# Having the same name as your spouse **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 28, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425 "2013-08-28T18:27:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/21 "2013-08-28T22:10:17Z")
[Obligatory Python sketch.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f_p0CgPeyA) ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/22 "2013-08-28T22:39:07Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > A friend’s father had the unusual male name of “Shirley”. > And of course, friend’s mom was Shirley too. Surely, you can’t be serious. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/23 "2013-08-28T23:25:29Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > I know an Aaron married to an Erin. I did too, but they got divorced. Not the name thing, though; he beat her up.☹ ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/24 "2013-08-28T23:30:37Z")
My parents were Bob and Bobbie. My dad’s family all called him Bobby. > [@gaffa](#): > > I have the same name as my brother’s girlfriend. When I was in college, I was at one point seeing a girl named Debbie and a girl who then went by Kathy\*. My brother was engaged (and later married) to a Debbie, and my sister’s name is Kathy. I explained to my mother that I was trying to keep things simple for her. \*Later, she gave up on the Kathy experiment and went back to Katherine, which she had been her whole life. Somewhat later, we married. Much later, we divorced. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/25 "2013-08-28T23:56:33Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Surely, you can’t be serious. 😕 I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/26 "2013-08-29T00:07:04Z")
Always introduce yourselves as Mr. and Mrs. Chris Lastname. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/27 "2013-08-29T02:01:31Z")
I’m Jamie, married to James. My husband goes by his middle name, though, so it’s only awkward in paperwork. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/28 "2013-08-29T02:28:39Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Always introduce yourselves as Mr. and Mrs. Chris Lastname. Especially when alone. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/29 "2013-08-29T05:39:20Z")
I knew a couple who were both named Vaughan (first name). ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/30 "2013-08-29T05:51:38Z")
I used to know a couple named Jason and Jason; when in doubt we specified by their lastnames’ initials. Knowing their sense of humor, if they’ve gotten married (now that they can), they will have chosen the same lastname for both… ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/31 "2013-08-29T07:11:01Z")
I worked with an engaged couple named Jillian and Julian. Close enough 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/32 "2013-08-29T10:15:42Z")
I know a couple - unmarried or civil partnered but together forever - who are Jane Smith and Jane Smith. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/33 "2013-08-29T10:38:21Z")
I have an Uncle Mike, married to Aunt Mikey. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/34 "2013-08-29T14:07:41Z")
My parents’ names are Michael and Michele, which is close. However, nobody calls dad “Michael” except Grandma and his sisters. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/35 "2013-08-29T19:42:13Z")
Back when Tom Cruise was dating Penelope Cruz, an interviewer asked her, if they got married, would she keep her maiden name, take his, or hyphenate? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/36 "2013-08-29T20:04:50Z")
I’ve only known one couple with the same name- he was Gerard and she was Geraldine, but they both went by “Gerry.” ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425/37 "2013-08-29T20:59:57Z")
My maternal grandparents had the same last name (before they were married, I mean). They were from a very small village in a thinly populated rural part of a somewhat isolated country. I’m pretty sure everyone in the village was related, one way or another. There were probably only about four last names in the whole town. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/having-the-same-name-as-your-spouse/667425.md?page=1)