Okay, so I know that many women think about their name change ahead of time...like as in before the actual wedding. Well, I wasn't one of those. The first time I actually really put much thought into it was at a wedding shower that my friends from my hometown threw for me. Just out of the blue while visiting with all my ladies, one friend asked "So what are you gonna officially change your name to?" And I answered...."Um....I don't know...?? I guess I should have thought about this, huh?" DUH!!
No, I don't want to hyphen our last names...that's just too complicated
For most women it's easy....You take your First Name - Current Middle Name + Maiden Name + New Last Name and there ya go...it = Your Married Name. Well, unfortunately mine is a little more tricky. Currently, I'm working with First Name Middle Name Last Name, BUT I go by a version of my Middle Name. So I can't exactly just drop my middle name...And I don't exactly want to drop my first name. My first and middle names actually kinda form one of those classic southern double names....and although I've never gone by said double name, I like it. And I want to keep it. So, you're probably thinking...well, why don't you just drop your Maiden Name? Well, it's not exactly like I got married extremely young before I established a career (THANK GOD, btw...) so I'm now known in my industry by my current name (which is a version of middle name and maiden name). Following me here?!? So that brings me to First Name + Middle Name + Maiden Name + New Last Name = Married Name. Damn...that's a lot. PLUS my official signature would be my First Name (which I've NEVER gone by) and my New Last Name....which actually would be the same name as my husband's grandmother. Oh, and did I mention that I'm not too fond of *just* my first name on it's on? You know, without the middle name in addition which then forms the double name.
Oh. My. God. This is confusing. And probably quite boring to read too! So, after that lengthy, confusing explanation...what do you think I should do?? I guess I'm trying to decide between:
FirstName MiddleName MaidenName NewLastName --> official signature would be a name I'm not too fond of
FirstName MiddleName NewLastName --> I'd have to drop my maiden name, which I'm pretty attached to, as well as my colleagues in my industry
MiddleName MaidenName NewLastName --> I'd have to drop my first name, which I'm very fond of my first name/middle name combo...plus, my first name is a family name
And yes, I'm 100% sure that I'm putting WAY too much thought into this and it would be considered by many as obsessing. We've already determined that this is how I function :)
So...what do you guys think?? Option 1, 2 or 3? OR....do you have another suggestion for me?? (and yes, I've decided that I FOR SURE want to change my last name to my husband's last name. It might be old fashioned but I like that it kind of solidifies us as a family unit AND it's very important to me to have the same last name as our future children....however less appealing that new last name is than my current last name) :)
3 comments:
I say First Name, Middle Name, New Last Name. I'm dropping my last name. For some reason the whole "First Name, Old Last Name, New Last Name" gets on my nerves.
I completely agree with Becks...you know how when you look at one word for so long, that it starts to look funny/misspelled...after reading this blog, I feel like that about the word "name". ;)
Ha! This post really cracked me up. I am in the exact same situation. I was complaining about it to a friend in the elevator the other day and a random man (also in the elevator) told me that I should legally change my name to first name+middle name+last name+ new last name and just go by first name+middle name+last name in a business capacity, but my new last name in a social capacity? Not sure how this works exactly, but that is evidently what his wife did and they have been hapily married for 20 years :)) Not sure what I am going to do yet, but I will figure it out one of these days....
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