The name game. Final decision. Sort of.

So... have I written about this before? I do like my name, all three pieces of it: first, middle (esp. as it works with the first), and last. I like my initials, and possibly most importantly, my name is the name of my business. I've worked for 7 months now to get people to know my name (as a new Dr. in town) and changing it would be hard. And relatively expensive (with rebranding and all new stationary, etc.). I have known for a while (since I knew I'd be a professional with my own business and name-branding) that I'd not fully change my name. Mr. SB is completely supportive of any decision I make on this topic.

Our fur babies have had a shared last name since we got them. Mattie, Elliot, Olivia, and Lily MyLast-HisLast, which has a ring that we've really gotten used to.

So my plan was to be Mrs. First Middle MyLast-HisLast. That way I could be Mrs. HisLast when I wanted to (and with future kids) but still Dr. MyLast at work. But...... if I change to that, then my business name is a fictitious one, even though it's my *old* name, and I have to file fictitious licensing paperwork, etc. ... ... Insert big headache.

Well, I hadn't thought all the way through this when we went to go get our marriage license (yay!) last Friday. Apparently, you have to decide AT THAT MOMENT what you might change your name to. You aren't committed to actually changing or not, but whatever you choose is the ONLY thing you can change your name to without doing a full, expensive, in court legal name change.

The clerk lady was sooooooooooo thorough in making sure I knew my options, but equally insistent that I had to fill out the paperwork right then.

Seriously? I have to decide right now?

Options:
First Middle HisLast
First MyLast HisLast
First (Middle MyLast) HisLast - Two middle names, no actual parentheses
First Middle (MyLast His Last) - Two last names, no hyphen, no actual parentheses
First Middle MyLast-HisLast
First Middle HisLast-MyLast
First Middle (HisLast MyLast)
*or*
He (!) could change to
First Middle MyLast-HisLast - in either order with or without a hyphen


Ayyyyyyieeeeeihhhh decisions!

So... I went with what I had thought I always would:

First Middle MyLast-HisLast

So when I'm ready to change it, and have decided what to do about the business, I'll head to Social Security and the DMV etc. but that's what I'll change it to.

How big of a decision was your name change??