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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

If you kept your name when you got married, how did you husband take it?

283 replies

WanderingNotLost · 12/10/2016 23:24

Because my H2B is taking it as a personal slight, apparently.

Had a lovely evening together, we're getting ready for bed and I mention to him that I was thinking I might change my name to his legally, but keep my own name for sort of every day life. He did not take it well.
Saying I want to marry him, have the nice church wedding, be his wife and everything that goes with it except taking his name. Apparently I'm BU because 'that's how it's always been done'. Double barrelling isn't an option (although I'm with him there, it would sound daft) and of course he refuses point blank to consider taking mine (not that I'd ever really ask or expect him to) saying 'show me a man who was happy to take his wife's name, and I guarantee he'll be a pussy-whipped Guardian reader.' He went to bed sulking.
He just doesn't seem to get what a big deal it is. Probably cos all his friends wives changed their names straight away when they got married. To me, my name is my identity, it's who I am, it's what binds me to my Dad (who died just shy of 2 years ago) and his side of my family. And after all, I have said that legally I'd take his!
It doesn't surprise me that we don't agree. After all, he's a right wing pro-Brexit Tory voter and I'm a liberal leftie feminist... we're doomed, aren't we??

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 13/10/2016 17:08

"Not really sure about using Ms."

Why not?

MorrisZapp · 13/10/2016 17:12

These traditional men make me laugh. Bet he can't wait to shag you for the first time on your wedding night.

HappyTalking · 13/10/2016 17:12

Not sure really Bertrand , it just seems a bit schoolmarm and I am not sure it suits.

Maybe Ms is the way forward, I will practise with it for a while.

engineersthumb · 13/10/2016 17:20

My wife kept her name but adopted "Mrs".
I did ask why and she said she didn't mind a married title but wanted her own name. Fine with me either way.

minipie · 13/10/2016 17:29

I use Ms. Did before I was married too.

HeCantBeSerious · 13/10/2016 17:33

Ms or Miss all the way here. Never Mrs.

abeandhalo · 13/10/2016 17:44

Kept mine, his family told me 'there was no point in getting married then' which was delightful.

But it's my name, and it felt so awful to think of losing that. I've been that name my entire life. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to take it away from me.

Although he never said anything to me about it, I think if my husband had a choice at the time, he'd have loved me to take his name. But I think it was more about us having the same name, he'd be more than happily change both our names to something new but that seems like hassle.

Unless your husband to be would be in theory happy to change his own name I don't understand why he thinks you should change yours.

LunaWeaselton · 13/10/2016 17:54

My husband didn't ask that I change it.He said he didn't care but I did anyway because I wanted to.He is being unreasonable .

TheHubblesWindscreenWipers · 13/10/2016 17:57

What would I be thinking? Well whether I wanted to marry a man who sulked about it ...

Took me a year to change mine. I wasn't going to bother then thought I might as well so we all had the same name - I'm an expat so have different country passport to ds. For logistical reasons really. Dh said do whatever you want and wasn't fussed either way.

Are you sure you want to marry a sulker?

NameChange30 · 13/10/2016 17:58

I use Ms. I like the fact that it's neutral and doesn't denote marital status. It's the female equivalent of Mr.

If I have a daughter, she will be Ms from birth (for as long as I'm filling out forms on her behalf - obviously it'll be her choice when she's old enough!)

BummyMummy77 · 13/10/2016 18:00

My husband suggested he take my name without prompting from me.

He's built 4 houses all by himself, races sailboats, lobsters and chainsaws trees outside in -30 degree weather all winter.

What a massive 'pussy'.

SorenaJ · 13/10/2016 18:01

If your husband takes it anything but completely fine, you need to run as far away as possible, preferable to the other part of the country. Run!

BummyMummy77 · 13/10/2016 18:02

If I were dating someone and I found out they'd vote for Trump it would be a deal breaker for me.

MouseholeCat · 13/10/2016 18:18

Another Ms here. I'd prefer it if I could forgo having one at all though...

user1471494124 · 13/10/2016 18:18

My husband didn't want me to change my name. He knew he was marrying, and it wasn't someone who ever would change their name to a man's! I think me changing my name would have been a deal breaker for both of us!

AnUtterIdiot · 13/10/2016 18:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsKoala · 13/10/2016 18:38

I'm Ms. Because Mrs would look like i married my Dad. I thought Mrs before the surname meant you had married the person with the following surname. My Mum is Mrs M and I am Ms M.

CookieWarbler · 13/10/2016 19:05

Happy Ms is definitely the way to go. I have never wanted a title which defines me in terms of my relationship to a man. Miss - 'haven’t bagged a man yet...' - Mrs 'yesss got one!' - Ms 'no one knows' which is exactly the privilege all those being Mr have had for years! Ms all the way I say Grin

BowlFullofJelly · 13/10/2016 19:13

Those of you who haven't changed your names, are you Miss or Mrs? I got married in April, don't really intend to change my name, but not sure if I should be Miss Myname or Mrs Myname. Hate Ms

BowlFullofJelly · 13/10/2016 19:14

Haha, didn't read the whole fucking thread, massive cross posts!

nocake · 13/10/2016 19:16

DW kept her own name. Why wouldn't she? The rationale for a woman changing her name, because it indicates that she's the husband's possession, no longer applies. At the best it's an archaic tradition. At worst it's an echo of a patriarchal age when women had no rights.

And DW is Dr so the title issue is no problem.

kaputt · 13/10/2016 19:27

Miss is for under 20s. Maybe 22 if you're especially sylph-like.

MsFloraPoste · 13/10/2016 19:30

Why not just call yourself Ms Yourname, whether or not you are married, using a title that doesn't reflect your marital status?

This is a well established tradition after all - men have been doing it for hundreds of years.

Firsttimer82 · 13/10/2016 19:33

My Mum never changed her name and I never thought I would. It was a big deal for dh though so I did and when ds came along I was glad. I do miss my maiden name though. Tough one. Just don't bring it up again and never change it. I think my mum managed this for 39years and counting!

kissingJustForPractice · 13/10/2016 19:36

I'm with MouseholeCat, I use Ms if I have to, but I don't see the point of titles any more either, hierarchical claptrap, if you ask me!

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