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Joey
WeddingWire Admin May 2015 Maryland

Changing your name - yes or no?

Joey, on January 24, 2019 at 08:05 Posted in Just married 0 64

A huge decision you'll make as you start your married life is whether either of you will change your name. Will you combine your last names into a new name? Hyphenate? Will your partner take your last name, or will you take theirs? Or are neither of you planning to change names?

Changing your name - yes or no? 1

Photo by The Secret Garden of Woodbridge Ponds in Abbothford

Planning a name change? Here is a guide on How to Change your Name in Canada

Still weighing your options? Here are some perspectives to consider - Should I Change My Name After Getting Married?

64 Comments

Latest activity by Christiana, on June 28, 2020 at 13:40
  • Christiana
    Super November 2020 British Columbia
    Christiana ·
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    No way. The thought of changing my name that I’ve used for 30+ years seems insane to me. I don’t even particularly like my last name - although I also don’t dislike it - but it’s my name haha!
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  • Amanda
    Featured August 2022 British Columbia
    Amanda ·
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    I'll be taking my fiance's last name for sure!

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  • Margaret
    Curious December 2021 Ontario
    Margaret ·
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    I love my last name, so I’ll be keeping it Smiley smile
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  • Sheri-Lyn
    Frequent user May 2022 Ontario
    Sheri-Lyn ·
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    I will be assuming his last name for sure!!

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  • K
    Newbie June 2020 New Brunswick
    Katie ·
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    I told him that I don't want to give up my literal identity for anyone, but he really liked the idea of having the same last name especially when we start having kids. So I'm hyphenating so we can both get what we want. I'll probably still go by my maiden name, but legally I'll have both.

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  • Francesca
    Frequent user November 2020 Ontario
    Francesca ·
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    Hell's to the yes changing my last name.

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  • K
    Frequent user October 2020 Ontario
    Kara ·
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    I will be taking his last name- at his request. I wanted to keep my current last name as it is what I identify with personally and professionally- but I was married when I was young, and I kept my previous husbands last name..... FH was not too keen on me keeping it, and I do understand where he’s coming from.... so I’ll be changing it!
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  • Jamie
    Frequent user June 2022 British Columbia
    Jamie ·
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    Yes, I will be taking his last name Smiley smile

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  • Joey
    WeddingWire Admin May 2015 Maryland
    Joey ·
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    Yaaaas! I know a married couple, the woman hated her last name and was desperate to get rid of it, but didn't want to take her husband's name "because she's a feminist"?? I'm like, don't take his name because he's a man, take it because it's your choice and that's what you want! It seemed so silly to me to be obligated to do something you don't want to do in order to make a statement.

    I too am a feminist, and I didn't take my DH's last name, but it wasn't to make a feminist statement, but rather because I like my last name more than his and I didn't want to change it! Mine is unique and my family is small so I really wanted to keep my name going, whereas his name is super common. No regrets at all about keeping my last name.

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  • Kaisha
    Super March 2019 Nova Scotia
    Kaisha ·
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    I will not be changing my name, I am quite attached to my last name so I have opted to keep it.

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  • Brittany
    British Columbia
    Brittany ·
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    Yep!! I've taken his last name.

    I'm in mid-transition of taking his name now... Married a whopping 16 days... I ordered new business cards, office plaque, and edited my voicemail/email signature before I left. My driver's license expires this month so I'll renew with my married name, as well as go through all the CRA, SIN, banking, bills, etc, name changes the next few weeks. My "D'OH!" moment was getting a 10 year passport 2 years ago, when we'd already been together over 4 years... so now we're married and I'll be getting a new passport again... oh well!

    My next step is learning/practicing a new signature....

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  • Alycia
    Expert March 2020 Ontario
    Alycia ·
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    Hahaha, gotta love those weirdos though! Keeps life entertaining lol
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  • Bianca
    Master August 2019 Ontario
    Bianca ·
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    Hers wasn't even bad! She's a funny person lol.

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  • Alycia
    Expert March 2020 Ontario
    Alycia ·
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    What a pain in the BUTT is right!

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  • Olivia
    Beginner July 2019 Ontario
    Olivia ·
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    Mine is Irish, and it’s inbetween letters so no one ever knows what to do with it Smiley xd
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  • Alycia
    Expert March 2020 Ontario
    Alycia ·
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    I see Yeah I have a French last name and it has an apostrophe over the e but it doesn’t cause me any issues thankfully, we just replace it with a normal e and nothing changes.

