Last names?

[Emulator 92]

Would you want to keep your own last name or switch to your husband's last name (or for that matter get your husband to switch to your last name)?

If the former, how should the kids be named?

Personally, I'd want to choose a new last name with my wife for the family we're starting.

[Jegsy Scarr 3,521]

Taking my husband's last name. I think it's a beautiful tradition. And I do think that it's somewhat more romantic if a husband and wife have the same last name, because they're becoming "one" and starting a family together, so it's fitting if they share the same name (whether it's the wife or the husband who changes their name or whether they create a new one). I think it's a little weird when you have a husband and wife who have different last names.

xxx

[JGBenns 7]

I would hope my wife takes mine.

[NicoleNova 2,669]

I will take my husband's. I'm a traditionalist.

[Alex 98]

I think I would hyphenate my last name. I like the idea of taking his last name, but also keeping mine. I'm not sure how I would feel about just taking his last name.

[Invincible 8,026]

I agree with Jegs. When two people get married, they become "one" physically, emotionally and spiritually. I would want to my wife and myself to make any changes in our lives to reflect that (same last name, joint bank account etc.). I would strongly prefer she took my last name, but I'd be open to changing both our last names to be a mix between the two as well.

[Guest Rain]

I will definitely take my husbands last name when I get married one day. Like others said, it is a nice tradition. Definitely taking his last name.

[Covoo 10]

Im a traditionalist and i would like my wife to take my last name.

[MaliB79 111]

I'm old-fashioned/traditional, and will take my husband's last name.

[WanderingWashingtonian 1,383]

If I actually liked my last name, as opposed to barely tolerating it, I might fight harder to keep it. As it is, I will be happy to see it go, unless my husband's last name is worse than mine!

I do think the idea of combining names to make a new name could be cool, provided some good combinations were available.

If I was quite attached to my maiden name, but wanted to adopt my husband's name as well, I would take his name as my surname, and have my maiden name as a second middle name. Thus, if my full name as a single woman was Anastasia Alexa Avery and my husband's surname was Amberson, I would change my full legal name to Anastasia Alexa Avery Amberson, but my name for ordinary purposes would be Anastasia Amberson. I know some people hyphenate, but that is not for me. My surname is already long enough at 10 letters; I don't need to be adding to it.

For the idea of passing both names on to the kid, I've heard of couples giving the kids the mother's maiden name as a middle name or as a second middle name. This would work better in some cases than others, depending on the name, but it is a neat idea, and that way, you still are honoring both sides of the family.

[Sophie 1,280]

I have no intention of changing my last name. I don't think it's anti-feminist or whatever, I just really think my last name goes well with my first name and...well, it's my name. Me and my dad are the last people in the family to have that last name, so it's special to me. Also, I'm adopted, so it makes me feel closer to my dad that I have his last name (my mom never changed her name.) So no, I will not change my name nor will I hyphenate it. But I WILL become a Mrs! Definitely. Unless I get a PhD, and then I'd be a Dr. But still, I will want to go from Ms to Mrs for sure. I'm just not a traditionalist. I think I would actually love to elope. I honestly couldn't care less about the wedding, I just want someone to spend the rest of my life with. But I am just romantic enough to look very forward to becoming Mrs. Sophie N.

[Emulator 92]

In my country we get to have both. For example, it would be: Sarah (insert my last name) de (insert his last name). The kids would also get both last names. I wouldn't have a problem only taking his, but I also like it this way.

I'm confused though. If the kids take both, wouldn't the number of last names grow by a factor of two with each generation? I mean once the kids get married, there will be four last names.

[Guest PrincessZelda21]

I want his <3

[LookingForTheOne 318]

I have no intention of changing my last name. I don't think it's anti-feminist or whatever, I just really think my last name goes well with my first name and...well, it's my name. Me and my dad are the last people in the family to have that last name, so it's special to me. Also, I'm adopted, so it makes me feel closer to my dad that I have his last name (my mom never changed her name.) So no, I will not change my name nor will I hyphenate it. But I WILL become a Mrs! Definitely. Unless I get a PhD, and then I'd be a Dr. But still, I will want to go from Ms to Mrs for sure. I'm just not a traditionalist. I think I would actually love to elope. I honestly couldn't care less about the wedding, I just want someone to spend the rest of my life with. But I am just romantic enough to look very forward to becoming Mrs. Sophie N.

