Changing last names?
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| Thu, 04-12-2007 - 5:00pm |
One of the problems I have thinking about names is the issue of how the first and last names work together.
I'm single right now, but not planning to have kids for awhile. If I get married before I have kids (and either take my partner's name or hyphenate), their last name will be decided before they are born, and I can choose a first name that goes with our last name. But what if I end up having kids and then marrying and my childrens' last names change? What if I have a girl and she grows up and takes her partner's name or hyphenates?
Do you consider these things in choosing your baby's name (especially for daughters)? Or do you just make sure there are no unfortunate rhymes or jokes with the last name they'll be given and send them out into the world?


It's impossible to predict the future and women have lots of choices if/when they get married and
I'm not really sure HOW you would go about considering anything but the ln they'll be given at birth, but I do think giving your child a fn with options can help a great deal in any of these situations (adopting a step-parent's or husband's ln, for example).
For instance, if your dd Nell were taking your new dh's ln or marrying into the Bell family, she might appreciate having the formal name Eleanor to fall back on, rather than forever being known as "Nell Bell." LOL Definitely one of the reasons I would never use a nn as a given name. Even if you think you'll never call her by the more formal version, it's very likely she'll appreciate having the choice (especially if she ends up with a different ln that works better with the longer form of even another nn that can stem from it -- Maisie or Greta, rather than Maggie, if she ends up being Margaret Hagee, for example). You get the idea. ;)
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