The decision of whether or not to change your name after you marry is a big one for a woman. A name is very much tied in with a woman’s identity and her family history. There are a variety of options when it comes to what to do in this area.
Some women choose to change their names but still go by their maiden names when it comes to their profession. For example, Kelly Cummings marries Mark Lively. In her professional life Kelly may use Cummings as her name, but to everyone else in her life and her social circle she is now Kelly Lively.
There are other name options to consider. For our purposes we will continue to use the example of Kelly Cummings and Mark Lively.
The most common choice is for the wife to drop her last name and take her husband’s name. In this case, Kelly Cummings would become Kelly Lively. (Mark and Kelly Lively)
Another option which is popular is for both individuals to retain their birth names. (Mark Lively and Kelly Cummings)
Some women decide to take their husband’s name but to use their maiden name as a middle name. This probably will not be the best option for someone who already has a long middle name or for someone who has two middle names. In our example, it would look like this- Kelly Cummings Lively and Mark Lively. This option is becoming more popular all of the time.
Another option that is seeing a rise in popularity is for the husband and wife to use both names but to hyphenate them. (Kelly Cummings-Lively and Mark Cummings-Lively) For some people, however, this might do nothing but create confusion. It also means that both individuals must legally change their last names.
If a married couple decides that they want to keep their own last names, they might decide to use each other’s last name as a middle name. This can confuse some people and can present a problem depending on the middle name your parents gave you from birth. However, it is a viable option. (Mark Cummings Lively and Kelly Lively Cummings).
Other options that are slower to catch on including choosing a new last name all together, combining the two names together to make a new one, or the husband taking his wife’s name.