I know it's your name, and your decision, so you can do whatever you want with it, but I think that's hypocritical. I don't think a woman should get to be a Mrs while keeping her surname (I don't mean in the sense that it shouldn't be allowed--I just don't think it's right).

Oh, and when/if I marry, I'll insist that she drop her surname to take mine (I'm a man). For her to refuse to do it would be a deal-breaker.

[Sophie 1,280]

I know it's your name, and your decision, so you can do whatever you want with it, but I think that's hypocritical. I don't think a woman should get to be a Mrs while keeping her surname (I don't mean in the sense that it shouldn't be allowed--I just don't think it's right).

Oh, and when/if I marry, I'll insist that she drop her surname to take mine (I'm a man). For her to refuse to do it would be a deal-breaker.

Good thing you're not marrying me then. Cuz it would also be a deal-breaker if a guy tried to force me to do something I didn't want to do.

[Candyhall 414]

I will be honored to take his last name <3

[Kailey 1,072]

Yes! I want his last name. I think it is only an issue if there are no males in the family to carry on the name, but my brother will do that !

[Sunny 472]

For me, I don't really care. If my husband has a strong opinion on it then we'll go with whatever he wants, but I think I would like having the same last name.

Would you want to keep your own last name or switch to your husband's last name (or for that matter get your husband to switch to your last name)?

If the former, how should the kids be named?

Personally, I'd want to choose a new last name with my wife for the family we're starting.

This is so cute and romantic to me for some reason. I think this would be ideal for me.

[LonelyKnight 1,024]

The man is traditionally considered the head of the household. In founding the new household, it's therefore generally accepted it is founded in his name. While I would hardly view this as domination (in addition to leading my wife, my job is to serve her), I would very much want my wife to have the same attitude of service and an understanding that we are founding a new generation, with her accepting my last name.

I have always been fond of the idea of "possession" not in the sense of property, but in sense of the timelessly romantic line from "Power of Love" by Celine Dion, "cause I'm your lady, and you are my man."

My wife. My husband. In a sense, we possess each other. I like the idea of no longer being my own, and I would hope my wife shares the idea.

[Neen 482]

i will not change my last name.

where i am originally from, that is not the tradition, and that is not what im used too.

edit:i dont need to change my last name to be my husbands. he doesnt his last name to prove he is mine. our kids can have his last name though.

[Sophie 1,280]

i will not change my last name.

where i am originally from, that is not the tradition, and that is not what im used too.

edit:i dont need to change my last name to be my husbands. he doesnt his last name to prove he is mine. our kids can have his last name though.

Love this. My mom didn't take my dad's last name or became a Mrs, but they both agreed that I should take his last name (mainly because nobody ever spells my mom's last name correctly, and it's often pronounced wrong.) I won't take my husband's last name, and I think having hyphenated last names for our children is a good idea unless his surname is something terrible, like Cock or Titsworth (yes, real surnames, not making those up.)

[Phoenix 28]

I'll be keeping mine.

[Jenny 449]

I want to take my future husband's name, legally. But I would keep my name as a sort of alias for banking and other things.

I like the idea of the last name hyphenation for the children, because I am the last of my line, so to speak. As an only child and a girl, it would be nice to know that my children could carry on our family name another generation.

This would all be things to talk out once we were in engaged though. Who knows, maybe I'll marry someone who really does not like his name and would want to take mine. Although that would be a little strange for me, I'd probably accept it if it's what he wanted.

[Allison 421]

I am a traditionalist this way and will definitely take my future husband's last name. Most of the women in my family dropped their given middle name and took their maiden name as their new middle name, but I won't do that. I absolutely love my middle name and I could never get rid of it. My parents chose it because my great-grandmother was dying when I was born and I was her first female great-grandchildren. It's a special way of honoring her and I am proud to have her name since she was an amazing person.

I also wouldn't do the same as my female relatives because my first name begins with an A and my last name starts with S as does my longtime boyfriend's, so yeah that doesn't work out too well...My brother finds it hilarious, but I'm not really a fan.

[Guest redyellowblue]

I would be proud to take my husband's last name