Hyphenated last names vs not!

I'm not hyphenating for multiple reasons. Many of them the same as yours. My mom kept her maiden name and it was so confusing for my school.

My FW and I will both be hyphenating. I currently use my ex's last name, only kept it because my kids were quite young when we divorced and wanted to keep the same name as them. But I really love my maiden name and have always wanted to take it back. So now that I am getting remarried I'm going to take my maiden name back and hyphenate it with my wife's last name. And she really wants to take my name too, so we will both hyphenate. We feel it will kind of signify how we feel, that we are a true partnership.

I personally don't care for hyphenated names, however I understand it. If you were established as your maiden name, then dropping that part of your name could be detrimental to your career or accomplishments. But aside from that, it's entirely up to you. I would not hyphenate my last name because it would be ridiculous. I think hyphenated names can be confusing for those around you. No one is sure what to call you, which is a big deal when you wrote for a newspaper for a living. The second reference is that kicker there. Also, hyphenated last names for the kids, just seems like overly complicated to me. I probably will not change my middle name. I mean you do you.

I'm not really fond of the look of hyphenated names, just not my preference. I always knew I'd keep my maiden name but also add DH's too, so I added my maiden to become a second middle name. The full 4 names are really only used for my SS card and license, other than that I sign my name as Kari Maiden DHlastname. It was hard to get used to signing it because it seems so long but it's not really any longer than signing my name as hyphenated.

I personally don't feel strongly about my maiden/current name, so taking FHs last name with no hyphen is a no-brainer for me. Its not like I have this mega legacy to carry on and the name must stay with me forever or I'll lose my identity.

I never knew there were so many people who felt strongly about hyphenating until I joined WW. In the south, it's really common to use your maiden name as your middle when you get married so it's like it's hyphenated anyways (minus the additional middle name, thus FOUR names).

However, I also don't have children. To each his/her own!

I will be hyphenating as I happen to love my last name and as the last woman in my family with the last name and my father recently passing I am passionate about keeping it. I will take my FH last name proudly and go by it normally/socially and only use both when signing or on business cards or something.

Ugh... no idea... I love my last name, and just feel like the transition to a new last name will be so difficult.

Love my maiden name so am changing my middle name to that. then am taking his last name. we are keeping the door open on using my maiden name for future children's middle names as well, so all of us but fh would be the same

This is a big debate for me.

But first I will say-a guy can take a woman's name as well. It's 2017.

But do I want to have the same last name as my 2 step kids who live in the home but not my own 2 bio kids who live in the home?

I have been current last name for 16 years. And it's my kids last name. When it comes to school stuff... wouldn't it be easier?

My 11 year old asked me today if I will be changing my name. I told him I didn't know and I had a year to mull it over. And I could even decide after marriage to change it.

A friend of mine waited 5 years to change hers. She waited until she stopped working then when she started working again she began using married last name. She didn't want to mess up her professional stuff.

This is a totally personal decision for sure, and nobody should feel shamed for what they pick! I'm not hyphenating (way too long). I'd like to keep my last name as it's representative of my Greek ethnicity, whereas FH's last name is Scottish! Just doesn't fit me. Also my parents and his are divorced and it seems odd to keep your ex's name and/or change your name multiple times in your adult life. I'm ok with it though if someone refers to me as Mrs. FHlastname, but I have no intentions to legally change it.

I have a hyphenated last name and I HATE it. It doesn't fit on any forms and even the DMV can't get it right so my license and my social security card don't match. It's awful.

I don't have a middle name, so I will just use my maiden name as middle name and FH's name as last name. Does that make sense? I won't hyphenate it though

I'm like JerseyGirl. I am legally hyphenating, socially my married name and professionally my maiden name. I am a lawyer and have an established career.

If I hyphenated my unusual Dutch last name with his more common but still crazy long last name I'd have a monstrosity on my hands.

Although this isn't my post/ question, u guys have just helped me make my choice with hypenating. I have a very unique/ uncommon last name that I've grown to love, FH has an extremely common last name. I told FH I wanted to hyphenate and he seemed so hurt. He said he wants his wife and children to have his name... that me changing my name didn't mean I was changing who I am. But because he's so amazing, the conversation ended with him saying it's ultimately your decision. After reading these comments, I'm thinking of moving my maiden to a second middle (didn't know that was an option) then just using his last, this seems like the best compromise. Thanks WW family!

Im excited to become a Mrs. for sure but honestly I have a very unique first name and it's taken me so long to become comfortable with my full name. Furthermore, my dad recently passed and I want to keep the last name he gave me. I'll probably drop my middle name and add husband's as my last name.

If I hyphenated it would be Ford-Carr and I'm not about to sound that dumb when I have to say my last name LOL

I know a couple that hyphenated so they took each-others names AND kept their own. I kept my name. I suggested we come up with a new last name together and he had no interest. So I kept mine that was that.

I've struggled with this a little as well. My sister and I are the last of our namesake- there are no others of us that we have found. Anywhere. In the world.

Buuuut I'm not a huge fan of hyphenated names, and I really like my middle name. I've considered adding it as a second middle name, but I just am not sure of that either.

Jokingly (well, partially!) I told his parents that we were going to take our two last names and combine them to make a new one, "McPherkow." They. Were. Horrified. You could have heard a pin drop in the room lol.

We talked about hyphenating our names, but decided against bc 1. they sound/look terrible in sequence and 2. we both would've changed our names, which neither of us wanted to do. It's really a personal decision, but tbh i don't understand when only one of the parties hyphenates--it kind of defeats the purpose of sharing a last name, if that's what oneis going for