Will you be changing your name?

 I can't decide!!

My OH has a very 'plain' surname - I dont dislike it, but it is a fairly common one. My current surname is slightly more unusual, although I am not paritculalrly attached to it - and would have no hesitation changing for a 'nicer' one!

I am somewhat inclined to hang onto my current name for 'professional' purposes - my name is becoming known in my area of work (and is more memorable I suppose than my 'married' name would be). I will continue to call myself a 'Ms' professionally as well - just a bit of a feminist thing I think of not feeling I need to 'declare' my marital status. I quite like to idea of OH and I being known as 'Mr and Mrs samename' for non-professional purposes/socially though. We have briefly discussed OH changing his surname to mine - but he has kids from a previous marriage, so does not really want to have a different name from them. I am a little put off changing my name to his name however, as I am not convinced I want to share a surname with his ex wife!

What are other people doing?

 Im changing my name!  OH's surname isnt particularly exciting but I cannot wait to be Mrs x!

What about having a double barreled name?

 Ive always wanted to change my name upon marrying, but more recently ive been thinking that actually, my sirname which was always the bane of my life as a child, is now quite a talking point and i like it!! But, although i will be sad to stop using it, i do want to have the same sirname as my 2 kids, so i will take their name. I cant possibly have double barreled either, because of the names!

 hmm...i have thought about this too. As my surname is unusual and i really really like it!! and people comment on it and i shall miss that :-( (yes i am an attention whore). Mr Boo's surname is nice too and is fairly unusual but its just that i will definately miss mine. Initially i suggested a double barreled name, which h2b was happy for me to do (ish) but wouldnt do it himself and i dont want to be the odd one out from any subsequent children we may have. So i think im just going to suck it up and take his name- part of me quite likes the idea and really wants to have his last name so we are like our own little gang, but there is a small part of me that wants to hold on to my name!!

p.s Milna- your my date twin :-)..

And will anyone else end up sharing a surname with an ex wife if they change? I half feel I don't want to let that put me off doing what I might otherwise do ... but then at the same time I dont much like the idea of having the same name (We have not met, but she has plenty of unfounded nasty things to say about me!)

 Despite a 'girl power' lecture from my aunt I'm changing!! My family name is widely recognised at home as we are a very large farming family but where I live now its not so common. H2B is scottish and we live in scotland so I quite fancy having a scottish surname!! The aformentioned aunt was also going on about 'keeping the family name going'... she seems to have forgotten about the 8 or so male cousins I have with the same surname whereas H2B is the last of the males in his family!! I shall be keeping the forenames from my side of the family going instead! Will be changing it for work too - I haven't published anything yet (and don't intend to stay in science long enough to!) so its not like I'm 'known'!

There are no ex-wives or MILs or SILs to share my surname with either - this is his first marriage, him mum has gone back to her maiden name and his only sister is married so doesn't have the same surname - I'LL BE THE ONLY ONE!!! YAY!!!

 Oh god I hadn't thought of MILs and SILs as well - already one of each with same name! And a few cousins and aunts as well as they are a masisve family!

 Too right I am! I can't wait, have already sent off for my new passport

 Worse... my H2b's previous fiance took on his surname by deed poll so she would share the same surname as their children and refuses to change it back and is unlikely to get married.

This and the fact that my H2B's surname is not very erm.... flattering I suppose is the word(!) is one of the reasons why I didn't want to change my name.

I am the first person to marry my H2B so I should be the first to take his name!

I also don't like the idea of losing my maiden name which is unusual and distinctive. It is also my nickname among friends!

I did consider double-barrelling my name but when I was spelling out my email address at work the other day I thought it is going to be even more of a pain-in-the-butt to add a hyphen ^&*()_ to it.

So i am keeping my maiden name for work as I do have lots published in this name and don't want to become unrecognisable again. Also H2b's surname is the same surname as my boss!

I am reluctantly going to take H2b's name for everything else - banks, socially etc.

I told H2B i didn't want to change my name as it would feel like I was losing my identity and he said there was no point in getting married then!

 Edited to say sorry for rambling!

crystal-k:

 Worse... my H2b's previous fiance took on his surname by deed poll so she would share the same surname as their children and refuses to change it back and is unlikely to get married.

 

She sounds slightly, erm, odd! Would it not have made more sense to change the kids name to hers?! I think she might have issues!!

 Presumably they were together when she changed her name ... and intending to get married. So it probably made sense at the time?

My partner's ex has given her new baby (Not my OH's!) the same surname as well. It struck me as a little strange at first - but I guess she wanted it to have the same surname as her other kids and herself - and the baby's father is not on the scene. It is her name after all (and one she shares with her exisiting children), and I don't think anybody can ask/expect her to change it!

 I've got the opposite problem. I don't like my surname but am marrying someone with the same surname (no relation whatsoever - just a common name).

So, there'll be three Mrs Hunts (mum, MIL, me), plus we both have brothers, so potentially two more in the future!

i love my surname (despite having to spell it every day of my life), not hugely keen on h2b's surname, but am taking it on.  am tempted to keep it professionally, but am going to be moving jobs around the same time as wedding, so think i will just change my name. 

feel cheated that i am marrying a scottish man, and will not have a surname beginning with mc/mac!!!

I'm keepimg my surname at work and using H2B's for home. Work in the world of science though and it's quite normal for people to do this. I like the idea of two names adds an air of mystery.

Although not keen on Mrs and I'm known as Dr at work (the PhD variety not a medic) but I've never used it away from work as it seems a bit poncy, however wondering whether to change to Dr at home after MIL2B said how nice it will be for there to be another Mrs R. I'm an individual don't want to be the same as anyone else!!!!!!!

Edited to add and now I've just realised we'd both be Mrs K R as her name begins with K too!!!!!

 Mine is a very old English surname and I will be changing to H2B's which is an Indian surname - quite like the idea of being cross-nationality!