Would a rouse by any other name have thorns?

[andrewducker]

[Poll #1532122]

Comments

[andrewducker]

The answer to the final question is, of course "Entirely up to them."

[henriksdal.livejournal.com]

that's why I ticked GOOD

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

Need an Other option for the fourth one because I firmly believe it's a matter of personal choice. I didn't take Chris' name, but why shouldn't someone if they wish to?

Also, what about men who take their wife's surname? I know several couples where that happened.

[drdoug.livejournal.com]

My parents chose my names before I was born, but then added an extra family name a week or two after the birth (but before Official Registration) under family pressure. Which almost happened again when my first child was born, except I am even more stubborn than my father so I managed to resist. Except I did give it to my second child.

Oh, and I don't really count it as changing my name, but I was universally known Douglas from birth until I left home, and as Doug more or less thereafter, which was a change I instigated. Mainly because it suddenly occurred to me in my first few days at University that I could claim to be called anything and people would call me that, and I got carried away with the excitement of that nominative power. Not carried away very far, mind.

[andrewducker]

A friend of mine did the same when he changed university to start his PhD, changing from Henry to Hal.

[broin.livejournal.com]

And you know another one that changed his surname. =)

[andrewducker]

You did? Did I know that?

[broin.livejournal.com]

No! Not me. :D

Scott Corr.

[andrewducker]

Of course! Yes, I forgot about him entirely.

[broin.livejournal.com]

Well he'll be happy to hear that. :p

No, I didn't change my name. Turns out there's a pleasant anonymity in having such a common name.

[simont]

It is of course entirely up to the woman in question, but I voted BAD on the basis that I wouldn't want to do it myself. (In the unlikely parallel universe, that is, where I'm a woman and also imminently getting married but have exactly the same personality and values as I do now.)

When I first became aware as a child that women didn't have to change their name on marriage if they didn't want to, I instinctively assumed most of them would jump at the chance to avoid what seemed to me like a substantial inconvenience. In the years since then I've experienced ongoing mild surprise at how many of the marrying women I know have nonetheless chosen to take their husband's name without (as far as I know) any specific pressure to do so. I've more or less got over the surprise now, but I still wouldn't say I understand the motivation.

[andrewducker]

The one I've heard most is having the same name as their children, and a unified name for the family.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

Me too. I'd also tick good for women not changing their surname to their husband's and for men choosing to keep their name or change it.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

And I was Susannah to everyone before I was on the internet and moved to Edinburgh. Now it feels slightly odd when people call me by my full name.

[cybik.livejournal.com]

If I get married to someone with a better surname than mine I'd take it, because I don't like my surname. I don't dislike it enough to change it otherwise, mostly because I don't want my parents to feel like I'm rejecting them. Also, I'd go by Ms, rather than Mrs, I think.

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

I have proposed that in our family boys should get my surname and girls should get my wife's surname. She has veto this on the grounds of confusion. Which probably means they will get her name.

[andlosers.livejournal.com]

An answer marked CHOICE would be good here. It's GOOD if it's their choice, BAD if it's imposed on them, etc. No moral absolute!

[andlosers.livejournal.com]

And as an aside, although I've grown to love it, I would never expect anyone to take Werdmüller von Elgg as their surname.

(Mind you, that'd still be true if my surname was Smith.)

[lpetrazickis.livejournal.com]

I prefer delegating my name changes to various governments. I've gone from LP*trazhycki to LP*tražickis to LP*trazickis without lifting a finger.

[lpetrazickis.livejournal.com]

I did want to change my first name to "Triceratops" when anticipating the move to Canada at age 11, but fortunately no one asked me for input.

[andrewducker]

You do know the purpose of GOOD/BAD polls, don't you?

[jinxremoving.livejournal.com]

Basically this.

And on a related-enough note, I just phoned to open a bank account, and got asked whether I'm Miss or Mrs. In this day and age, that's still the default question, and half the time they apparently mishear me when I specify Ms ...

[andrewducker]

Yeah, that one weirds me out somewhat. What business is it of theirs whether you're married or not?

[communicator.livejournal.com]

My kids have my name. I honestly don't know why other women don't want that, but obviously it's their decision.

[communicator.livejournal.com]

I thought this was a joke reference to Hitler

'You know who else changed his surname...'