Did you change your surname upon marriage?

[Gryffindor]

Just that, really? And if you did, did you keep your maiden name professionally?

DH and I have been married a while now but through a combination of feminist thoughts, laziness and professional reputation I haven't changed. All married female friends have changed theirs, often with mind boggling speed!

Aibu to ask?

weebairn my names really 'Lannister'. (Twice over, if you think about it). That's a much better name...

I have friends who merged parts of their surnames to create a new name - but now they're separating it'll be interesting to see how they both disengage. Be a bit of a mess, I expect.

I'm a bloke and I would have felt slightly queasy about changing my name when I got married over 40 years ago. Totally illogical of course, but we're all affected by social mores, I guess.

Over 20 years ago we changed our phone book listing and put my wife's initial in the phone book instead of mine. Could put both initials in now, I suppose, but I can't really be bothered since we're the only people with that name in there.

I did. Never thought I would and DH wasn't bothered but I did and I would again if marrying the same man.... For some reason it turned out it meant more to me than I thought it would when the time came. He was willing to change to mine but I decided to be traditional. I think just do whatever you want... It's become an "issue" for some people but you should just do what feels right for your situation. I do think the DC should have one name rather than double barrelling though, as a previous poster said otherwise on generations to come how many names will we all have?! Doesn't matter whose name they take though.

Double barrelled names can quite easily be altered from generation to generation.

I didn't like my husband's surname so kept my own. However it felt like we weren't married, so in the end he decided to take my surname. I'm really glad, as now our kids don't have to go through the name bullying that he did.

I will be, can't wait.

I would love to change my name back to my birth surname, I probably won't though, I'm now used to DHs annoying bloody surname which no bugger can ever spell, even when it's right in front of them because people are obviously stupid I could then have my birth surname which was equally bloody annoying, but mine.

Why did I change?

I sleep walked into a violent and abusive marriage with my first DH. He, oh so reasonably, convinced me that changing my name would be a good thing. I was going to use my maiden name professionally, but I was, not gently at all, told that wasn't happening. The fear of him finding me and finding that I had changed my name back stopped me when we divorced, so not changing to 2nd DHs surname seemed daft. He would have been happy enough for me to have stayed as I was.

When the DCs have both left home I might reconsider and change my surname back to my maiden name. At least I no longer have the surname of a man who believed wholeheartedly that he owned me.

No, I didn't change my name either personally or professionally on marriage. I didn't see any benefits to doing so and saw plenty of downsides and hassle.

Neither did DH