Apparently I can't be a feminist because I changed my name when I married.

Can't stand double barrelled. Didn't want DH to change his - my choice.

But what about the nect generation of double-barrelled children marrying their double-barrelled partners?

Will have a generation of quadruple-barrelled children. And the next generation, and so on and so forth.

Do what you like. Change, don't change, double-barrell.

None make you a better or worse femisnist than any other.

defineme, because my surname was shit and reminded me of my father (not a good thing)

I made an informed choice to change it to my husband's family name

If it's about having a family name why not all change to double barrelled or dh change to yours?

Of course you can change your name- feminism is choice. I want to be a unit with my DH and DCs and not my brothers and their DCs.
The thing that irritates me beyond all bearing is the assumption that I am so ignorant I didn't know I could keep my own name! Of course I knew- I chose not to - and why it involves anyone else and why they should make judgements is a mystery to me.

My maiden name was forever being miss spelt, often by changing the first letter.

I lost track of the number of times I was told I didn't exist.
I used to get and when I said I most certainly do exist you've just put my records in the wrong draw.

Anyhow, DH and I both come from very traditional families, they also would have been and had I not changed it.

My original surname was utterly, utterly vile. DH has a lovely surname so I felt it was a no brainer to change. I'll decide if I am a feminist not some over opinionated half wit on the radio.

My sister changed her name to her husband's when she got married for personal reasons. Her husband is a lovely man and they have a great partnership. The name reflects the partnership, rather than belonging to him.

I just changed my name to a random surname I liked, but that's probably a bit odd.

Changing your name on marriage is not a feminist act.

But it doesn't mean you can't be a feminist.

I do lots of stuff that isn't feminist: I wear lipstick, dye my hair, conform to patriarchal beauty norms, do femininity at work to get me through the day; but I won't claim any of it is feminist. I'm a feminist though.

I think the woman you listened to on R4 was confusing the act with the person.

I think with regard to putting women off the movement, some women don't need a lot to be put off. If you believe in women's humanity, then some woman on the radio telling you xy and z means you're not a feminist, won't put you off. If you're looking for an excuse to get off the bus though, anything will do.

My opinion ? I don't agree with what that woman said.

I wanted all the people in our nuclear family to have the same name. There is nothing anti-feminist about that. I don't really care what others do though, and certainly wouldn't think she was a "better" feminist than me

To be honest I don't think it's a huge feminist statement to keep your name (which is usually your dad's - although not always of course) when getting married. I changed my name "socially" I suppose so I'm now Mrs. X but professionally I've kept my unmarried name as it's the one I'm published under. I changed my name because I preferred my husband's name to the one I had already, if I'd had a wonderful surname and his was rubbish I think I would have kept mine :)
Basically I agree with you, think there are bigger fish to fry. Addressing married women as (for example) Mrs. John Smith really annoys me though and shouldn't be continued in this day and age just because it's been done traditionally. It suggests that a woman's completely subsumed by her husband's identity.