# I wonder why more people don't change their names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402 "2003-06-26T00:02:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/21 "2003-06-26T04:51:03Z")
First name: so common that both my ex and my fiance have dated someone else with my name. So common that, on one VERY small message board I post on (23 members), three of us have the same name. Last name: NEVER pronounced correctly. Still wouldn’t change it, though. It’s mine! ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/22 "2003-06-26T04:58:59Z")
I like my first names, but I’d dump my family name in a heartbeat if it weren’t for the hassles in changing birth certificate, passport, bank accounts etc etc. … ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/23 "2003-06-26T05:19:46Z")
My first name is just dandy. Very flexible, good nicknames, cleans up well. My last name is different. It’s long and looks difficult to pronounce, it’s a pain and certainly not melodic. I just can’t seriously consider changing it though. It’s my link to my dad’s side of the family and would certainly hurt their feelings if I changed it. Plus, it’s history and etymology is cool. My sister always thought she’d be able to ditch our surname for something better once she got married. Heh, her new last name is like something the keyboard threw up. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/24 "2003-06-26T06:09:53Z")
I obviously like my first name, to the point where it’s in my handle. 😉 But, as I brought up in the thread where I asked for advice about changing it, I intend to change my middle name. And Stardust and I have talked about picking a last name to share (since my last name sucks). To answer **Lola** ’s question, even if people don’t like their names much, they get very attached to them. Self-image type things aren’t something most people are comfortable changing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_MacDairmuid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_MacDairmuid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_MacDairmuid)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/25 "2003-06-26T06:33:35Z")
I’ve always been perfectly happy with my name, never thought seriously about changing it, well except when my mother would say it like: **JAMES MICHAEL** [SURNAME]! \*\*Get your … \*\* … and so on, usually for a good while. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/26 "2003-06-26T12:55:04Z")
Lola said, “I also wonder how many parents would be offended or hurt if their child changed their name.” My parents were crushed when my sister changed her first and last names. She didn’t do it because she hated us…she just felt like it. My dad’s still not over it. I call her by her original name when it’s just us, but I try to remember to introduce her by her chosen name. And me? I didn’t even change my name when I got married. And my best friend (who is also my husband’s ex) kept his name. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/27 "2003-06-26T13:01:38Z")
Lola said, “I also wonder how many parents would be offended or hurt if their child changed their name.” My parents were crushed when my sister changed her first and last names. She didn’t do it because she hated us…she just felt like it. My dad’s still not over it. I call her by her original name when it’s just us, but I try to remember to introduce her by her chosen name. And me? I didn’t even change my name when I got married. And my best friend (who is also my husband’s ex) kept his name. Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/28 "2003-06-26T14:17:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twickster \* > \*\*I like my name. It’s common enough that people don’t react like “what the hell kind of name is that?,” but not so common that everyone knows 43 people with it. \*\* Same here. It was slightly difficult as a kid to find “personalized” stuff, but not always. Everyone’s heard of the name. Everyone knows a few other of the name… but not thousands. No one thinks “what were your parents on?” I have a great name… people compliment me on my name (same with my sister). We lucked into a good last name, and according to my dad, they chose our first and middle names so that either name, the whole name, the initials, and/or either initial-name combination, and it would sound great. And we could choose what we wanted to be called. I can’t imagine dumping my name. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/29 "2003-06-26T14:23:16Z")
I hate my given name and would change it, but I don’t feel like going through the hassle of persuading my friends, family, and coworkers to call me something new. I would feel silly for some reason. (Not that it’s silly to change your name – I just would feel awkward seeing all those raised eyebrows.) In my head, I call myself by my “other” name. :o ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/30 "2003-06-26T14:25:54Z")
