I think way back there was a thread similar to this, but I'm curious. How many of you did or will change your name? I know in Egypt it's not standard fare to take a husband's name.

Moh and I were discussing this tonight and we decided I would take his name. At first he said he didn't want me to change it... soley because he was afraid for the less savory ramifications of me carrying a ME/NA name. I'm too stubborn to allow something that to change me and told him that was not a factor for me. So we agreed I would take his family name after marriage.

i changed my name and i love it .

I did indeed change my name. Something about it has that "two becoming one" ring to it.

yup.. I'm changing my last name.

I'm just all goosebumpy...

At first I assumed it was a given that I would. But after being in the ME/NA I realized it was not at all common to do so.

I'm waiting until Mohamed gets here until I officially change my name. He likes the idea of me taking his last name.

Taking his name.

I did not yet Iam definetly taking my husband family name

I did, and I love it....except for when people pronounce my new last name.....

RASHEEEDEEE

I know it's not required, but I love being identified with such a fine man who is my husband!

Yeppers! I cannot wait to get rid of my last name.

I took his name. I love when Americans try to pronounce it. Most get it wrong because they don't know how to pronounce two consanants together. But, there are a few bright cookies out there that get it.

Christine

I kept my name.

I will be taking Hachemi's last name. It is a French sounding name that I absolutely love and I cant wait to hear how people will pronounce it.

Meriem

i will be taking samir's last name

I took Brucie's last name b/c it was WAY shorter than mine. My previous had 16 letters. a hyphen and half of it was my ex-husband's. I kept b/c of my son after we split.
It never fit on my driver's license, business license, credit cards or my SS card. He was cool either way-and I am glad I adopted it.

Much happier with my nice, simple 5 letter one.

Definately change my name to Hassan's, I still have my ex's name now...trying to get rid of it FAST!!!! Besides, I love Hassan's name.

Michaela

Very happy to have gotten rid of my ugly last name from the ex to a very sexy arabic last name!

Well, in my country it's customery to take the husband's last name... I don't care for his very much. I like mine a lot and I like to keep mine. But knowing my fiance he would want me to take his last name... sort of old fashion...

I took my husband's last name and moved my maiden name as my middle name because I love it so much.

-Carrie

Definitly!!! Why?

1. Because he is the love of my life
2. It's easier to pronounce than my current last name
3. It will put me right smack dab in the beginning of the alphabet
4. Because he is the love of my life, did I mention that already?

I will be taking his by I haven't gotten around to it yet (only 7 months!)

I am going from a 5-letter last name to a two-word 15-letter last name that is a mouthful.

I will have finally made it to the beginning of the alphabet. YEAH! Lifelong dream (hahaha). AND... I will no longer be gushed at by computer geeks and teenagers "gawrsh... you're one of the Xmen". I am SO sick of that.

I took his.

I changed my name...it felt like the right think to do...I have been carrying my ex-husband's last name for too long and I wanted to feel like a new person...I got my new driving license and just got to do it with the SS office and apply for new passport...I love it...

His last name became my last name too.


Doreen

Yes, I will take Said's last name! It was really cute tho, b4 we talked abt it, he started to ask abt taking my last name and I said, well, I was planning to take your last name! He was happy bcuz he wanted us to have the same name. I'll probably also legally change my name to Noura since I mostly go by that anyway.
Noura

Yes, I took my husband's name....and was so glad to get rid of the name that associated me with my ex and all that life offered me...heartache and abuse. I am SO proud to have my husband's name! Although, it's a hard one to pronounce being that it's French. I feel like a new person with a new life...and this marriage is what a REAL marriage is all about!!!

Geez... I'm trying to make a mental list of all the things I'll need to change it on.

Driver's license
utility bills
bank account
passport
car title
lease

what am I forgetting? (probably about a hundred things)

No I did not.

I have been mulling this over lately... I was adamently against this idea at first but I think I've changed my mind... not really sure yet.
I know I'm changing my legal first name once this immigration thing is behind me but I'm scared to do it now because I don't want to confuse USCIS before we get the visa

me too Layla, didn't want to change the first name yet for immigration purposes - don't want anything to slow it down!!! also, I think I'll add Noura to the name instead of changing it completely...

