One of the biggest questions many women (and some men) face before getting
married is whether or not they should take their spouse’s name after
tying the knot. But what about if a marriage isn’t the fairy tale
many believe it will turn out to be — what then? Do you continue
living out the rest of your life with a last name that isn’t your
own, after you’ve done away with its owner?
Writing for Forbes, Emma Johnson dove into that debate by asking her readers
who have divorced to send her reasons why they did or didn’t change
their birth names (not “maiden” names, which Johnson finds
sexist). There were some interesting responses that caught our interest
with the story.
For The Children
A reader from Massachusetts decided to keep her married name, partially
for career reasons, but she also wanted to have the same name as her children.
That makes it easier when dealing with things like schools and their children’s friends.
“I didn’t want their friends and school to have the additional
confusion of a different last name for their mom,” she said.
To Honor Their Family
“He was an immigrant who came to this country from Jamaica as a
young man,” said one reader who took back her born name as a point
of pride in her grandfather. “He took care of his family and sometimes
those who weren’t his family, owned his own business, owned property,
had strong values and was a brave man. Pure example of the American dream.
I’m the last to have his name, and I want to hold on to it.”
There are a few more great stories if you want to check them out.
For more:
Should You Change Your Name After Divorce? (Forbes)
Image via Wikipedia.