Do you think it's unusual to keep your maiden name

Nina J wrote: Someone commented to me today that it's unusual that I kept my maiden name.

I don't think it's that unusual, do you? I just prefer my last name compared to DH's, because his is to popular and mine isn't. I've never met anyone (besides my relatives) who have the same last name as me.

Our Lil' Family replied: Around here it's unusual (south) but I know many ladies around the country that have kept theirs for various reasons. I thought about keeping mine, cause it's easier to pronounce, but I know it meant a lot to DH that I take his name.

amymom replied: Unusual yes because it is different than the usual. But wrong, No I don't think so. What did you do with the kids names? Just curious.

C&K*s Mommie replied: I do not think it is unusual as in wierd, it is more unusual as in uncommon- IMO. KWIM?
I kept my maiden name in a way, Instead of keeping my (former) first name which I seldom went by, and hyphenating my maiden and last name, I moved it over, and dropped my first name by birth. My middle name became my first name (Nicole) my maiden name is now my middle, and my married last name is in the third position.

kimberley replied: i did. i may hyphenate one day but my boys share my maiden name and i didn't want them to feel left out. that, and it is a LOT of hassle and expense to change all your ID etc.

amymom replied: OBTW-- I have a friend both she and her DH are physicians. She became Dr. Jane Doe before she married Dr. John Smith. She is now a SAHM (7 kiddos) and at school and some places she is Mrs. Smith. And other places she is Dr. Doe. It works for them. Also, my kids interchange what they call her, sometimes they call her Dr. Doe and others Mrs. Smith.

lisar replied: I didnt keep my maiden name because I didnt want to carry on that name in any way shape or form. So I was happy to change mine. I dont know anyone personally who has keep thier maiden name. But I dont see a problem with it.

PrairieMom replied:
That was pretty much me too.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I dropped my middle name (Renee) and put my maiden name in it's place.

amynicole21 replied:
That's what I did, too.

jcc64 replied: I hyphenated, but never actually go by that, simply b/c it's too long. Dh's name is nice and short, and that's how everyone knows me.

AlexsPajamaMama replied:
I had a teacher in highschool who got married in the middle of the school year and kept her maiden name for teaching.... and outside of teaching she was Mrs. new last name.

AlexsPajamaMama replied: My step mother hyphenated when she married my Dad...and gets soo mad when people get it wrong!

A&A'smommy replied: I don't think its unusual, its not just not done a lot

luvbug00 replied: Nicole I'm sooo confused!

I will change mine just because brad's last name is sooo cool. Mya has his name too.

mom21kid2dogs replied: Of my circle of aquaintances (personal and professional) and friends, I only know 6 people who have chosen it~3 are docs of one kind or another and 2 others own large businesses. The other is my aunt. The docs all go by their husband's names (and so their children) socially and use their maiden name professionally. All had practices before they married. I dropped my middle name and changed my legal name to my first name, my maiden name & my husband's last name. I do have one doc friend that changed hers but she didn't get a medical degree till after marriage & kids. Although I don't consider it odd at all, I believe it far less common.

C&K*s Mommie replied:
me?

RNP was the way I was born.
NPL is the way I changed it to when I was married. I dropped my first name (which I did not care to use anyhow LOL )
Hope I did not confuse you again.

luvbug00 replied: AHHHH thanks! to me that read like a word probem and i stink at those! lol!

I get it now

My2Beauties replied: I dropped my last name and took DH's only because to me it was a sentimental thing, personally my DH would take great offense to it. I don't think it's wrong, many women do it for professional reasons or other I just felt honored to take my DH's last name. My maiden name was um...not something I could use as a middle name so I didn't drop my middle name and make my maiden name my middle name, I love my middle name given to me and it's Hanna's too BTW!

TheOaf66 replied: no not unusual, just more uncommon. I guess for me it was just traditional for my wife to take my name.

b&bsmom replied: I felt weird giving up my name so I moved it as a second middle name. It is kinda a silent middle name unless you look at my drivers license or ssn# I know it is still there so it makes me happy!

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: It's not unusual IMO. Actually, my ILs are from Holland and I suppose it's much more common over there. My FIL married us and when we were practicing the ceremony, he kept using my maiden name. I corrected him, since I wanted to take DH's last name, but he still couldn't get used to it. I guess keeping it is the norm to him.

holley79 replied: My grandmother, who is a professional business woman, kept her maiden name. I use to hyphenate (sp?)

My3LilMonkeys replied:


My boss is the only person I know who did this. She was already established in the business field under her maiden name.

Brias3 replied: I don't think its "unusual" persay, in fact it seems quite popular these days. Totally a matter of personal desire IMO. I took my husband's last name and didn't think twice about it, but that's just me. It used to be more of a respect to the husband issue so it seems but nowadays, it totally is taken well either way I think.

Nina J replied:
Emily and Odessa have DH's last name

I guess it is uncommon, but I don't generally notice or ask people if they kept there maiden name.

ilovemybaby replied: It's uncommon here. Although there are quite a few hyphenated names here.
I wanted to keep my maiden name because I wanted to carry on our family name. My dad only had us two girls so we can't carry on our family name. And his only brother died when he was in his early 30s so no one in our family is going to carry on our family name now.
Also I didn't want to have the same last name as my inlaws
My hubby wanted me to have his last name and my dad didn't want me to hyphenate the names so I went with my hubbys last name...