I would change my name faster than I could change my underwear. Except everyone knows me as Joan and my maiden and married names just suck beyond a Hoover and the only way I can ever see changing it would be if Mr. Ujest dropped dead and I left town with the kids. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/31 "2003-06-26T14:40:41Z")
I didn’t particularly like my name as a kid and asked people to call me something else on a regular basis. One of my first memories, I must have been three or so, involves striking up a conversation with an elderly couple in a department store and telling them my name was “Laura” – which is similar enough to my actual name that my mom just thought they’d mis-heard. She caught on soon enough. I can still hear her saying, “Well, when you’re TWENTY-ONE you can go to COURT and CHANGE your NAME.” So now I’m twenty-seven, and I still haven’t changed it, nor do I intend to. Just gotten used to it, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/32 "2003-06-26T14:44:41Z")
My cousin was born Louise Smith, married Fred Burley and became Louise Burley. Twenty years later she divorced and changed her name to … Sarah Burley. Yep, kept her ex-husband’s last name, changed her first. (Note: names changed in this story for privacy, and because she’d kill me if she knew how often I tell this story.) She simply never liked her first name, and as someone pointed out upthread, a name change is free with a divorce, so why not? And yes, her mother is still hurt over it. ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/33 "2003-06-26T14:54:46Z")
I feel sorry for all of the very sucessfull women in $300 dollar suits holding down executive possitions who are stuck with names like “Myndi” or “Flower”. I can understand why they would want to make a change. While my wife isn’t a high powered exec she was given a silly-pink-frilly girls name by her mother. Never was there anyone less silly-pink-frilly in the world than my wife. She changed it about seven years ago to something with a great deal more dignity. ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/34 "2003-06-26T15:12:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Kalhoun wrote: > **And my best friend (who is also my husband’s ex) kept his name. Go figure.** This is a very ambiguous sentence, imho, or maybe I am just not thinking straight today. Here are my interpretations: 1. Your best friend is male, since you wrote “kept **his** name.”. 2. The “his” was a typo and should actually be “her”. 3. The “his” refers to your husband, so your best friend, who is also the ex- of your husband, kept your husband’s last name. Personally I think interpretation #3 is the correct one, but then again, IAMA native speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/35 "2003-06-26T15:13:52Z")
Oh and I present you this simple equation: IAMA = IANA 😉 ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/36 "2003-06-26T15:14:38Z")
I hate my first name but **a** I’m too old to change it and **b** I have no clue to what I’d change it if I decided to. Since my first name is an old lady’s name and I’ll eventually be an old lady, I guess I’ll learn to like it some day. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/37 "2003-06-26T15:24:36Z")
Edna? Is that you, love? ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/38 "2003-06-26T15:27:12Z")
Christina Dawn never rang my bell, though my grandmother’s nickname of Stina was cool. It just never caught on with anyone other than my sister Nan. Nan, incidently is MY nickname for her. She asked me once why I called her that and I said “coz it pissed the hell out of mom!” When I was in eighth grade I started spelling it Kris… classier spelling in my opinion. And Utah law says losely if you use a name for 7 years its yours. So I have all sorts of things in both names… bank accounts… diplomas… loans… credit cards… Just doing my part to make some innocent paper pushers life hell:D ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/39 "2003-06-26T15:46:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mercury \* > **I didn’t because it’s difficult and expensive. I didn’t feel like hiring a lawyer for what’s gonna get done for free before I get married.** “Hire a lawyer?”… Geez, here all you have to do is show up with about $180, fill out a form, and they do it while you wait. We’re in the process of doing that now with one of our recording artists who is offcially switching to her “performing name.” ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402/40 "2003-06-26T16:07:39Z")
> [@](#): > > “Hire a lawyer?”… Geez, here all you have to do is show up with about $180, fill out a form, and they do it while you wait. > We’re in the process of doing that now with one of our recording artists who is offcially switching to her “performing name.” I wouldn’t feel comfortable changing the name after being more than a year years old. After all, there’s just too much name specific stuff in my resume alone and it would be a female dog to change the name in all those documents as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wonder-why-more-people-dont-change-their-names/184402.md?page=3)