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  • Olivia
    Beginner July 2019 Ontario
    Olivia ·
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    It has an apostrophe! So some systems can’t read it, some require you to input a zero in that space (like the online tests I had to take in high school), and I never know how my last name is actually entered into various systems. Does it have an apostrophe? Is it case sensitive? Did they use an O or an E?

    Its just a pain pain in the butt and I’m tired of it 😂
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  • Alycia
    Expert March 2020 Ontario
    Alycia ·
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    That’s a shame, I didn’t realize you weren’t allowed to change it!

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  • Alycia
    Expert March 2020 Ontario
    Alycia ·
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    You have me curious what’s the pain in the butt about your maiden name?
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  • Alycia
    Expert March 2020 Ontario
    Alycia ·
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    I’ll definitely be taking his name, it’s just something I always thought I’d do because it’s the tradition of it. I love my maiden name so it’s tattooed on me with my family’s crest. So I always thought of the tattoo as the symbolic way of keeping it. But change is good too and I love traditions and my FH and I want to carry his name Smiley smile

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  • Alycia
    Expert March 2020 Ontario
    Alycia ·
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    I love ALL your reasons! I’m also a feminist taking on his name, because it’s always been what I wanted, not because I dislike my name, I just like traditions. Plain and implement lol

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  • Alycia
    Expert March 2020 Ontario
    Alycia ·
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    LOL she really must’ve hated her maiden name!

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  • Olivia
    Beginner July 2019 Ontario
    Olivia ·
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    I'm taking my fiance's last name because my maiden name is a pain in the butt!

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  • Bianca
    Master August 2019 Ontario
    Bianca ·
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    I'll be taking FH's last name. It's not even something I ever considered not to do tbh.

    Although my mother has started this new thing where she thinks I should keep my last name. Saying that it's so good and blah, blah, blah. Funny how she hated her maiden name and changed it ASAP (and she's been divorced for 11 years and still keeps my dads last name).

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  • Leah
    VIP April 2019 British Columbia
    Leah ·
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    Definitely taking his name, and here are my reasons:

    1. His parents are deceased, and he moved from the USA to Canada for this relationship.My family has embraced him, and he's definitely become "one of us", so I feel like a way for me to pay homage to his family (and parents who passed long before we started dating) is to take his name.

    2. I love my last name (Burke), but am pushing for our first child's name to be "Burke" (I love it)

    3. I majored in Women & Gender Studies and my family and friends assume I'll keep mine, or hyphenate it in as typical feminist way...but feminism is about choice, so I'm CHOOSING to take on his...and admittedly, I also like the shocked reactions.

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  • Cherry
    Devoted October 2019 Quebec
    Cherry ·
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    We will get married in Quebec and will be living there. So, I won't be able to legally change my name. Smiley sad

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  • Rachael
    Super October 2019 Ontario
    Rachael ·
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    I will likely take my fiancé's last name at some point post-wedding!

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  • Kelsie
    Beginner July 2021 British Columbia
    Kelsie ·
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    Going to feel super weird but I will be taking my mans last name ❤️
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  • Heather
    Beginner May 2019 British Columbia
    Heather ·
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    I will be taking his last name. As much as I like my maiden name and it will feel weird to change it, I like the traditional way of taking my husband's name.. And his last name is good too.
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  • Maegan
    Super July 2018 British Columbia
    Maegan ·
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    I totally get this. I took my husbands last name “Grotenhuis” when I was a “Pauls”. So much more of a mouthful and nobody can spell it. Add that to my first name that nobody can spell and it’s super fun.

    And i has been working in my career for 3 full years at the time of our wedding and built a pretty good reputation for myself. Changing my name and starting to build up my good rep with clients under my new name will definitely take some time.

    I definitely dont don’t regret changing my name, it puts a smile on my husbands face every time he now gets to call me a Grotenhuis, but it is definitely a pain in the butt!
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  • Erin
    Super September 2019 Ontario
    Erin ·
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    I'm keeping my name for sure. My fiance is not so sure and may actually be taking my name!
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  • Amanda
    Super June 2019 Ontario
    Amanda ·
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    I will be taking my partner's name... I'm old fashioned like that.. Smiley shame
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