If you’re getting married soon, you may have the conversation over whether you’re going to take your husband’s surname or not. There are some compelling reasons to take his name. It makes the mortgage easier and it’s a tradition for some. However, there are also some reasons not to bother. There are times that keeping your own surname is a good thing to do.
You’ve Built a Personal Brand
You may have already built a personal brand around your own surname. This is especially the case if you’re self-employed and built a business around your own name.
Look at Kim Kardashian, for example. Her name is her brand and when she becomes Kim West after her wedding, it’s going to take a lot from her. People will start wondering who Kim West is at first.
It’s Easier to Do
Keeping your own name is so much easier. Just think about all the paperwork you need to do so you can change your name. There are bank accounts, passports and your driving license to change.
Then there are the small things that you’ve likely forgotten all about, like the utility bills and even your lease with your letting agency! It’s time consuming and can take months, and even years to really finish.
You Want to Keep Your Identity
Even if you haven’t built a brand with your name, it is part of who you are. You know yourself as your maiden name, and so does everyone else.
It can take time to adjust to having a different surname and some women complain about being someone else now.
It’s an Old Thing to Do
Do you really want to be stuck in the olden days? Taking your husband’s surname is such a traditional thing but you don’t want to pull yourself back to that time and place.
You want to show that you are a modern day woman and that means keeping your own surname. You don’t want to give into the old ways of where men ruled the world.
You’re the Last of Your Family
Some women are the last of their family name. You don’t want to see that name die out, so you may choose to keep it so you can carry it on. Of course, there are other ways of doing this.
You can hyphenate your name or you may choose to give your children the surname within their middle names. This will make it very easy for future generations to link their name to your maiden name to continue the search.
It’s Easier to Change Back
Sometimes marriages don’t work. While you know right now that you want to make it work and you picture yourself growing old together, divorce can happen.
Then you have to make the choice of whether you want to keep the name you took or change it back to your maiden name.
You know how long it took to change it in the first place, and now you need to do it all over again! You won’t think of this right now, but it might be something at the back of your mind.