" Should I keep my original last name? Should I hyphenate my last name? Should I turn my original last name into my new middle name while adding his last name? What about my degree, certificates, and professional license that has my original name on it? What about the feminist view that says that taking my husband's last name is a sign of his ownership of me? Wouldn't it be disrespectful to my father if I should shed my last name for a new one? "
There are many arguments about the changing of the new wife's last name to that of her husband, but it was never a question for me if I would change it. Although it is more tradition than biblical, I always knew that when I got married I would take the last name of my husband and relinquish my original last name. To me taking my husband's last name is in no way showing a form of his ownership of me or a disrespect of my father, but is a showing of my willingness to be under my husband's Godly leadership of our home. For me it shows a form of the unity that we are continuously building as a couple, because a name is only a drop in the bucket of things that you need to be unified on. The changing of the last name shows how important our covenant with each other is to me. It far outweighs the process that it is taking to change my last name legally and the process of proving that I am the person named on my college degree and professional license. I am honored to take the last name of such an awesome husband. Besides, with this new last name, alphabetically, I do not have to wait in line as long as I use to. :-)
