I have seen many articles popping up on the big wide web exploring the shift in women not changing their last names after marriage. I find these articles extremely interesting. I also found it fascinating that a lot of countries lawfully do not allow women to change from their maiden names once they are wed. 

After I married my husband I did not legally change my name straight away. We were travelling and I did not wish to get a new passport. However on return from our travels (approximately 6 months after our wedding) I changed my surname and what a pain in the backside that turned out to be. There are so many places you need to go to change your name and they all want to site your marriage certificate or have a certified copy sent to them. It is long process, one I am glad will not be happening again. 

Before we were married we discussed if I was going to take my husbands name or hyphenate (haha – my maiden name was ten letters long, I think not!). Keeping my maiden name once I was a wife was not something I ever considered. I come from a traditional family, my mother took my fathers name, my grandmothers their husbands. I knew we’d eventually have children and I wanted to have the same surname as them. To me that made it a simple case. I will admit it wasn’t easy to leave my maiden name behind. I am proud of who I am and where I am from. I love my maiden name and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it because I do. 

I want to know your opinion, did you take your husbands name? Why or why not? It’s such a personal decision and as far as I can see there is no right or wrong answer.