Amal Alamuddin has changed her name professionally

What Voyager so eloquently said.

Plus Chunderella's final paragraph.

So, who, if any of you, chose your own name?

My name was given to me by my parents. My parents deemed it so that I would also share their surname. My fathers surname. The same surname my mother was happy to adopt from my father.

My name was given to me. I had no choice or say in the matter. I've often wondered what the hell I'd have called myself, given the opportunity.

I haven't changed my first name, because that (I believe) would hurt my parents feelings. I changed my surname when I married because I love my husband; I liked it; it meant that our children had the same surname as their father and their mother and therefore identified us as a family. (Most probably the same thought process that my parents and my husbands parents went through.)

But changing my name didn't change me. Changing my domestic circumstances changed me. But I don't remember my name changing how I was perceived in any part of my life.

'Also, could we please declare a moratium on a)referring to a woman's birth surname as her father's rather than hers and b)people suggesting that feminism is all about choice so this isn't an issue, anything a woman chooses to do is feminist, there are bigger issues etc'

Sign me up!

I changed my name when I married, both at work and at home. I was proud to be married to my husband and to share his name, and to be known as his wife and I still am.

I don't see it as being inferior, anti feminism or anything like that - my name, my choice. If she wants to be known as Mrs Clooney then surely that's up to her, whatever the reasons.

Leaving aside the feminist angle, I much prefer Alamuddin.

Amal Alamuddin sounds much better than Amal Clooney and I think George Alamuddin has a ring to it too.

buffy. I won't say if I think of that as a demotion or not.

"A lot of woman would have relished the opportunity to call themselves Mrs Clooney."

Not me.

I do think they would've struggled with different names in us politics, yes.

As has been said before, societally we seem to have come to a choice as women that we choose to stick with our birth names or change to a new name. And I think its good to have a choice, which hasn't always been the case, but I completely agree with other posters who say for this to be the societal level playing field that I personally would want to see, men should be having the same discussions.

I absolutely guarantee you my Dh was not down the pub with his mates before our weddings saying "ooh, shall I change my name, am I oppressed by a patriarchal naming convention, I just want our family to have the same name" etc.

BTW, the latter arguments of the "single family brand" has always really surprised me. I don't have the same name as my children. They have hugely over-developed antennae for the slightest perceived injustice they could have a good whinge about and even they have never been remotely concerned about it.

i wondered that bakingaddict. she must see some advantage

I think the trend is dying out.

I've noticed lots of children and their mothers having different surnames (where the parents are married). I've done just that, simply because I've had 'my' name for X number of years and choose to keep it as it is also associated with my profession. I sometimes use my 'married' name on certain documents but it does get a bit confusing.

Most professional woman I know don't bother taking their husband's name on marriage so i'm slightly surprised by her choice but she is entitled to do that.

I don't know if it's already been said but perhaps changing her name is more to do with their longer term goals together and what role she will have in that. I suspect she will scale back most of her barrister work and become a special UN type person on human rights or such like. If George is planning on entering politics or even having a crack at running for president at some point then I can see why she would decide to take his name. America is much more conservative than over here about things like that.

Thanks

indeed lotta

not a sexist phrase at all, that one

fair enough londonrocks. it felt like you thought you were going to be attacked or something

'There are much more important issues to deal with than getting your knickers in a twist over this'

Ah, the voice of reason 167 posts before someone threw that little gem in. Well done.

Petula –ducking because I seriously care not about this couple getting married.

Good luck to them and all that, but I'm quite unmoved by their union and don't give a proverbial about what s/he call themselves...

absolutely bridgetsmum

but when the numbers taking up that first option outweigh those taking up all of the others, and there is a misogynist history to that option, it is going to be discussed by feminists

Agree with novice. It's not what you are called it's how you act and how you are recognised for what you do that counts. Either which way, whether you keep your name or change your name you have taken a man's name.
I did change my name on marriage without too much thinking about it (been married nearly 50 years so it wasn't a massive feminist issue then, even for feminists like me), but anyone who said that made my husband the head of the household would be laughed out of court by people who know me.
(I am the person who, when we got official forms to fill in with head of household on, used to cross it out and write fuck off on the form) [grin ]

There is no problem here

A married woman chooses to take her husbands name - great

A married woman carries on using her own name -great

A married man chooses to take his wife's name - great

A married couple decide to double barrel - great

A married couple decide to create a new name - great

I honestly don't see any problem with any of these options

There are much more important issues to deal with than getting your knickers in a twist over this,