Hey Sacha, just so you know my wife does the same -- she still uses her maiden name and I don't mind at all. Of course my daughter though has my last name but that's the default. :) Congratulations in advance too! :D

Will J- take on a "double bunger" name as we call it Australia? I friend of my daughter has the surname of Irwin-Faulks ... her mother is surnamed Irwin and the father is Faulks ... it certainly makes the name special!

I used to work with a Karen Chong who was married to an Australian (Caucasian). I asked why she didn't take her husband's name - she said "If I use the name of Chong, then people know what to expect!".

All the best for your upcoming marriage.

J- will keep her name, as it is just as much part of herself as my name is part of me. =) We haven't decided what the naming scheme will be for future kids, although I'm okay with them having Y- as a last name (and perhaps Chua as a middle name, like the way middle names are handled in the Philippines?). Kids will start with new identities, after all. =)

Sacha. I am a latino, you know we are a very macho oriented society, but let me tell you, I could never understand why women in America have to actually CHANGE your names, when married.

Here in Mexico, if a woman chooses to, she can ADD the husbands last name to hers (Sacha Chua de (last name) or not use it at all. Kids carry two last names, father's and mother's.. Everyone knows who comes from who.

I enjoy your blog so much!!! And congratulations on your future wedding...

Alvar Ojeda-Castro

I heard that if you hyphenate your last name on the document then you are legally allowed to go by either last name. Not sure if that is true or not.

Hi

I think keeping your name means a lot like your identity in the business. But If I remember correctly I read an article/essay by a female writer and she said that it is more than just about business, it's about her right to be called by her birth name.

btw,

congrats on your future wedding.

Jojo

It's more like people's right to be called by the name they want to be called. =) In this case, in fact, people call me by my nickname.

congratulations! this reminds me of my filipino aunt, who kept her maiden name after she got married. she said it was common in canada, but it would certainly be unusual in the philippines. but you may want to bring your marriage docs if you go visit the philippines. i think there was a bit of a hassle at immigration when she went back to manila and said she was married, but the authorities were suspicious because her passport showed a different last name from that of her husband.

So I guess I'll have to carry the paperwork either way. <laugh> Still, it moves us closer to a world where this is ordinary. =)

OK Sacha. compromise. how about change your cat's last name then....?

Heh, we keep things simple. None of our cats have last names. =)

@sachac My wife retained her maiden name. We buried her surname in our sons middles names (i.e. most people would recognize one middle name, and then there's three names after that ... for two Chinese syllables and her surname).

It's been inobtrusive, except for one incident when we wired money to Beijing, and discovered that Chinese bank clerks can't parse names, so Eric's ID was all of the characters smashed together.

Hi Sacha, I found this post in your “this day in other years” link roll, nice feature.
Back to the point, I'm totally favorable to everyone keeping their names, but if one needs to change, the other should change too. At least here in Brazil this is possible (this law changed approximately 10 years ago to allow that), the husband can change his name too. Anyway, it's much easier each one keeping theirs, no paperwork, no hassle and no male dominant stupid rules (even if both change their name, she'll be Mrs Husband_surname, he won't be Mr Wife_surname). Also, why the kid carry father's name to the grandchildren, but not mother's name?