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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not change my name

192 replies

HeresashatinaboxpAt · 19/05/2016 22:44

I'm getting married and the conversation of last names has taken over all the happiness.
I probably sound awful but I'm struggling to want to take on my partners name.
I love him very much but here are my issues

  1. His last name and my middle name r almost identical... To lose my middle name would feel like losing a huge family connection. And to have both its just mad!
2 my eldest shares my last name (previous relationship.) 3 youngest has doubled barrelled name- thought we could all adopt this name as compromise. I understand it's tradition to take his name but we are so not traditional... Please kindly give me your views And what you all think is a good way to move forward? Also he said if I don't take his name he sees no point in the marriage Sad
OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 19/05/2016 23:36

If it's just this issue I would call him on it and say, "if it truly is a deal-breaker, I understand and you will need to tell people the wedding is off.". If it's part of a pattern of controlling, petty, manipulative bullshit, tell him to pack his bags.

Blu · 19/05/2016 23:37

"That was my choice, and it meant I would share the same name as any children we might have, which was important to me and to both of us"

So you didn't question whose surname the children would have?

OP, I am sorry your DP is being so obstructive and unpleasant about this. I wouldn't like the fact that he seems to see marriage as about branding women and children as his. As the flip side to his ridiculous stance, I would feel that I did not want to marry anyone who took such an unreasonable line.

I don't know what to suggest though,

Couples counseling?

HeresashatinaboxpAt · 19/05/2016 23:38

It's just this one thing... He gets very worked up about it!
No I am currently at home... Packed in my job to be with kids and work from home just waiting for that to kick off and doing work for that... Although maternity leave only just finished

OP posts:
AHellOfABird · 19/05/2016 23:46

Ok, you are currently at home but are still doing childcare for youngest ? Anyway, the principle is that the time is equal (approx) after work, childcare and chores are sorted.

Access to finance all ok?

HeresashatinaboxpAt · 19/05/2016 23:53

Everything else is good... Lovely in fact

OP posts:
appalachianwalzing · 19/05/2016 23:53

He is either 1) prepared to call off a wedding and humiliate you publicly over an issue where you are entirely logically in the right or 2) prepared to use the threat of doing so to make you change your mind over something you - and your CHILD! - care deeply about.

I generally don't think anyone should have to change their name, but I the situation you outline with your kids, of course it makes sense for you not to change your name. How cruel to your eldest to do anything else.

I would be tempted to tell him at this point you're not changing your mind, but if he can't accept that, the relationship is on the line as much as the wedding. Though I know it's easier to say that from the outside.

I'm getting married soon and won't be changing my name, and nor will my DP. No kids yet, but we've agreed they'll be double barrelled. DP has said he sometimes wonders if we should also both double barrel when we do have children, if having different names to them would be strange. I've told him I'm happy for him to do so but once I share one name with my child I don't mind. I'm known by my name in work and don't feel like changing it. Ultimately, it will be a joint decision up to a point about children, but neither of us would impose on the other. I can't imagine how I'd react if he started telling me he wanted me to change my name to his.

I tend to think this issue can show a lot of men's true colours. A lovely friend's husband essentially tricked her into changing her name- she didn't want to, then agreed to change it in her passport as he said t would be easier travelling together, then he started signing cards 'the Hisname family' then suddenly... That was it, he basically wore her down. And ultimately, it shows in other subtle ways: feeling he should have final say on financial issues, where they live. I really think less of him after that. I know this one issue won't define your relationship, but don't let yourself be bullied at this stage: it's a slippery slope.

HeresashatinaboxpAt · 19/05/2016 23:54

I just don't know if he is seriously surely that doesn't say much for us

OP posts:
HeresashatinaboxpAt · 19/05/2016 23:57

Your poor friend that's awful! I'm standing my ground but so is he...I don't want him to be upset!

OP posts:
lulucappuccino · 19/05/2016 23:58

Yanbu!

BillBrysonsBeard · 20/05/2016 00:03

My DP has said he wants me to take his name too... I don't like his name! I love my name, it reminds me of my dad.
They have it right where I lived in the Middle East, women keep their family names... but add their dads and grandad names in the middle Grin

blowmybarnacles · 20/05/2016 00:12

What about the women's names BillBrysonsBeard ? Hmm

FuckingMother · 20/05/2016 00:15

I took DH's name because my father (who was fairly lame) was dead and the rest of his family were cunts. My mum already had a new surname and I didn't want to have associations with the remaining members of family who shared my name.

If my children had that name however, no way would I have changed it. I may have double barrelled. As ds2 is double barrelled I think it is a great idea. Far more about family than your soon to be "D"H.

MidnightAura · 20/05/2016 00:16

Yanbu, I'm getting married soon. I haven't decided if I will take DPs name. If he says there's no point in marriage over a name that's terrible!

nightandthelight · 20/05/2016 00:22

YANBU. I changed my name when I got married and spent six months utterly miserable with my choice, only happy when I was in work where I hadn't changed it.

