Changing your last name...share your stories

[bu's mama]

I've been separated for many years (5+) and we are now finalizing everything, which has not brought out the best in x.  I've totally lost any respect I've had for him and just disgusted by a lot of his actions over the past 6 months.

Anyhow - I wanted to keep the same last name as dd, but after the past 6 months I want no association with him so I'm seriously thinking of taking back my maiden name even though I don't want to deal with the hassle of changing all the documents.  I also don't love my maiden name but I really don't want his. 

Did you change yours back?  Keep his?  Get a new one (I'm thinking of taking my mother's maiden name also)? 

Please share :)

[josybear]

i never liked my last name before i was married and i didn't like my married name, so this year i legally changed my name to my great grandmother's name, and i love it. it was a hugely empowering, emancipatory experience. also a lot of paperwork.

[rubelin]

I've got 2 kids who are now 7 & 11, so I'll be keeping my married name for them. If I do remarry, I will probably change it to a new name then, if I like the new name well enough =)

[floss&ferd]

I'm changing my name back to my maiden name.  I've been married twice and regretted changing it the first time.  My mom talked me out of changing it back after the first divorce so then I had to change it the second time.  

It's a HUGE pain to change it so I'm going back to my maiden name and keeping it!

[Chantelle691]

I went back to my maiden name and will keep it for the rest of my life.

Yes, my dd and I have different last names, and that kind of sucks, but I have my self back, and that's even more important.

[simplemama32]

I kept his last name.  We married young and then were married for almost 12 years, so I'm really used to it by now, LOL.  Plus no confusion about my and the little one's last name being different, and no irritating paperwork for me.

If I ever were to remarry, I would probably just go back to my maiden name.

[madeofstardust]

I have been divorced for around a year now and haven't changed my name back. I'm still on the fence as to whether I want to or not. I like having the same last name as my daughter, and I have some divorce guilt [which is silly] so I feel like I should keep it? Not sure.

[Gremco]

I didn't want to change my name when we got married. He threw a fit so I changed it. When we divorced I changed it back. Yeah, I don't like having a different name than the kids. For him, changing my name back was a bigger sign that I was adamant about the end of the relationship than the divorce was. I struggled with the decision, but I am at peace with the one I made, and I know I would have regretted keeping his name for the sake of the kids. I didn't like his surname and I loved my maiden name.

[Logan's Mom]

I never changed my last name so my ds and I have always had different last names.  People can't/couldn't understand it....I'm pretty sure I knew it wasn't death till you part.  I asked for a divorce just after a year married together.  We lived together for over 10, have a 5.5 year old son and have been together for 12 or 13?  Strange I know.

So, I do know that it does sometimes stinks when DS and I don't have the same last name...but I've dealt with it the entire time and it only comes up certain times.  I am getting a divorce so if people have a negative outlook because I have a different last name and am a single mother, well, it won't change the facts.