Weddingbee Blog

There’s been a lot of talk around the hive about name changing, so I thought I’d throw in my own little name conundrum.

I have a very interesting last name. Unless you’re Sri-Lankan or spent some time near a large Sri-Lankan community, it’s not a name that you’d probably be familiar with or be comfortable attempting to say. On the first day of 2nd grade, my art teacher, Mrs. Lundeen, told me that over the summer she learned to spell my last name from memory. I remember how proud she was of herself. It’s a big accomplishment. It took me months to learn to spell it myself.

I like my last name but I’m not THAT attached to it. Apparently it’s not my Dad’s last name at all. I’m told that our real last name is Fernando, but the British made my grandfather change it. I’m not sure on the details of the story, though.

I always felt like I’d be happy to take my husband’s name. I wasn’t worried about my last name dying out — I have 4 male cousins who will ensure it will live on. Notice I said, “felt.” I’m not sure I feel that way now.

Yes, part of my reasoning is about my identity. It’s my last name and it’s been my constant name. I say that, because Mr. Joey says my family is like the Wu-Tang Clan; we all have about 5 aliases. He’s not kidding. My real name is Catherine. My family calls me Cat, Ca-tee, Cats and Ate (pronounced Ah-teh — it’s my title as oldest sister). In kindergarten there were two Catherines, and I became Cathy. I was Cathy until college when I became Catherine. In college, not only was I Catherine, but I was Cathy to my high school friends, and Katia to my friends and teachers in Russia. Still with me?

Mr. Joey knows me as Catherine, but he calls me Catty, and his students nicknamed me kitty kat (awesome right?). So there you have it. I’ve always had various first names, but always the same last name. And now, I could be changing it from this really interesting, long and hard to say name, to something that is very similar to Danielson.

Catherine Danielson. It’s no Julia Gulia, but it’s just not there. I thought about hyphenating my last name, but I’m pretty sure the new name would be too long. My first and last name are 20 letters now. If you added his 10 letter last name, I’d have a whopping 21 letter (not including the hyphen) last name. I wouldn’t think about making my current last name my middle name. I have a middle name, and it stays. It’s Liberty. Seriously. I was born on the 4th of July (unlike Tom Cruise) and my parents wanted to be patriotic.

I will say that the advantage to taking Mr. Joey’s last name is not having to listening to the Safeway cashier butcher it week in and week out. Or having to spell and re-spell it over the phone. I can just say, “Danielson,” and it’s done. No more, “Wow, I’m not even going to attempt that name.”

So here I am. Do I take my new name that sounds kind of boring, or keep my current name? Mr. Joey doesn’t care, but does agree that my new name would sound super boring. FILs Joey say to keep my name if decide that hyphenating is too much. I just can’t decide. If we have kids, I want everyone to have the same last name. If I’m not hyphenating, I’m not going to make them do it.

I haven’t made a decision yet, and it’s possible it won’t be made until after the wedding, but the name issue is on my mind.

Is anyone else out there not sure they like the sound of their potential new last name?