The marriage license states that you, your name, and your surname are now husband and wife. Most people do change their name after marriage, but there are times when you may not want to change your name. There are many reasons why someone might want to change their surname. Maybe the people you went to school with do not get along, or if your name is too long or hard to spell, or if you’re getting divorced and want to keep your maiden name.
Marriage is the bedrock of a family. Until you are married, you are not legally obligated by your state to share your last name with your new spouse. After marriage, you can legally change your last name on official documents, but changing your last name is not required. If you are uncertain about changing or never changing your name, read on to learn more about when and why you should change it to your significant other’s last name. The following are the pros and cons of not changing your name after marriage.
Pros of changing your name after marriage
It will be easy for you to deal with your soon-to-be children’s documents for school.
Many parents dread the enrollment process when it comes to preparing their children for school. Many parents cite name changes as the most difficult step, and it takes as long as 60 days to acclimatize your child to their new name. Thankfully, you do not need to endure this school enrollment nightmare. If you are planning to marry anytime soon, you are going to want to choose a new name for the wedding registry.
Significant and official symbol of their commitment to each other
Few people feel it is necessary to get legally married to have a committed relationship that ends in a marriage. It is often the case that a couple is married on paper but never actually makes it down the aisle. According to most estimates, 32% of married couples in the United States make it to the altar. Now, changing your name after marriage is just as much of a commitment as being legally hitched. And, just like a legal marriage, the name change comes with plenty of significant upsides.
People may address you as Mrs. Or Mr. of your husband if you use his last name after the wedding.
Every couple gets married, hoping to start a family and live happily ever after, but one downside of marriage is that once you get married, which means legally your husband can call you by your husband’s name, wife. If you change your last name after marriage, or if you add a stepfather or stepmother to your family, you will be called Mrs. or Mr. in front of family, friends, and co-workers. However, your married name is not set in stone. As long as you keep your last name, people in your life can reverse-apologize and call you Mrs. or Mr., or just call you.
Cons of changing your name after marriage
You may feel like you are losing a sense of yourself or your identity.
Changing your name after marriage is something that many people consider, but for many, it is not something that they actually do. There are many reasons why people do not change their name after marriage, but two main factors are not wanting to lose a part of their identity or not wanting to hide their true name for some reason. Whatever the reason, most people do want to retain their name to a certain extent, even if it is just their initials, so that their family and friends can still recognize them properly.
You do not want to give up your last name, especially if you are the last one in the family
Changing your last name after marriage is not as easy as it sounds. For most people, this is either a huge relief or quite an anxiety-provoking, life-changing decision. Especially you are the only one left in your family, and you do not want to give up the extinction of your family names.
Marriage is important. From a Christian worldview, marriage is considered both a sacred and a civil institution. For the Christian, marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman in which God promises to provide for the couple and children. From a legal standpoint, marriage is legally recognized as a contract between two people, and in that context, it carries unique rights and privileges.