That is the question. Today’s dilemma is whether or not to change my last name when we get married. Part of me says I “should” and there is a very strong part of me that says “I don’t want to”!!! So, what did I do? Looked to google for some help, of course!! The pro and cons of changing your name…
Pros-
- Sharing the same family name with your kids
- Having the same monogram will be easier to get fancy towels for the bathroom– just plain dumb… who needs fancy towels!
- Less complicated documents– bank accounts, house deeds, etc. – how complicated is an extra name?
- People will know you’re married because you’ll be Mr & Mrs Shary — ehh that sounds like we’re Ryan’s parents.
- Your husband & his family might be appreciative and feel honored that you’ve taken his name — wouldn’t that have the opposite affect on MY family?? And besides, doesn’t actually getting MARRIED count for something?
- Changing your name can be seen as a symbol of your unity as a couple. — ehhh I kinda see their point with this one.
- Denali and Jelly already have the last name of Shary
Cons
- Sooo much paperwork to change your name… and then going through what name you’re under at what place… – paperwork I guess is a one time thing, making everyone change your name in their computer systems… that sounds like a real pain!
- Google will see you as a whole new person with ZERO entries – I’m not that googley popular anyways… and actually prefer to not be listed (so maybe this is a pro)
- My email address has my current last name in it… then I would have to contact everyone to change my email.
- You’re giving up your family identity — this is my BIG one!!
Possible compromises
- Hyphenate your maiden name and your married name, so you get the best of both worlds– maybe Ryan should hyphenate with me!
- Legally change your name but maintain your maiden name in professional circles – could this work the other way around?
- Make your maiden name your middle name, and/or make your kid’s middle name your maiden name. – this is a possibility
- Make up a new last name for the two of you, combining both of your last names! – I vote for the O’Sharyans
This is going to take a lot of getting used to… and a lot of thinking…