Amal Alamuddin has changed her name professionally

[EhricLovesTheBhrothers]

I'm actually disappointed. Her choice blah blah but honestly. Successful women who change their names professionally always strike me as either stupid or coerced and I'm sure that's unfair I'm not really but honestly why be so committed to the concept of the obliteration of the unmarried self that you allow it to impact on your professional reputation and renown?

Me and my dh discussed which name we would use out of ours. We ended up going with his, not because he wanted to, but because I liked his name better. Although similarly to MRS CLOONEY's decision... that is none of your fucking business.

A decent contact would know you had changed your name as they'd be talking to you regularly.

It's a bit difficult to keep in contact with everybody you ever worked with in an industry on a regular basis (Well, it was before linked in etc. and even then there are limits). That doesn't mean that it isn't beneficial if they can put a face to a name when they hear of you again.

(Unless of course you were absolutely rubbish - then it can be beneficial to change your name ).

Applauding Puffins and Ehric.

In fact that post about the point whizzing over your head made me laugh out loud.

Which made my 7 year old DD ask what I was laughing about.

Which led to a long discussion about the rights and wrongs of women changing their name on marriage (which I didn't so she is used to the idea).

All these people posting their justifications for taking their husband's surname rather than their own on marriage, and then saying that it's nobodies business but theirs obviously have an undeveloped sense of irony

Hooray flamingo that's fantastic!

Apart from the fact I am also a professional and it's really been fine.

I'm glad it's been fine for you, LittleBear. I can well believe it varies by field and for me, and for Chunderella, and for a number of other women I know, it would matter.

Completely agree on the negative effect of changing your name in many professions. My professional reputation (and therefore future prospects) depends partly on the way I'm perceived inside my current company, but mainly on the way I'm perceived externally. The former wouldn't be affected much if I changed my name, but the latter certainly would.

And we're back to the "is this something women have to deal with but not men? Yes? Then it's probably a feminist issue" definition.

Whether the impact is minor or major for any individual woman (and given the world knows the woman formerly known as Amal Alamuddin is now Amal Clooney, I doubt there's any impact for the case in point), the fact remains that men (NAM) simply don't change their name in late 20s/early 30s and therefore have no impact from doing so,

Oh you were telling me. Well that makes all the difference

And I was telling you it didn't make a difference in my professional career but I must be wrong. Because you're telling me I am.

And I didn't say you see a decent contact regularly but that you'd be in contact with them. Could be via email, telephone calls, meetings etc. Not some random who added you on linked in to up their numbers.

Contact and reputation doesn't work the same way in all fields. In my field if I change my name now it would obliterate 15 years of my achievements.

Although I do know a man who changed his name (including professionally) in his fifties. He inherited a title.

No, Littlebear, no one is disputing that, for you, it has made little difference.

What people are saying is that, for them, and for other women in their fields, and for many many other women, it does.

It's the difference between how something affects one woman, and how it affects women as a class that we're trying to discuss here.

I agree with Chunderella's post about the change of name impact for some people in some fields. For example....In the last couple of months I have had people contact me who didn't know how to get in contact with me so they googled me. This ended up with me getting business. They would have struggled to find me, maybe, if I had changed my name.

However if you're a superstar in your field (like Amal) and in the unusual circumstances of having married a global household name (like Amal) then it makes no difference as people will find you. But yes, unless you can tick either of these boxes, if you're in a role where your name is part of your brand (that is more than just being a professional) then continuing with a professional name is important. This does not apply to the vast majority of women in the workplace, just like Amal's circumstances don't apply to the vast majority of us. If I think of my field, it really doesn't matter to the vast majority, who are all professional, but in my role where I am revenue generating and my name and reputation form part of my brand, what my professional name is, is incredibly important.

But the discussion isn't about women generally otherwise the working women vs SAHM distinction wouldn't have been drawn

Changing your name can be like changing your business or brand name.

I suppose you could have a big publicity campaign: the barrister formerly know as Jane Marathon is now Jane Snickers - or you could just keep the same name that has worked so successfully over the years.

Of course this isn't important to everyone, but it's just not true to say that it isn't important to anyone.

Thinking about it, I suppose having your wedding and name change covered by the international press is a pretty big publicity campaign...

I doubt she feels she has to send an email

And I think we are getting the crux here.

Some people were implying that this one woman's decision impacts all women.

Others were implying it impacts no women.

My view is the answer is neither of those. This one woman's decision doesn't impact all women. For those women whose name is their brand there are other high profile examples (including QCs) who haven't changed names and to the vast majority of women their name isn't part of their brand.

Merry mouse