Do you think it’s weird when a woman keeps her ex-husband’s last name after they’ve divorced?

[Flower7]

Yes

No

Updates

+1 y

(In a situation when they never had any kids together.)

[Shizunk]

sometimes the new name is just better than the old... so why not. Its a unique opportunity to pick what you like. Either way, you end up sharing a name with someone anyway...

[Starman5]

yes it's a bit strange. but maybe she doesn't like her maiden name.

[Flower7]

Could be. I hadn’t thought of that reason. Maybe she feels like her married name matches her first name more than her maiden name did.

[Starman5]

may be

[DaveToo]

As a matter of fact, I was talking to a high school classmate last week and she relayed what she's planning to do. She got pregnant in her senior year but graduated as a married woman. They divorced some years later, I don't know when as I left the area when I went in the service.
So she changed her last name back to her maiden name. However, her maiden name is the name of her stepfather, and he's the one that beat her and her mother. He's also the one that committed suicide when she was a Junior in school.
Up to this point, she was using his last name but now she's found out who her real father is and is going to attempt to change her last name again, but to his.

[Flower7]

Carrying the last name of the wrong person definitely can feel like a burden in life!

[CurlyGirl42]

No, can be many reasons to want to keep it, especially fine if they have kids together so she shares the name with them, my mom did that :)

[Flower7]

Do you think it’s strange to keep the name if they never had children together?

[CurlyGirl42]

no, can be many other reasons. Just thinking it is nicer/suits one better than the previous name is valid in my book.

[Interstate]

Not necessarily. To my understanding, it takes more Court time and legal costs just to get the Judge to grant her the request.

[Flower7]

To me, it feels like that would be worth it, instead of being constantly reminded of a bad relationship.

[Interstate]

If it was a BAD marriage, then absolutely it would be worth it. Outside of that... to me it isn't worth it.

[Flower7]

I haven’t known of anyone who got a divorce from a good marriage.

[Interstate]

I mean abusive vs. "It 'ain't workin' anymore".

[bolverk]

If they wanted to be divorced I can never understand why they keep the husbands last instead of reverting to their previous last name. or is it that they do not want to jump through the legal to change their name back?

[Flower7]

It it were me, I’d do whatever it takes to remove that constant reminder of an ex. It’s almost like having a tattoo of an ex lol.

[SteveSmith1985]

Only if she were to marry again and STILL want to keep it. Until then...'meh...

[Flower7]

Lol…. keeping after she married a new guy would definitely be a problem!

[exitseven]

It must be a real hassle to change your name on all you credit cards and drivers license. Why bother. ?

[Flower7]

Personally l wouldn’t want to be constantly reminded of a bad relationship.

[exitseven]

good point.

[DonkeyDan]

Not necessarily, it all depends if she is know by that name professionally, some keep it for their kids sake, also depends what her name was before she was married, if she hated her maiden name then I could understand that.

[AviatorTom]

Not at all. My first wife kept my last name after we got divorced. It's how most people know her, so why should she change it? Interestingly, when she remarried, she changed it to her new husband's last name.

[ChrisMaster69]

Not really no.

a lot depends on kids last names as well.

also my ex kept mine as it’s about 6 letters shorter lol.

quite a few people I know have kept same surname

[kqueen]

no, especially if they have kids together. She also just might have had it for a while and not want to go through the hassle of changing it back.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Not really. Some people just don't desire to go back to court and have to deal with all legal stuff to change it back.

[Flower7]

Maybe. I just couldn’t imagine being constantly reminded of a painful situation.

[Jamie05rhs]

No; there's nothing wrong with that. It's her name now. She owns it permanently. If she wants to give it up and take back her old name, that is perfectly fine as well. It's her choice to do whatever she prefers.

[Jamie05rhs]

Also, if she had kids with him, the last name identifies her as their mother.

[ArrowheadSW]

I don't think it is weird. Sometimes I wonder why they do keep it, but I don't think it is weird.

[NathanDavis]

I don't think much of it... maybe she just doesn't want to bother with that much paper work

[pleasestopthis]

As I'm not from a culture where we take husband's name, I would totally change it back after a divorce, IF I ever took his name. I like having my parents' names.

[pleasestopthis]

Yes, it's weird for me. But I guess she has to do some paperwork to get it back, so I can understand if a woman prefers to keep husband's name.

[Mangospacho]

It’s weird, but genius because when the new wife meets the divorcée, she has to call her by his last name and it always makes things awkward but hilarious.

[Bricealan]

I don't know Flower. Don't know anyone that did that.

[ChiPaPa]

My mom didn't like her maiden name, so she kept my dad's. Others might have a business and don't want to go through all the paperwork.

[WowwGirl]

No especially if they have kids it's totally understandable

[KellyKOO]

No , Itit's 's convenient to keep her ex last name. Tbh.