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M
Devoted August 2018 Ontario

Lastname change Just add a hyphen?

Megis, on July 3, 2018 at 18:40 Posted in Just married 0 23

I've been considering if I should change my lastname overall. There are different pros and cons. I've also been wondering if any brides have just added a hyphen?

ie. Partnerslastname-mylastname

The name would be super long though. Just a current thought might be too much trouble.

23 Comments

Latest activity by Tatiana, on July 18, 2018 at 16:30
  • Tatiana
    Expert April 2018 Ontario
    Tatiana ·
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    I know late to the discussion but i changed my name by hyphenating, so now mylastname-husbandslastname. Which is also super long.

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  • Sonia
    Frequent user May 2019 Quebec
    Sonia ·
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    I would love to do that! Especially for when we have kids because our children are ours and not just his :b why should they get his last name after I’ve been carrying them and caring for them lol but my last name is his fathers first name so it would just seem really weird
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  • Courtney
    Super July 2018 Ontario
    Courtney ·
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    I always think of a girl I went to school with, who had a hyphenated first name AND a hyphenated last name. I think that made me feel like it was just too much. So I wuoldn't do it personally.


    Plus I feel you end up just getting called by the last part of a hyphen name any way.

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  • Leanne
    Expert September 2018 Ontario
    Leanne ·
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    I love the idea of a hyphen, bringing two families together...but i also know that it can be difficult, especially once there are children. My FH eventually dropped one of his names when, because it was too long to put on every piece of documentation.

    I am also very traditional and I plan on taking my FH last name.

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  • Rachael
    Super October 2019 Ontario
    Rachael ·
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    I don't like the way hyphenated last names look; however, if both of you have short last names then it may look okay, even if they are long when added together.

    I will likely change my last name at some point, but I'm not in any rush to as it seems like a lot of effort for something fairly trivial.

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  • Kay
    Devoted September 2018 Nova Scotia
    Kay ·
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    I'll be hyphenating my name. I'm proud of my last name and we are a family of girls, so I'm not inclined to let it go. hah. I will hyphenate, even though it'll make my name long. Smiley smile

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  • Erin
    Super September 2019 Ontario
    Erin ·
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    I'm keeping my name. I always wanted to, and for a number of reasons, but especially since I met my fiance - his last name is Dix! It's really not that bad, but he hates it. He will most likely be taking my name but he hasn't decided yet.
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  • Candace
    VIP May 2019 Ontario
    Candace ·
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    I am taking his last name because it makes it easier. Then we are Mr and Mrs Longhorn. There is no hyphenated long last name for me (while he keeps his short and sweet still) when we have kids there is no confusion or discussion about what their last name will be, etc.
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  • M
    Devoted August 2018 Ontario
    Megis ·
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    I kind of get that too. My first and lastnames are aboriginal. So they are only recognized by the aboriginal community. To everyone else they can't place the name and it just sounds outlandish to them. Also mixed heritage so people have a hard time placing me with any ethnicity because I have a mix of features. And unfortunately this all comes with a bit of racism.

    Just for closeness I want to change my lastname. However in my field of work I will most likely be working in the aboriginal community. It would help then to keep my lastname. However my first name is still aboriginal. So it's difficult deciding Smiley xd

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  • Erin
    Master September 2017 Ontario
    Erin ·
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    I would check with your province to see what the rules are but I would also then do what you want. If you want to hyphenate (usually maiden-married) then that is your prerogative but you may have to pay for the privilege. I assumed my husband's name and am in the process of changing everything over.

