What to do with my maiden name?

I'm dreading giving up my name. Hyphenating our names is just ridiculous so I'll be adding mine as a 2nd middle name. I just can't completely give it up!

I'm taking his last name for traditional purposes. And because I like being called Mrs. Hislastname =) The sound of it makes me smile!

Keep it. I see no reason to suddenly be named something different than what I was born with. I know some ladies love it. I'm just not one of them. I will always be Jen H.

The end! =)

I'm not sure, but legally there's a difference between hyphenating and adding. I think in the latter case you can use one or the other, but in the first you have to use both.

Why do you have to decide until you get the license? I didn't have to make a decision then.

I'm going with maiden name as my second middle name! Our last name ends with my sister and me, so I feel like I should keep it in some form, but want to be tradition and take his name for my legal name!

This is a question that, in my opinion, no one can answer for you. It's very personal and you should decide based on what you want and your FH's feelings. I am keeping my last name and just adding his, no hyphen (also keeping my middle name). I had someone tell me that's ridiculous. But, it's my decision and I dont care what other people think. And my FH is cool with it to. Point is, do what you want!

I've read the Name Equality Act (2007) which outlines the rules for people to change their middle & last names upon marrying. They are very specific about what you can and cannot do in terms of last names. I'm definitely keeping my maiden name just not sure in what manner. I also have to make the decision when we get our marriage license by Friday when we get our license. If I decide to change my name later I have to go before a judge and there are additional fees.

Interesting. We haven't applied for our marriage license yet but when I looked online there was no mention of name change. I always thought the name change was a separate process after the fact?

I'm taking FH's last name and ditching my maiden name. I've just always planned to do that, it's not a question for me. I have to say we received a few monogrammed gifts at my shower last week, and it was soooooooo surreal to see my married name in print! Holy cow.

I'm looking more for pros & cons between the two choices I'm deciding on. I know some people have encountered problems with the hyphen because some online services won't allow you to enter a hyphen. Someone had this problem when booking plan tickets and TSA made a big deal when the passport and ticket didn't match because of the hyphen.

I am making my maiden name my middle, same as my sister, but I work for a doctor who kept her last name for licensing purposes and I know her husband just loves being called "Mr Wife's Maiden Name" hehe

I'm currently planning on making my maiden name a second middle name.

I don't know about pros and cons. I know many credit cards will allow you to put your middle name if you want- and I know at my work I won't give people issues if the name on the license isn't exactly the same- as long as the names are on there somewhere. Both my FH and my dad go by their middle names, and i don't think it's been a problem for them.

In Minnesota, when we fill out our Marriage license it asks for your both of your current names, and then it asks what your names will be after you are married. So she has to decide by the time she gets the license because on the license (at least here in MN) you have to state your maiden and new name.

I am having the same problem. I really want to keep my last name!! FH wants to have both of our names changed to hyphenated so it's equal. But i'm not sure if that's what I want to do either.

My maiden name is becoming my middle name

Yea i'm annoyed with California about their rules -

I wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to get rid of my current Middle name and have NO middle name. they said i had to keep either my current, or replace it with my maiden name.

for me that meant choosing which parent's name to keep (divorced parents, my middle name is my mom's last name). annoyed me. i ended up keeping my mom's last name as my middle, since she raised me. but i don't get along that well with her either so i wanted to start clean.

My friends and family don't love my FH last name and have been petitioning heavily for a merger of our two names, one friend recently sent us a wedding reception invite with our "merged" last name lol. I'll end up taking his last name, but I have a sneaking suspicion our mail man will come to know us as many different variations. It stinks that you need to decide early.

I am not fond of my maiden name so i will gladly take his reading all these posts makes me think of father of the bride part 2 when they are talking about the babies' last name, zankman.. ha

States may vary, but in Calif when one applies for a marriage license you are asked for your current name and the name you wish to change it to, if you are changing it at all. Once the marriage license is filed after the ceremony, the marriage certificate then allows you to actually change your name legally with Social Security, DMV, etc. However, once you designate your choice when you complete your marriage license request, that's it - to my understanding. After that, if you want to change your name, you need to file for a court order.

I simply added my maiden name to my middle name. I work with databases all day long, and hyphenated anythings are the most difficult items to find in a database! So, for me, it was simply easier and I can still choose when to use my maiden name.

Im gonna tell you this from me having to deal with people with long or two last names. I wok for an airline and it is a big issue sometimes.. tsa, rewards, checking in, i'ds not matching.... that one and when dads and their children with the same names get lots of problems at the airport. Im saying goodbye to mine, I mean either way you will be at all those dreadful places to do name changes, dmv, social security, insurances..etc..

I am kind of sad to give up my maiden name, as I have always been known as it (I come from a small town where everyone is associated by their last name). Also have degrees, professional designation for my career and published research.... So I have that dilemma of wanting to keep my maiden name, but I also want my FH last name. Never thought about making my maiden name as a middle name (think it might get a little long). Also thought about putting a hyphen, but my friend did that and has had nothing but trouble. She uses different versions of her name for different things and she can never remember which last name she used. So I guess it is really up to you and what you want for a name. I don't think there is any right or wrong way, as long as you comply with regulation of where you live.