Spoke to DH and he explained that he would like us and any future DC to have the same name so would I consider it if we both double barrelled. I thought about it and realised I would be very happy with that as we retain our birth names but also acknowledge our marriage within our names. Also as far as we can tell our surname is unique so ur feels as though we have founded our own family :)

RiceBurner · 20/05/2016 00:27

YANBU.

Plse keep your surname name and tell him to not to be such an idiot. It's just an out-dated tradition which has had its day. (And doesn't exist in many other countries.)

I didn't change mine when I got married 30 yrs ago. I just told my fiancé I wasn't going to change my surname and he said "OK". And that was that! (Still married with separate surnames!)

Kids all took his name though, as I thought that was OK and so I suggested that way fwd. Seemed fair to me as I didn't work after having 1st child so DH was supporting them. (As well as supporting me.)

Plus it is obvious who is the mother but not necessarily who is the father, so decided it would be good to give them their father's name to be clear (to everyone) who their father is?!

Hope it works out OK for you.

Iggi999 · 20/05/2016 00:29

Have only read the OP. I would tell him to fuck off. Why is he marrying you if he's not planning to change his name? You may not be traditional OP but he's straight out of the 50s. Don't give in on this its a slippery slope.

Bambambini · 20/05/2016 00:40

That would so annoy me op - i'd find it hard to get over tbh. I did change my name in the end but it was my choice - husband said it was my call.

groovergirl · 20/05/2016 01:36

OP, I kept my Scottish clan surname (and have the kilt to go with it), and my daughter has her father's (XH's) Hungarian surname.

No one has ever questioned whether I am her mother. I clearly am.

Surnames matter far less to society than your DP seems to think.

Keep your name, and avoid the tiresome business of changing credit cards, driver's licence and so on into new hubby's name. Life is busy enough without these extra chores.

Canyouforgiveher · 20/05/2016 01:43

Also he said if I don't take his name he sees no point in the marriage sad

He thinks the point of marriage is a wife taking her husband's name? Seriously?

Your marriage will not be happy if his thoughts on marriage are this facile (not to mind saying old fashioned, patriarchial, and proprietal). You need to marry a mature adult who understands what adult life entails-not a romantic adolescent who thinks a name change means "true love"

I didn't change my name. My dh and I spent exactly zero minutes discussing this. We did spend a fair bit of time discussing how we felt about children, in laws, money, life, fairness, purpose of work, illness etc.

your future husband needs to get his priorities straight. the name you take after marriage will be the least of your problems.

Topseyt · 20/05/2016 02:06

Back off Blu. I made my own choice of my own free will. Did you not read the rest of my post where I said that DH would not have given two hoots whether I had changed my name or stayed with my maiden name?

It isn't something I would ever have discussed with DH or anyone else. I make my own choices. Completely. I couldn't give a shiny shite whether you like them or not.

Topseyt · 20/05/2016 02:19

And no. I didn't bother to question which surname the children would have. I really couldn't have cared less so long as they match mine (whichever I PERSONALLY chose that to be).

I had already PERSONALLY CHOSEN to take DH's surname myself before they were even conceived.

AGrinWithoutACat · 20/05/2016 05:33

He is BU. I kept my name on marriage, eldest shares my surname (we came as a duo to DH) middle has his name and youngest is double barrelled

DH had a bit of a moan over youngest ('but she's my daughter!' until I gently pointed out that she was also mine) but as he is my and def a 'D'H he gave his head a wobble and we are happy (I suspect he had similar qualms around me not rebranding myself but, as he knows me very well, didn't mention them out loud as my answer would have left us unmarried and he wanted the marriage more than I did - I have always seen it as paperwork rather than anything else!)

Keep your name OP, or double barrel it, or change it - whatever works for you and your family.

LellyMcKelly · 20/05/2016 05:45

No, it's daft to change your name if you don't want to. Let him change his surname to yours if it's so important that you have the same name.

Ughnotagain · 20/05/2016 05:50

I struggle to see why some men get so het up about this.

I'll echo everyone else in saying he's being a dick, OP, but then you know that already.

When I got married DH and I had the name chat and I told him I wouldn't be taking his (he was not in the least bit surprised Grin). It was important to him that we shared the same surname to pass onto future children and he would happily have taken my name but I felt it made us seem more of a partnership if we double barrelled, so that's what we did. And DD has the same (though I did have one person ask if she was just going to have DH's prev surname...nope, as neither of us go by that name, why would we give her it?!).

If you do get married and keep your name (or double barrel) make sure people know in advance. We had a cheque made out to Mr and Mrs DHName and a couple of cards. (The cheque we just gave to DH's parents in return for the cash Grin)

Blu · 20/05/2016 06:41

Woh, Topsey: just interested, actually interested, in why you, and others on this thread, question the tradition of a woman changing her name but appear to automatically assume that a child will have a father's name. Lots of people say they change their name so that they will have the same name as the kids, apparently without considering giving kids their name. Interested in where people make the decision to change or not change.