A lot of men say they do not welcome the idea of hyphenating the last names of their wives. They say that it is part of the compromise that couples make in marriage: men would agree to be monogamous in exchange for their wives taking their last names.
What an old-fashioned, out-dated idea! In this modern day and age, what name rights do women expect to get for being monogamous? Announcement: I would like to hyphenate my last name when I get married. You see, I am not a movie star or a CEO. I had an identity even before meeting my husband. I have a family who shaped me as a person. But as we embrace modernity and lots of us have become successful in our professional careers, we find it necessary to keep our last names in order to be recognized by the professional contacts we have made and the good reputations we have established even before our marriage.
It stands precariously in the middle of old conservative ways, new liberal practices and polarized feminist debate. So how about updating things a little bit? Hilary Rowland and her husband, photographed by Jake Whyman. Is one of the names hard to pronounce or spell?
There are many ways to decide. But my personal preference is hyphenation. More than a call for gender equality or for occupational reason, I see hyphenation as a way for women to remain committed to their heritage and origin, while still opting to take the last names of husbands. Joining both surnames through a hyphen is a unification of two lineages.
I would love to keep my last name when I get married because I treasure my heritage. Sarah enlightens us on a daily basis with the newest trends as and often before they transpire.
