When Do I need to decide on my name?

This year, next year, sometime, never! You can stay Miss charlie_rabbit for as long as you like. If in 10 years time, you decide you want to be Mrs oojamaflip, then you can change it all then. If you never make the decision to change - then that's fine too.

There's no rule that you have to change your name. And as far as I'm aware, you can change your name whenever you like, be tomorrow or fifty years from now. Socially wise - your family and friends probably would want to know when/if and what you'll change your name to by the day of your wedding. No matter what you do I'm sure there'll be someone with an opinion, so just take your time until you're sure. It's your name!

I've had People tell me I should "because it's the right thing to do" others "it's modern and independent, don't change it"

i can't decide so I'm not making one yet.

Good of to know I don't have to. I know I hat to let the registrar know if I want him to pronounce us Mr and Mrs Hare which did make me stress that if I do that I have to change it.

I feel absolutely the same way-completely unsure.

i had intended to keep my maiden name for work, and only change my passport when it expires. I was going to change everything else in time.

i then read that travel insurance needs to match passport and names used to book travel so now I'm just wondering about not changing anything....

i think OH would be offended though and just assumes I will change it.

gahh I hate things like this.

Like, I'm sure, a lot of women I have struggled a bit with the idea of changing my name, it feels like I'd be leaving a bit chunk of myself behind.

So I've decided to take my fiance's name generally and retain mine for work, I'm a trainee lawyer and it's not uncommon for women to do this, although the current trend is most don't, but I don't mind being different.

I had to decide on the spot a bit as we were booking my honeymoon and the travel agent asked what names to put the tickets in. My passport has expired so travelling with my maiden name and deciding later wasn't feasible, passports are too expensive to get re-done only shortly after issue.

As most people here know, my H took my name. The minister pronounced us Mr and Mrs ID at the end of the ceremony, but he didn't get his deed poll officially signed til a couple weeks later. So yeah, pretty much whenever you like!

There was no question for me, as soon as the question popped I knew id be Mrs His-Name. If you don't know if you want to change it it means you probably don't... not yet. So don't x

I'm not normally a sentimental person.

I know if I do change it, i'll change every thing, apart from my passport as thats got over 8 years left on it and i'm not paying for a new one.

I chose my current name when my parents divorced, I took my mothers maiden name, my grandfather passed almost 6 years ago and I was (so I thought) the last rabbit in the family. I have recently made contact with my long lost aunties, so I feel less like I need to keep it now.

But I'm still unsure. Plus of the two names mine is nicer and the thought of being Mrs Hare makes me think of his mom.

You don't need to! I didn't change mine completely until about 3 years after the wedding.

You don't have to decide now. Just leave it if you're unsure about what you want.

What i will say is that i think it could get a bit complicated changing everything but your passport. A lot of people now need to see your ID documents (banks, solicitors, mortgage providers, GP etc). If the name in your passport doesn't match the name in your other documents you'll have to explain that by handing over a marriage cert. It's fine if the person IDing you is half way switched on. If not, you might have problems.

A good point halloweeny, though I don't think i've ever used my passport for photo ID (apart from travel) I normally use my driving licence.

A few bits are still in my old name so every so often I have to dig out my deedpoll.

I don't think I'd be as bothered if I hadn't changed my name once already. In fact I'd have happily got rid of my old name.

I've never had a problem like this. My passport is still in my maiden name 4 years later and I've had a new mortgage, bought a house etc in that time and it's never been an issue.

You can do what you want whenever you want as long as you can be ar*ed with the paperwork. I didn't change my name when we married, I am still Ms IGBMN at the moment, but will change it eventually when I can be bothered to Ms IGBMN HISNAME (no hyphen) for if/when we have kids. H's passport is up for renewal soon so he is going to change his to Mr IGBMN HISNAME.

Glad nobody else had problems. Maybe it's just Barclays then. As I said I think it depends on whether the person is an idiot! Clearly I came up against the idiot ?

Up to you l think! I have decided to change my name at home and use my maiden name at work. I have been married for 12.5 months and so far l have only bothered to change my name on facebook and name on my hotmail e-mail account!