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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask relative to use our actual surname?

131 replies

HaagenYAAS · 10/08/2025 13:33

Husband and I have been married 13 years, one small child.
When we married we decided that we would merge our surnames rather than me take his surname or me keep my own. I know it’s a bit unusual but if felt right for us - a new surname with equal parts taken from each side.
A similar example (not our real name) is that my surname was Mancell and his was Harrison, and we became Manson. It is all legal and done by deed poll, and all our documents etc are all in that name and have been since about a month after the wedding
We told everyone after the wedding and received no negative feedback.
Everyone started sending correspondence to Mrs and Mrs Manson, and then when our daughter was born Miss Manson too. Live continued as normal.
My husband has one relative (his aunt) who only ever sends Christmas cards (and we haven’t seen her since the wedding as she lives abroad and is fairly estranged) but she never uses our actual surname - always Mr and Mrs Harrison (his name).
The cards from her are basic (no chat just to X from Y) but lovely, and we appreciate them. Over the years I have sent personalised Christmas cards that say things like “from The Mansons” on the front etc. and have written “from Bob, Mary, and Rosie Manson” in many cards now, but they keep coming addressed to Harrison.
Is it too late to say anything now?! Or should I include a note (we are moving house was was going to send a “new address” card) asking her to use Manson?
E.g “Please note our surname is Manson” or “we aren’t Harrison, we are Manson” or “For future correspondence please use Manson” ?!
Or will I have to be Harrison to her forever now.
I’m not annoyed per se, but it’s not our name, and I don’t understand why she hasn’t taken the hint from cards before? Maybe she does think the name merge is stupid and she doesn’t agree, but is it worth saying anything or shall I let it go mentally?
We are unlikely to see her in person again excepting family weddings or funerals.

Edit - to add my husband has profound disabilities so it will be be communicating anything to her!

Thanks in advance!
from Mrs Manson!!

OP posts:
JHound · 12/08/2025 13:38

Someiremember · 12/08/2025 08:22

Is this junk mail? Bills?

Anything that comes to mine with anybody else’s name on I return to sender.

So that is Bills, Junk, business communications for the previous occupant etc.

JHound · 12/08/2025 13:41

WheresthesaladTheresthesalad · 11/08/2025 21:15

I get cards addressed in the very old fashioned way, to Mrs (husband's first name initial) & husband's surname. Even though I have my own surname and my first name is not the same initial as his first name.

These are people in their 40s/50s (very close relatives who absolutely do know my name and that I have kept my own surname.

Each time I just laugh, shrug and put the envelope into the recycling bin. It's annoying and so outdated isn't it but I just ignore.

I was going to say it is weird for people in their 40s to do that but then I remember working with a guy who when he saw anything with my name and title on, would grab it and cross out “Ms” and replace it with “Miss” and we were in our 20s then! 😂

JHound · 12/08/2025 13:43

TizerorFizz · 12/08/2025 13:17

@JHound Pretentious to combine names and make a new one? Totally! It’s the latest gimmick. I’d just send a card to Janet and John if I was the aunt. I get women keeping their dad’s names - after all they love their dads, but we’ve moved into names as some sort of faux label now. It’s not meaningful or modern - it’s a bit pathetic.

Why is it anymore pretentious than her using her husband’s name?

And why do you refer to women’s names as their dads names but don’t so the same for men?

Are you sexist?

Someiremember · 12/08/2025 16:19

JHound · 12/08/2025 13:38

Anything that comes to mine with anybody else’s name on I return to sender.

So that is Bills, Junk, business communications for the previous occupant etc.

How long have you lived there?

JHound · 12/08/2025 17:49

Someiremember · 12/08/2025 16:19

How long have you lived there?

A while.

It has happened at all previous addresses too. I expect it will (I hope) tail off as I return everything to sender.

Someiremember · 13/08/2025 06:47

JHound · 12/08/2025 17:49

A while.

It has happened at all previous addresses too. I expect it will (I hope) tail off as I return everything to sender.

Edited

most Of it if not all will be junk
I wouldn’t bother to send back
bin

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