I changed my name when he came ...

My name is now :

Massouna Maiden (as middle) Ali's Last name

Esalaam



Even though it is not common in the MENA and Islam doesnt require women to do that... I still prefer the name... I rather have one name for my family (for my children) and of course, I would be sooo honoured to carry my SO's name... (that surprised him when I told him that, but surprised in a good way )

yep i sure did change it. no one gives me hassles about it being arabic either.

i remember when i asked him is the correct spelling al-.... or al..... and he asked why. i told him well i want to know so when i change my last name to urs i gotta know how to spell it correctly. he didnt understand at first and i explained it. then he was tickled pink. he kept saying donna al....., its like musical together.

even his friends in saudi arabia said...they were jelous becasue they wish their wives could have their last name too. they never knew a woman changes her name after marriege here.

I'm changing my name!

social security card

I did take Sujeet's last name. I like it, a lot of people can't pronounce it, but it's fun. I got used to hearing it fast as I was a teacher when I got married, and it was cute hearing 3 and 4 yr olds calling me by it all day. And they learned to say it right, they said it much better than their parents did. But people don't know what nationality it is, so they always ask...it's not a commonly heard Indian last name in the US.

The only part that is sad, is that in my family is just 2 daughters...me and my sis, so no boy to carry on our Italian last name that is also a rare last name.

Here are the things I am wrestling with regarding this...
1. I heard about a hadith that said on JD we will be called by our names and our father's names... I have heard that means we should not change our names... also something to do with mixing bloodlines (?) by taking a family name that isn't yours.... I have not heard any scholar speak about this so I don't know if that hadith is even good.

2. I have issues with this tradition because of how it started. Women used to change their last names upon marriage because ownership transferred at that point from her father to her husband...

3. It is such a pain to get your name back if something happens.... I know this from experience... I had to wait forever to get rid of my ex's name.

On the other hand.....
1. My father isn't muslim and I don't really care to stand with him on JD if he dies as a kafir. (I know that sounds harsh but that's just how it is.)

2. My ancestors were native americans (Cherokee) and I'm pretty sure they did not use last names and the one I have was probably forced on one of my ancestors to make him "normal". Therfore, it's not really my name anyway....

3. I would love to be a part of Yousuf's family... he is so great and so is his family and I think I would feel closer to them if I shared their last name.

I could just drop the last name all together and be like Cher.... Just "Layla"

I wondered about this issue too. My sister and I were the last of my father's side of the family and it kind of meant that name would disappear. Also, I am a teacher and wondered how confusing would it be. However, I want to have children and I think for family unity it is better when ALL have the same last name. So...I changed it. There are still things a year later I find that need changing (all sorts of things you forget).

Twila

I took my husband's last name
Here's another thing. We sent money to his mother, and i wanted to put our last name after her first name and he told me no since his father has passed away she has to go back to using her maiden name since she doesn't have a husband anymore.
I thought that was a little strange but i guess that is how it is there in Jordan.

I took my husband second middle name and his family last name and hyphenated it to make me a new last name i dropped my old last name

Now I have to remember that my name and and hubby's is a little bit different if u were to look at our identification

Yes I changed my name, adding my husband's surname to my maiden name (no hyphen.) His last name is a long one -- 3 words -- and now I have the lengthiest name of anyone I know ! Luckily it doesn't have any of the "difficult" sounds

It's not a custom in my husband's culture for wives to change their names upon marriage, but he was very pleased with the idea -- both he and his family found it absolutely charming.

And although it's pretty obviously an Arabic name, no one has ever made a single negative comment about it (at least not that I'm aware of.) Instead, I've found that most people make a conscious effort to try to pronounce it properly, and often they even comment on how beautiful it sounds

I live in a city with a predominantly Hispanic population, so perhaps people are a bit more tolerant of "foreign" sounding names here.



-MK