Must you change your name?

[SoL. 0]

I am happy that doesn't bring a red flag with USCIS because I am planning to keep my own name.

[RosaMystica7 0]

I'm planning on keeping my own name, at least for now. My name has a funny meaning in Italian and I'd miss not having it anymore. Besides, the first 3 letters of my fiance's last name are a-s-s! "How do you spell your name miss?" "A-s-s..." No thanks! We thought of hyphenating, but MyName-HisName has the same rhythim as Snuffulufugus, and HisName-MyName still starts with a-s-s! We thought of combining our last names, but going back to point one, I'd miss the funny meaning of my first and last name together. We joke about this all the time, it's one of our funny things at the moment. He hasn't offered to take my last name yet, I think it'd be a blow to his ego, and his family wouldn't exactly be happy. Like someone else said though, I like the sound of Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so. We've decided to keep our own last names and figure it out when kids come into the mix!

So yeah, I, too, am glad that it's not considered a red flag.

Edited March 4, 2007 by Angilla

[SoL. 0]

Could the man change his last name to the woman's? It's not that I would even think of doing something like that, I am just curious, sorry if this is a dumb question LOL.

Just curious!

Edited March 4, 2007 by Sol-de-Verano

[Len & How 0]

Could the man change his last name to the woman's? It's not that I would even think of doing something like that, I am just curious, sorry if this is a dumb question LOL.

Just curious!

I don't know how it works in the US, but in the Czech Republic a man can take his wife's name as she can take his after marriage. It isn't common though...

[Alex+R 0]

Could the man change his last name to the woman's? It's not that I would even think of doing something like that, I am just curious, sorry if this is a dumb question LOL.

Just curious!

We considered taking each other's names, but in the end, that would leave me with 5 names and the four I've got are all pretty long (no "Lee" or "Smith" anywhere in there). In New York, for example, you have several options for how you can change your names based on the names you already have, but in Minnesota, you can basically change it to anything with no restrictions, and get a free name change. So you can start out Joe Smith and Susan Jones and come out of it with names only Frank Zappa could love.

[SoL. 0]

Could the man change his last name to the woman's? It's not that I would even think of doing something like that, I am just curious, sorry if this is a dumb question LOL.

Just curious!

I don't know how it works in the US, but in the Czech Republic a man can take his wife's name as she can take his after marriage. It isn't common though...

Could the man change his last name to the woman's? It's not that I would even think of doing something like that, I am just curious, sorry if this is a dumb question LOL.

Just curious!

We considered taking each other's names, but in the end, that would leave me with 5 names and the four I've got are all pretty long (no "Lee" or "Smith" anywhere in there). In New York, for example, you have several options for how you can change your names based on the names you already have, but in Minnesota, you can basically change it to anything with no restrictions, and get a free name change. So you can start out Joe Smith and Susan Jones and come out of it with names only Frank Zappa could love.

Wow I didn't know all that, interesting! I was not sure if this was a women-only thing or if it could go both ways. I thought that John Lennon take Yoko's name, did he?

[ELW 5]

I was not sure if this was a women-only thing or if it could go both ways. I thought that John Lennon take Yoko's name, did he?

I actually never in my life heard of a man taking a women's name after marriage, until my guy mentioned it so casually (it is of course unheard of even in his country!). Surely it is legal though, anywhere? I agree that Mr & Mrs ---- would sound better than saying it separately but oh well, how often do we use that introduction anyway!

John took Yoko’s last name as his middle name, but he kept his own last name (John Winston Lennon was changed to John Ono Lennon). I don’t think Yoko changed her name at all? Not sure – we only hear of her as Yoko Ono, then & now. Yea John! Love his music.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I kept my last name when I married. My husband had no problems with it - and neither did USCIS. I included a short statement with my AOS application about why I was keeping my own name and we were approved without an interview:-).

[RosaMystica7 0]

I kept my last name when I married. My husband had no problems with it - and neither did USCIS. I included a short statement with my AOS application about why I was keeping my own name and we were approved without an interview:-).

Hmm, does that mean I should include a statement saying I don't want the first 3 letters of my last name to be a-s-s? I'll have to figure that out when the time comes.

[JamesT 12]

I think a woman taking her husband's last name is more tradition then anything else. Legally it doesn't matter what either person's last name is or if they are the same, etc. It's tradition just like a man buying an engagement ring for his fiancee when he proposes to her.

So a woman saying "I love you darling, and I want to marry you and be together with you forever, BUT I don't want to take your last name" is the equivalent of a man saying "I love you darling, and I want to marry you and be together with you forever, BUT I do not plan to buy you an engagement ring!"

[Alex+R 0]

I think a woman taking her husband's last name is more tradition then anything else. Legally it doesn't matter what either person's last name is or if they are the same, etc. It's tradition just like a man buying an engagement ring for his fiancee when he proposes to her.

So a woman saying "I love you darling, and I want to marry you and be together with you forever, BUT I don't want to take your last name" is the equivalent of a man saying "I love you darling, and I want to marry you and be together with you forever, BUT I do not plan to buy you an engagement ring!"

Works for me. I didn't get an engagement ring, and I avoided being known as A-Rod by not changing my name. perfect.

[RosaMystica7 0]

Works for me, too. I wouldn't be hurt if I didn't have an engagement ring. I don't even like diamonds, to be honest. I'm not much of a jewelery person. I don't even know if I spelled jewelery right, actually...

[Alex+R 0]

I was not sure if this was a women-only thing or if it could go both ways. I thought that John Lennon take Yoko's name, did he?

I actually never in my life heard of a man taking a women's name after marriage, until my guy mentioned it so casually (it is of course unheard of even in his country!). Surely it is legal though, anywhere? I agree that Mr & Mrs ---- would sound better than saying it separately but oh well, how often do we use that introduction anyway!

John took Yoko’s last name as his middle name, but he kept his own last name (John Winston Lennon was changed to John Ono Lennon). I don’t think Yoko changed her name at all? Not sure – we only hear of her as Yoko Ono, then & now. Yea John! Love his music.

My dad changed his middle name to my mom's last name. Both start with 'H' so his name was still Charles H blabla. My mom may have taken my dad's name at marriage on paper in addition to hers but she never uses it. She doesn't remember if she did or not.

[AngelD 0]

we've discussed hyphening our name -his then mine Dettmar-Steel. He has a daughter with his last name, our daughter with the hyphen and then my two kids with my last name--if we hyphen everyone's last name then noone feels like they are losing anything-rather they are gaining something and we would all be the same.

Either that or we should just come up with some great new last name Stettmar, Steetmar, Steelmar, Marsteel, or how 'bout it all backwards--Leets-Ramtted.

LOL it could be fun to just make something up that we all agreed on as a family!!

I think keeping your maiden name is great! Or even him taking hers--my fiance's brother took his wife's last name and they love it!

[RosaMystica7 0]

Backwards - I never thought of that! Good idea, though ours don't sound good backwards.