to put myself down as the "principal occupant"?

[Meluzyna]

The census man has just called and given me the form and noted down my name - I gave him MY name, not my married name, because unlike many women of my age, that is the name I choose to use. I started to fill the form in and discovered that it asks the name of the "principal occupant" of the home and then the names of the other residents and their relationship to the principal occupant.
It felt really weird but I decided that there was no good reason why my husband should be "the principal occupant" - we are equal owner occupiers, but I still have the feeling that a majority of women in my situation would probably have put their husband's name in that box.
I'm in my 50s. Is it just me? Would a younger woman write her own name there without giving it a second thought?

I'm a younger woman and if I was filling in the form I would complete it as the principal occupant. I did take my husbands name though - my maiden name was annoying to spell.

Yes, I would put my name first. My name is first on the mortgage papers and it also comes before DH's alphabetically. I didn't take DH's surname when we married.

I have taken my husband's surname but I am still the principal occupant

In that situation where it's all 50/50, I'd not give it a second thought and as the form filler I'd list myself.

When we moved into our rented flat one of us needed to be the 'lead tenant' on the forms. The letting agent said he should he put me as 'it tends to be the woman'.

I always deal with this sort of paperwork and so have always put myself down as principal occupier - same for voters roll too.

I would put myself down. DH would put my name down too. House and bills are all in my name.

Unless the form is specifically about my husband then I always complete the 'principle person' section about myself.

If my husband wants to be principle person he can complete the form himself.

I always add people in age order, eldest first. Started doing that in a shared house and carried on once married, now adding children as we have them.

I do suspect many people, male or female, put the man first.

I filled the form in and put my name first can't remember if it said principle occupant. Where are you that is doing a census?

"Where are you that is doing a census?"

France

I would put me down first if I was the one filling out the form. If himself was doing it he'd probably ask me who to put first and I'd say me.

in our house i'd be principle occupant. i fill in the form. it really makes no odds.

Funny how everyone on this thread thinks they'd do one thing and everyone else would do the opposite!

Married, kept my name, kids also have my name. If I'm filling in the form then I'd be in the principal section.

I would expect whichever one of us was filling in the form would put their name down first. It's a stupid question really when there are so many couples. My married name is my single name is my birth name - I just have the one.

I took dh's name but I filled in our census a few years ago and put myself as principal occupant (or whatever it was called on ours). I didn't even think about it as I was the one filling it in not dh.

I'd have thought most people, male or female, would put themselves first rather than the traditional man first.

If I was filling it out I'd put my name and if my husband was filling it out he'd put his name

Generally it's me that fills in these sorts of forms so I put myself down first.

It's then really annoying when letters from the companies etc. Address it with DH name first ! Both have same surname, my first name is earlier in alphabet than his and I'm older !

Worst offender is when election candidates send their junk mail to you telling you to vote for them. On electrical role I'm first plus I signed the form..
I never get the election post it is always addressed to DH only.