▷ 🥇 5 women reveal why they didn’t change their last name

Photo: Andrea Caresse Lewis Photography

In recent years, more and more women keep their surnames. In fact, those who hold fast to their maiden name stagger about 20 percent, according to a WeddingWire survey. But while the history of women’s surname liberation dates back hundreds of years and was instituted primarily as a way of proving ownership, traditions vary depending on values, country of origin, and many other factors. Most modern women – especially in the United States – have the option of heading to the Social Security Office for an update, not changing anything, writing a script, or using one name professionally and another personally (Tip: If you decide to change your name, give HitchSwitch a try, a service that literally handles all that paperwork for you.)

If you are trying to decide which is the best option for you, consider the reasons these women choose to keep or take their partner’s name.

“I didn’t think twice about changing my name.”

Although Megan Hume O Dea says that she was more than proud of her last name – Hume – for 26 years, it was not a question of her taking her husband’s name when they married. “By taking my husband’s last name, I think it meant our new life together. He paved the way for both of us to start our own family and create our own legacy. It was the beginning of Megan and James O Dea, and I couldn’t be more excited about our future, ”she shared. Although she’s happy with her choice (and her new name!), She noted that the process was actually a bit more emotional than she anticipated. “My siblings and I couldn’t be closer and I am very proud of everything my parents have done and created for us. In fact, my mom is currently battling pancreatic cancer and watching my family come together to help her fight these past few months has been a huge inspiration and only brought us closer together. So would I be lying if I told you I’m not sad to let Hume go? Absolutely.”

“I took my husband’s name, but kept it professionally.”

The owner and co-founder of Bad Yogi Official, a lifestyle yoga brand that challenges the common stereotype of a vegetarian yogi who eats kale-e, Erin Motz, recently said, “Yes, I love” her partner, both on the life as in the race. She decided to legally change her name for a reason she calls hippy-dippy: “I think there is an energetic feeling to accepting my husband’s last name. It was a semi-tangible delineation of a new chapter, leaving one and entering another ”. However, for any business transaction or career development, Motz kept her maiden name, mostly because of the brand she has built and for another important reason: she likes it!

“I love tradition.”

The moment Allison Cooper got married, she began making plans to officially take her husband’s name. The reasoning was simple: he loves tradition. “I married a soldier, and I remember rushing to get my marriage certificate, so I can have the same last name as my husband on my military ID for insurance and so on,” she said. “I love looking at the ID and seeing my new name.”

“I am a feminist and her last name did not work with my first name.”

Melissa Harlow is a feminist and finds her last name valuable to her acting career. So when she married her husband – whose last name is Cissel – she had to ponder whether or not she would take his name. Although there were many reasons why she did not end up choosing her name, the biggest was based on the phonetics of what her “new” name would sound like. “My full name is Melissa Sue Harlow. Isn’t that a beauty? Had it taken her name, it would have been Mrs. Melissa Sue Cissell. Say it loud. Not seriously. Say it loud. Now, you have your next favorite tongue twister or Dr. Seuss character, ”he jokes.

“I didn’t want to change my name.”

For Kerri Moriarty, a financial advisor, changing her last name was never a question. In the 29 years she has been alive, she has cherished the name, considering it establishes her Irish heritage and reminds everyone she meets of Sherlock Holmes. “I decided not to change my last name after getting married because…. well, I didn’t want to. I’ve been living on the planet like Kerri Moriarty, and I didn’t want to start over with a whole new name, “he explained. “I married my husband last summer after 7 years together and by then we had been through enough to know that my last name, whether it’s Moriarty or Taylor, has no impact on the way we feel about each other. the other and in the life that we are building together. ”

What did your husband think? A name was just a name, and it didn’t change her feelings. In fact, he supported me. “I was worried that it would be a difficult conversation at first, but when I approached her, Chris looked at me thoughtfully and said, ‘I’ve never really thought about how I would feel if someone asked me to change my name right now. I like my name. That would be very weird. ” He told me that all he cared about was that we commit to building a long-term future together, and that was it, Kerri Moriarty, ”he said.