You'll probably say, "Just pick something!" But it's just not that easy. If you've read any of my previous posts, you've probably gathered that I don't make decisions easily. Especially ones that last a lifetime. And I certainly don't want to be signing papers at the courthouse and then have to decide on the spot how I want to go.
Here are my choices:
Nicole DeAnne Allman (no change)
Nicole Allman Parrish (what my family does)
Nicole DeAnne Parrish (what I've seen some do)
Nicole DeAnne-Allman Parrish (not sure if this is legal--haven't found any instances of this online)
Nicole DeAnne Allman-Parrish
I want to keep DeAnne & Allman because it's been my name for 27 years and I'm quite fond of it. I wouldn't hold so tightly onto DeAnne if I wasn't named after my dad (Dean is his middle name) and my sister (AnnJanette is her middle name). Well, for all I know that's just a coincidence.
But I also would like to take Chris' because I'd just like to and I think he'd like it. But I hate to hyphenate because it's just too long.
Does anyone know the legal side of this? I'm leaning toward Nicole DeAnne-Allman Parrish. If I do this and I ever have to initial documents, will I have to write out NDAP? Will my technical middle name be DeAnne-Allman and I'll have to write this out fully when signing my name or filling out important documents? Those are probably questions with obvious answers.
So I guess what it comes down to is that I'm lazy and I don't want to have to write anymore than 20 letters. :o) But then that begs the question: if you don't want to have to write out DeAnne and Allman (and you won't if you don't have to), then why are you even keeping them?
And when it comes down to it, it's just a frickin' name! Just like it's just hair. ;o)
Technically, I am Cassandra Lynne Webb. However, on bylines and whatnot, I am Cassandra Sagan Webb because Sagan is much cooler than Lynne.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you just be Nicole DeAnne Allman Parrish? Nothing wrong with that at all. (Sorry if I spelled some names wrong)
I HATE hyphenated names by the way. Not that my opinion truly matters, but I just think it's silly and bit too women's lib for me. No offense :)
Anything is legal, except for in some states you can't be a number or a deity. You just go in and tell them what you choose. I heard a neat story of both the husband and wife choosing a new name--Lund, the city where they met.
ReplyDeleteInitials--you use what you want. Plus, actors have their legal names and stage names. I think you're getting caught up in what's "done," when it is really up to you. I like the Icelandic way, where the sons' last name is the father's first name plus son and the daughters are the first name plus dottir. So Jay would be Jay Jamesson and we would be Nicole and Machelle Jamesdottir. Isn't that awesome?
I had no reservations about dropping my maiden name when I got married, but that was me. I guess it just depends on what YOU want, Ms. Bride-to-be! Why not do like Phoebe (from Friends) and go with something truly wild, such as Princess Banana Hammock? lol!!!
ReplyDeleteI was gonna say what your sister said- that some people just choose a new name all together. I know one of my friends kept her name and she said she was happy she did it but it was a total pain with insurance and weird things like that. But anyway I'm HORRIBLE about making decisions too so I feel for you but in the end, just do what feels comfortable to you b/c it's your name.
ReplyDeleteI've found that organizations these days (insurance, school) have no problem with varying names. The fact that I'm Allman and my husband and son are Isitt doesn't even make a blip on the radar.
ReplyDeleteCould be it's because I live in wacky Seattle though, where people name their kids Sky and Star and stuff.