Why do people change their surnames after they are married?

[babybunny 2]

I have never been to Red Lobster

Pink you would be disappointed. you have had the best lobsters on earth from

Novia S...

[I'm Gone 60]

I thought it easier and less painful than having property of... tattooed on her butt. LOL

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

What a long strange trip this thread was... Red Lobster and Mexican food and hockey and who knows what y'all come up with next...

Anyway.... I waited until my husband arrived in the U.S. (which took almost a year) before changing my name. I wanted to do it for traditional/cultural reasons. Also it's a way to inform people of my marriage... some acquaintances were not aware of it, as I was married in the West Bank and there was no wedding or reception here in the U.S. for them to attend, no notices in the paper, etc.

I decided to add my husband's name onto my existing handle (no hyphen.) I'm pretty used to my maiden name, and also I'm known professionally by it. So for me, this was the best of both worlds, and I'm still identifiable to those who might see it and otherwise not be sure it's me.

Mahmoud's surname consists of three separate words, starting with "Z" which is rather cool.... now I have the longest name of anyone I know I'm still getting used to writing it (I haven't changed all my IDs and accounts yet so I still use both names.) My grandmother still can't quite get the hang of it.... she writes to me with my first name and the last word of my husband's surname.... bless her heart

In my husband's culture, wives traditionally do not change their names, although their children take the husband's surname. However, my husband and his family were quite intrigued, even charmed by the idea of me taking his name. Mahmoud takes special delight in calling me "Madame Z etc" or "my Z etc." (And it makes my heart go biddy biddy bom bom.)

I thought it easier and less painful than having property of... tattooed on her butt. LOL

[Oulupair 0]

It's definitely a cultural thing, as well as a sign of the times. I kept my own name...it was an easy decision to make, and my husband has never given it a second thought. For me it's just a modern thing to do.

Hyphenation was not a likely alternative for me: Liebenow-Sarajärvi...people would sprain their tongues trying to say it

[Fuzzness 2]

Oh I'd take the finnish name

[almaty 19]

I thought it easier and less painful than having property of... tattooed on her butt. LOL

her last name is soooooooo long..her new last name 3 letters...she is delighted with that plus it is a custom here and where she is from...

[Autumnal 25]

I went from having a relatively uncommon/rare last name to one of the most common in the English speaking world. Put it this way, I'll never have to keep up with anyone but myself! Neither of us are much happy with the surname and, honestly, we may change it in the future. We'll see.

That Finnish one is gorgeous!

[mawilson 2,133]

Sign of attachment and wanting to share something with my husband, I think. My feeling (being a Brit, where we change our names) is that unless you have a professional or cultural reason to keep your maiden name you should change it, but that's my feeling only.

Why not share *your* last name with your husband then, and have him change *his* name?

Never really thought about it, but it does seem like a sexist tradition smacking of patriarchal property.

[meddykomp 0]

I like what my sister-in-law and her husband did. They made a new last name by combining parts of his greek surname with her swedish one. I really like the name they came up with, especially since I can pronounce it.

[babybunny 2]

Sign of attachment and wanting to share something with my husband, I think. My feeling (being a Brit, where we change our names) is that unless you have a professional or cultural reason to keep your maiden name you should change it, but that's my feeling only.

Why not share *your* last name with your husband then, and have him change *his* name?

Never really thought about it, but it does seem like a sexist tradition smacking of patriarchal property.

my moms husband took on her last name. having said that it should be personal choice

and not forced upon

whats for lunch today?

[I'm Gone 60]

Never really thought about it, but it does seem like a sexist tradition smacking of patriarchal property.

You say that like it's a bad thing. Doesn't someone give away the bride

Edited March 11, 2006 by mdyoung

[raphael7546 0]

My Hubby & I Love Red Lobster. We go there every 2 weeks. Mmmmm I Love Lobster !

If ya think Red Lobsters expensive try going to McGrath Fish House. We went there one time instead of Red Lobster and paid twice as much for bad service,& poor food.

But , Lobster from the East Coast is absolutly the best!!! I had a roomate when I was in my 20s who had an uncle from Nova Scotia. He flew a Crate of Live Lobsters to us one time ! OMG!! They were huge! But delicious! : )

Edited March 11, 2006 by raphael7546

[Cassie 8]

it's funny, because for the longest time people of the upper crust of society wouldn't eat lobsters because they were considered "scavengers" and "bottom feeders" of the ocean. The peasants didn't care, they were cheap food.

Now, it takes a king's ransom to pay for a feed of those suckers!

(PS. Karen, you brave brave woman, eating the green stuff! I applaud you! )

(PS # 2: because of childhood trauma, this girl doesn't eat anything that lives in water -- but they are correct, Red Lobster has nothing on the REAL stuff served in Nova Scotia!)

[Fuzzness 2]

it's funny, because for the longest time people of the upper crust of society wouldn't eat lobsters because they were considered "scavengers" and "bottom feeders" of the ocean. The peasants didn't care, they were cheap food.

They're still bottom feeding scavengers and I won't put any of it near my mouth

[KarenCee 3]

it's funny, because for the longest time people of the upper crust of society wouldn't eat lobsters because they were considered "scavengers" and "bottom feeders" of the ocean. The peasants didn't care, they were cheap food.

They're still bottom feeding scavengers and I won't put any of it near my mouth

I enjoyed eating the lobster, but you know, it's one of those things I can do without....give me a good ol' Black Angus steak, medium well, any day! Baked potato on the side, and a salad please, with sweet iced tea.