To hyphenate or not to hyphenate that is the question???

I didn't change mine at all. Honestly, it has always seemed to me like hyphenation (if he is not also hyphenating) was the worst of both worlds--all the hassle of changing your name, but the two of you still don't end up sharing a name. However, it's your name, so if that's what you want to do, go for it!

My name would have 30 letters if I hyphenated. That was a deciding factor.

I'm interested to see what other people say. I have considered all the options (keeping, changing, hyphenating) and I'm probably just going to go traditional and change. If I hyphenated it actually wouldn't sound too bad, but that's just too much.

Related question, how many people are going to drop their middle name and replace with their maiden name? I always think that's an interesting choice.

I will hyphenate old and new last name and keep my middle name which is moms maiden name legally but wont use middle that often.

I think I might have a double-barreled, non-hyphenated last name like Hillary Rodham Clinton or Helena Bonham Carter. I still have to look into specifics but if I understand correctly as long as you don't intend to defraud anyone, you can go by which ever you want so it might be the best of both worlds for me.

I thought about hyphenating but changed my mind. I knew I wanted to change my last name to his because he was adopted as a infant. We don't know ANY of his biological family. We wanted to start growing his last name. If I may add, I do LOVE having his last name as mine too. so i guess it's a win-win.

I'm going to change my name because it's easier to prove husband-wife relationship and it's easier for the children.

I am so glad this thread exists! I have been trying to figure this out. I have 2 middle names and then I would have my last name and his. Legally I think I am going to Have all 5 names (first, 2 middle, 2 last) but go by my name and his last. I made some address labels with his name and mine and OUR last name and showed them to him the other day. All he kept saying was "your silly, you spelled your name wrong." I really wanted to hear him say he liked them but he just kept saying that with a smile. So I think he liked it....

I am super traditional, so I never even considered not taking his last name... But he absolutley loves the thought of it and keeps reminding me that I'm the future Mrs. B. and how he can't wait until I'm a "B" which makes it so special to both of us I think it's definitely part of the whole process!

I didn't change my name at all. Most women in my peer group don't change, and I am very attached to my family history. Frankly, most people aren't stupid and will realize your married and who your children are, whether or not you share the same last name.

I thought about hyphenating, but DS is of Italian ancestry and his name has an apostrophe in it. A hypen plus an apostrophe is just punctuation overkill.

Both my and FH's last names end in "lin" so if I hyphenated it would rhyme and sound funny. So I'm going to change it completely.

Tatyana - thanks for posting that - I like the thought of non hyphenating. Even though it will be eighteen characters long it allows me in business to keep my last name which matches my daughter but to also take his as well.

Hyphenating was not an option for us because our name would have been R****-B**** with the numbers being characters. As super fun as a 19 character last name sounds...we just decided we'd both use his last name. I might give my kids part of my last name as a middle name, but who knows? That is a ways off!

While I did take my husband's last name I also went through the court process of adding my maiden name as my middle name (even though I probably won't use it that often).

I won't be changing my name. I found Sarah's comment of "easier to prove husband-wife relationship" odd though. Not changing your last name doesn't make you any less married. You still have your license and your rings and I'm guessing you'd probably share the same household too Having the same last name could mean you're siblings or cousins or something too...

I cheated. I hyphenated my driver's license. That has allowed me to use either name. I've never had an issue accessing a bank account, or whatever. I was not going to change all my financial information for years. My active checking account- sure. But years of investments, deeds to home, titles to cars- it wasn't happening. It would be a full time job for a month!

I'm also very well know professionally in my maiden name, and changing it would hurt me. So , I use his last name socially, and my last name professionally.

He knew he was marrying me. My name is of no consequence to him...

Not changing mine...never have, never will =P

I keep switching back and forth between hyphen or no. I used to be dead set for the hyphen because I liked the way Jessica Bryant-Loney sounded but now im not to sure lol

@D1, based on a loose review of legal stuff, the federal government will acknowledge two last names bothy hyphenated and unhyphenated, however, the state you're getting married in will dictate whether or not you can put two last names on your marriage license. Your marriage dictates all of your other legal document changes. So in MA, I can have two last names and then legally change them on my driver's license, SS card, etc. In NY you cannot do this on your marriage license so you cannot benefit from this. Be careful to check out the rules so you're not blindsided on the day of.

Tatyana you are so right. I thought I would be able to have two last names but it turned out that NY does not permit this change. You either leave it alone, change it or hyphenate in NY. In order to add my maiden name as my middle name I've had to go through the legal name change process...major PITA but I can't seem to let go of my maiden name. ; )