This post is really just a question and a plea for opinions. I'm thinking about changing my name when I get married. At first I was dead set against it, I like my name, I'm used to my name, we have a history. But then Zach mentioned that he kind of wanted me to change it, but he's also completely no pressure on the issue, so I don't know. Here are the possibilities as I see it. I would really, really appreciate if anyone stopping by here (even strangers, I'm not going to hold that against you) would comment on what they think is a good idea and if you have time, you can post a little reason for that or not, the choice is yours.
So, should I change my name upon getting married?
Options as I see them:
1. Don't change name. Z and I will just have different last names.
2. Change name totally and Z and I will have matching last names (and my initials would be R.A.D.)
3. Hyphenate my name making it really, really long, but at least in some ways similar to Z's last name. And then I guess I could go by either or something, not sure how that works.
4. Both Z and I hyphenate our names. Then we have matching names that are super long and if we both had to sign a document it would take extra lines, but still, matching.
5. Other suggestions?
So please if you are reading this leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I'm just interested in getting as many viewpoints as possible. And enjoy the weekend because I'm going to my grandma's this weekend. Pray that the roads have been plowed and the weather holds.
5 comments:
You totally forgot the best option: Combine the names! Hanek, Danterman, Dalterman, or an anagram such as: Manek, Lakerman, Damek, et al.
I gotta give Larry the thumbs up on his idea. This guy knows his shit.
I always thought the hyphen was a bit much personally, and if I were you I'd probably be against the change. I mean it just seems like a hassle to me.
That being said, Z is my dirty, and I've got a feeling he'll be the one compromising more often than not in this marriage, so I say you try to be a little more rad and change it.
Can you really combine them? - that would be pretty rad!
I would probably keep mine in some form (hyphenate, I suppose), so that people could recognize me from my first papers - otherwise it would sort of feel like starting over, on that front. Rose Ann Halterman-Zanek doesn't sound too bad...
I just checked you out on WebOfScience... It looks like you have one publication so far, Moore et al 2007? That's cool. I suppose if you make the switch early enough though... if your first first author paper is published with your new name, it won't be a big deal. It's not like you can't still put the other paper(s) on your resume.
It's probably more of a problem for me, since it's going to be years until I get married. And I will supposedly have many more papers by then.
although, if you don't like your debut work, it would also allow you to distance yourself from it...
yeah I wonder if hyphenating means that you can pick whichever one you want under different circumstances. Perhaps you could have the Halterman pseudonym at work and be Zanek the rest of the time...
so much to think about - it's almost as bad as naming a baby.
Before clicking on "Comment", what I had in my mind: Both of you change your last names into a third unique one.
And then I saw larry's comment.
Wow, I don't you larry, but I immediately like you because of your cool idea!
You can even try reverse the spelling. So far, I like Daltermann. It goes well with Rose and Zach.
or go the Madonna-Pele-Nene-Prince route and "Ignore the Problem" by dropping both names! Impress your friends and family by going by only one name!! Look at Dr. Phil? Talk about a powerful moniker! He can drop that bomb at the nurses station at Cedars-Sinai and BAM he's in Britney Spears' hospital room! What more does Dr. Rose need? Anyway, there really aren't that many remarkable Roses in the world or Zachs with the 'ch'. Forget the last name debate; you guys should put all yer eggs into your first names!
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