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  • Jennifer
    Frequent user February 2024 Ontario
    Jennifer ·
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    I was made fun of using my last name as a child so I've wanted to change my last name to his for forever!! As for work, people are often confused about my background because my name doesn't match my racially ambiguous look, whereas I feel my new last name will match better with how I look. My hope is that once my last name is Rossi people will assume I'm Italian or mixed-Italian and stop asking me what's my background. Tired of having the same conversation over and over everytime I meet someone new.
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  • Maya
    Expert January 2019 Alberta
    Maya ·
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    Growing up I was always ready to change my name, but then as I got older I got attached to my family name. Ironic enough it’s not even my parents last name, my mom married and took my brothers dads last name and kept it because she couldn’t stand her maiden name. She never married my dad and since she raised me I only had her last name. I know my brother has never planned on having kids and so I wanted to keep my last name to pass it on. My family is really connected by name so that’s why it’s important to me to keep it. When we do have kids they will get both last names with one being a second middle name and then they can choose when they are older which one they want to go by.
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  • Tyanna
    Super June 2019 British Columbia
    Tyanna ·
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    I was just about to say this! I dont think its worth the hassle most of the time. I think it's easier to just keep your maiden name or switch to your married name!
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  • Stephanie
    Master July 2018 Alberta
    Stephanie ·
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    It's totally up to you. I think hyphenating is a good idea at times, but sometimes not. When you introduce yourself, do you want to have to say your hyphenated name all the time? Do you want to write your hyphenated name out every time you have to sign something? I am changing my last name, but keeping my name for work. You could keep your name but use his for non-legal things (like with friends and family, on your email, maybe work email) or you could change your last name and still use your current name professionally.

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  • Sarah
    Frequent user July 2020 Nova Scotia
    Sarah ·
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    I’m definitely taking my fiancés last name, but since I’ll be in the medical field before we are married, I will be using my maiden name while practicing Smiley smile
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  • Michelle
    Super September 2018 Alberta
    Michelle ·
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    I will be taking his last name. If I hyphenated it would be too long haha. Also working in a hotel myself many wives don't remember what they booked the room under. Sometimes they book under their maiden name, husband's last name or hyphenated name.... I'm personally not a fan of hyphenated.

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  • Brittany
    British Columbia
    Brittany ·
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    I've been preparing myself to take my future husband's last name since I knew what that even meant... so I am mentally prepared to change it completely.

    My mom remarried when I was 7, and she hyphenated, because my sister and I had her maiden name, and if she changed it, we wouldn't have the same name as either of our parents... So she is still HerLastName-HisLastName.

    My cousin took her married name (for the most part), but gave her kids a second middle name, her maiden name... So they are FirstName MiddleName HerLastName HisLastName, but their legal family names are his.

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  • Stephanie
    VIP May 2019 Ontario
    Stephanie ·
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    I'm 99% sure I'm taking his last name! I do love my last name! And I'll keep it in Facebook hahah!! But I've had it for 30 years why not try something new! The only sad thing is that I have no siblings or cousins... so that name dies with me...
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  • Clarissa
    Expert October 2018 Saskatchewan
    Clarissa ·
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    I considered this but I think I'm just gonna use 2 names. Keep my old name professionally (because I've worked hard to get where I am) and then change my last name legally so that when we have kids we all have one family name.
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  • Helen
    Frequent user September 2018 British Columbia
    Helen ·
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    Its about $175 to do it too, you need a lawyer and criminal record check so it adds up! Something about getting a new birth certificate and erasing my existence really doesn't appeal to meSmiley smile

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  • M
    Devoted August 2018 Ontario
    Megis ·
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    Yeah I didn't realize it might vary by province.
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  • Bianca
    Master August 2019 Ontario
    Bianca ·
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    If you want to keep your name, add the hyphen! Who cares if it makes it long, it's your name and you have to live with it. I personally am not hyphenating my last name and just taking FH's due to mine already being different (mine's Di M.... , so hyphenating it is out of the question).

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  • Helen
    Frequent user September 2018 British Columbia
    Helen ·
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    Check your province rules. In BC I can assume his name, a hyphen requires a legal name change (and legal change back should that ever happen). This actually changes your birth record believe it or not and adds unnecessary costs. Keeping my own and using his means I can go back to my name or use it interchangeably whenever I want.

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