WHAT’S IN A NAME?

I’ve had this discussion with a few people before but I’ve decided to open it up to a larger forum. Here’s the topic: Guys, if you decide to marry, would you want your wife to take on your surname? Ladies, if you decide to marry, would you want to change your surname?

Here’s where I stand on the subject. I’d like my wife to keep her last name. She’s had it all her life, I think it’s ridiculous that she’d have to change it just because she married me. Afterall, she’s already doing me a huge favour by agreeing to watch me scratch my ass for the rest of our lives, I’d feel bad if she had to get her name changed too.

As if planning a wedding isn’t enough, she’d have to get all her documents, credit cards, ID cards, and stationary changed. Who needs that? It’s just a pain in the ass.

I know some women keep their last names after marriage for professional reasons. Before marriage, they’ve made some impact in their field and changing their name would confuse their colleagues. University researchers come to mind. If they’ve been published under one name, it’s just easier to continue to publish under that same name. Actresses are another case. Everyone knows who Julia Roberts is, but it’d be weird seeing a new movie from Julia Moder.

I might be ok with the hyphenated last name. It would really depend on what the combo would be. If I married a woman with the last name Orange, I’d probably have to insist on her using the hyphenated version. If her name was already long, it could sound akward. For example, Mrs. Love-Hewitt-Tang takes some effort to say.

What does everyone else think? Ladies, if you were willing to change, why would you? Guys, would you insist on your bride taking your name? Let’s hear it!