# Divorced Dopers: how'd you feel about you (or your ex) keeping the last name?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divorced-dopers-howd-you-feel-about-you-or-your-ex-keeping-the-last-name/536862
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 21, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divorced-dopers-howd-you-feel-about-you-or-your-ex-keeping-the-last-name/536862 "2010-04-21T15:29:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2010, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divorced-dopers-howd-you-feel-about-you-or-your-ex-keeping-the-last-name/536862/41 "2010-04-22T20:08:01Z")
This thread only reinforces my views on taking one’s spouse’s name. You get divorced and suddenly you’re tethered to someone you probably dislike, or returned back to your ‘real’ self (until you find someone to name you again a la Neverending Story)? Weird.
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### Author:  [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divorced-dopers-howd-you-feel-about-you-or-your-ex-keeping-the-last-name/536862/42 "2010-04-22T21:22:21Z")
When I got married, my husband was adamantly AGAINST me taking his unusual, Danish surname. I compromised by doing a hyphenated thing, which was long and unweildly, but I never changed it on drivers license or anything. A year later we moved back to Ontario (my hometown) when I was seven months pregnant with my son. I got all new documentation in the hyphenated name.
Idiot ex dragged his feet about signing my son’s birth registration. He had this whole idea that giving our son his last name would cause trouble. (yes his credit rating sucked but still). Finally he signed the thing and we registered our son as firstname, my lastname (as a middle name, it is a boys name) fathers last name.It was important to me we all had a unified family name.
We broke up three weeks later.
I went back to my maiden name, my son has his fathers last name, and now we live with my boyfriend, yet another last name. Im in my hometown where Im only known by my maiden name, and although I sort of wish my son had my last name, he does. I told him he could change it to match me, but he said “No, thats my name and it will always be my name.”
Three last names in our house, and we have a pretty good family. Its funny though when I get a calll for Mrs EX’sname. I know its a telemarketer, say no one named that here and hang up.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divorced-dopers-howd-you-feel-about-you-or-your-ex-keeping-the-last-name/536862/43 "2010-04-23T01:40:49Z")
My ex took my last name upon our marriage - a decision entirely up to her. She kept my last name upon our divorce - again, a decision entirely up to her.
The former is mildy my business, or at least of interest to me, and, if I or she feels it necessary, worth discussing; the latter is none of my business at all.
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