Should I hyphenate my last name with my husband's?

Question

I want to keep ALL of my names LOL! I want to keep my middle name and maiden name, and his last name. Should I hyphenate it or just use my maiden name as my middle name? OR, should I keep them all? I like the sound of hyphenated last names, but it could get confusing. HELP!! I just don't know what to do. My husband doesn't mind either way. I just know I want his last name in there too.

Answer 1

Hyphenation sounds good. I understand about you wanting to keep your name, it's good to be proud of it.

Try to see how it sounds with a hyphened name, lots of people have them and it's completely acceptable.

Would your children just have his last name? You may want to think about that.

Unless it sounds stupid, hyphenation is cool! :D

Answer 2

When I married, my husband from Wales, they do hyphenate their names , and have done for generations. In North America it is up to you. If it sounds good together, go for it. Use your maiden name first. Remember if you have children, what you put on their birth certificate will be their surname. Whether you use the hyphenated name or just your husbands will be between the two of you. If you use both, think ahead to when they marry. If you son's intended wishes to have her surname included, what will your son drop or include?
Back to you. I personally like a hyphenated name, but if it is long, like mine, I find most things you have to sign - credit slip, cheque book, etc., they do not leave enough space. Also most stores, etc., do not know how to list it - It should be under the first letter of your surname if that is listed first. But a lot file it under the first letter of the second part after the hyphen. Post office, prescriptions, photo developing shop, things being held for you in a store, etc. often are filed wrong. Can be frustration. Good Luck. Judy

Answer 3

I have always thought that if you hyphenate a name that means both of you use the combined name and it is passed to the children but if you just use both your maiden and surname without a hyphen it is an artifice often used by famous women to preserve a professional identity and used only when referring to the woman and not her other half.

Answer 4

If you keep your maiden name and use your husband's last name,you should hyphenate.
This will allow you to use your maiden name on things like your drivers license and bank accounts without having to change everything over to your married name.
Also,you do not have to change to your hubby's last name just because you got married-you can still use you maiden name.
It is only by custom and tradition that the woman takes the husband's last name after marriage.
Look at Hillary Clinton,she never used "Clinton" as part of her name until Bill ran for the White House and that was after advisers suggested it to her to help get the votes of married people.

Answer 5

I advise you to think of if you are going to have children and what would they have to write. Most people with hyphenated names have an affect. Im not saying you do but the ones I know are different.

Answer 6

I think that you should do what you want. I personally think if may be easier to use your maiden name as a middle name. But I most definitely like hyphenated names as well!

Answer 7

well you may be married now however your name gets bigger not smaller,

I had a similar issues with my name, for example if your name was:

Margrate Hilda ROBERTS
before you got married you can keep all your names and just add your husbands surname as your surname

for example you you might be married to

Robert Thatcher

then your married name would be
Fname : Margrate
Mname : Hilda Roberts
SName: Thatcher.

it will sound better and creat less confusion for you and the authorities that might have to deal with in future.

whenever filling in your paperwork you can still use H R as your middle initials.

good luck

Answer 8

If you have children you should definitely hyphenate so that it is not confusing to teachers and others.
It also depends on the names. You should ask your friends and see what they think.
People probably will only call you by one name so personally I would just keep his name and/or change your maiden name to your middle.

Answer 9

That got here from the custom of giving the child the mothers maiden call as a midsection call to link the linage. while a woman desires to maintain her final call she many times hyphenates her call-husbands. yet you're able to do it any way you decide on.

Answer 10

for me it would depend on the flow of the names...say how many syllables are we talking here? my last name has 2 and my b/f's has 3. that's a mouthful and i wouldn't dream of hyphenating that.....but everyone is different. i think it makes a lot of work for others as well who have to listen to and repeat your name back. i like to keep things simple myself.