinking lately though about changing it. Now with the boys I always have to explain why we have different names, which is a hassle.
I don’t know. Should all people in a family have the same last name? What do you think?
I won’t be able to answer whether or not it was worth it for a while yet. I just changed my name, and the novelty of it is new and exciting. My reasons for doing so were varied, but primarily it was because I felt like having the same name would reinforce the feeling of family that I have when I am around my husband. I can understand not wanting to change it; as you know, I’ve been on both sides now. Someone asked me why I was changing my name from something very standard to something unpronounceable, which made me laugh. Every name is unpronounceable – I am sure people named Smith encounter people who can’t pronounce their name. If you think you want to do it, I say “go for it.” As soon as I get back from the honeymoon (on Wednesday), I will start the journey of legally changing my name, which is on the one hand, easy (paperwork to Social Security) and on the other hand difficult (changing all your other accounts and paperwork). I have spoken to several people who chose not to change their names at the time of their marriage who have since changed their minds. You’ll do what feels right to you!