What’s in a name?
At first, it appears as an unsteady scrawl on the cover of a school book or when called during roll call. As time goes on, it graces the header of your resume, gets imprinted on your driver’s license, and—if you’re fortunate—it might be signed on the title of your house.
However, certain individuals might alter that title without fully comprehending the potential consequences of their decision—whether positive or negative.
In the U.S., 80% of married women in heterosexual partnerships adopt their spouse’s last name, as reported.
study from Pew Research
Published last year, this trend has shown minimal indications of changing over the past few decades. However, younger individuals—specifically those aged 18 to 49—are approximately two times more prone than those who are 50 years old and above to retain their initial surname.
As mentioned earlier, 73% of women below the age of 50 decided to adopt their spouse’s last name.
For every individual, this choice is highly personal – and frequently intertwined with career-related factors – according to Michael Bradicich, founder of MissNowMrs.com, which has assisted more than 400,000 brides throughout their name-change journey. Some approach it enthusiastically without much deliberation, as Bradicich shared during his interview.
Those who capitalize on their reputation frequently find themselves pausing.
Ultimately, “their name is a component of their profession.”
The unforeseen expenses associated with altering your name
Individuals who choose to alter their name or distinguish between their “professional” and official identities might encounter unforeseen obstacles, as experts explained.
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For example, women in academics struggle to collate their work between their maiden and married names—and they risk losing critical funding, opportunities, or promotion as a result. Likewise, professionals who have gained certifications or licenses under a previous name must ensure paperwork is carried out swiftly in order to keep practicing, while those with a valuable digital footprint may lose an element of their personal brand.
Additionally, there’s reputation and (hopefully) good will tied to the name that gets displayed on someone’s credential.
LinkedIn
Page or email byline—a reputation that might take considerable time to restore.
Nevertheless, changing one’s last name has several advantages as well. It might help circumvent biases embedded in recruitment or application processes related to race, age, and gender, or provide an extra level of privacy for your personal affairs.
For those seeking a fresh beginning—whether due to personal circumstances or a shift in their professional trajectory—a name change can serve as a digital reboot. Additionally, it offers a chance to establish better connections with both coworkers and clients.
Moreover, the most crucial factor is this: An individual wishes to alter their name solely because it brings them greater joy.
The experts
mentioned clearly that there is no correct or incorrect option. Nonetheless, an educated decision is better.
The effects of altering one’s name on professional life for women
Bala Chaudhary had never given much thought to her name in a professional sense—other than when she could add “Dr.” to the front of it—until she heard a male peer complaining about a fellow scientist changing their surname after marriage.
Chaudhary, who is part of the environmental studies department at Dartmouth University, was guided by a prominent female scientist whom she refers to as a “pioneer in the industry.” During a visit to an external laboratory, Chaudhary overheard a male coworker expressing frustration about her mentor’s publications being listed under both her married and birth surname, which he found inconvenient for citation purposes.
It came as a shock to learn that such an esteemed and brilliant scientist faced negative comments due to her name. Given how frequent this name change is for women—being one of the most typical occurrences—one would think it’s among the least significant issues they encounter. Yet, here we are,” Chaudhary stated.
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Chaudhary’s observation about the significant “pressure” to retain one’s maiden name aligns with research conducted by Pew Research. The study revealed that as women attain higher levels of education, they become less inclined to alter their surnames upon marriage. Specifically, approximately 83% of women holding a high school diploma or lower decided to take their husband’s last name following marriage. This percentage decreased slightly for those possessing a bachelor’s degree, dropping to around 79%. Among individuals with advanced degrees beyond undergraduate studies, only about 68% opted to switch surnames.
Name alterations and becoming parents
Changing one’s last name also signals a transformation in their personal life, which may lead to various speculations. Chaudhary pointed out that women might prefer to avoid delving into such discussions.
It is often thought that following marriage, couples tend to desire starting a family—a trend supported by available statistics—to some extent setting off a widely documented chain reaction affecting women’s career trajectories.
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A 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Over half (53%) of the births recorded from 2015 to 2019 were to married women, while an additional approximately 25% happened for those in cohabitating relationships. According to the study conducted by Gladys M. Martinez, PhD, and Kimberly Daniels, PhD, one-fifth of married women had their second child within two years following the birth of their first.
Certainly, not every woman who gets married and changes her last name will have children: They are
becoming progressively more content with a dual-income, child-free lifestyle
Or they may be without children not by their choosing. Yet, the idea persists that others could incorrectly assume about the trajectory of her career progression based on whether she is a wife and, consequently, expected to become a mother someday.
Chaudhary pointed out this reality through the fact that women must contemplate the consequences of disclosing private information. He mentioned, “Many esteemed woman scientist mentors I know wouldn’t utter anything concerning their personal lives, as they were constantly concerned about how such disclosures might affect their professional image.”
Updating your driver’s license, passport, and various identification papers
Over his extensive experience assisting numerous newlywed couples at MissNowMrs.com, Bradicich has observed that the depth of one’s professional journey can impact the extent to which changing their name poses an issue.
In 2006, Bradicich founded MissNowMrs.com when he observed a friend grappling with the extensive documentation required for changing their name. Over the past twenty years, Bradicich and his team have assisted over 400,000 women facing similar challenges, noticing a clear trend emerge as they did so.
He clarified that for someone who might still be young—perhaps attending college or not yet embarked upon their main professional journey—the process primarily involves dealing with governmental paperwork. The key aspect here is ensuring these documents are completed accurately and follow the correct sequence; however, this mainly presents more of an issue related to procedure rather than substance.
However, he went on, “When you enter the professional realm, numerous additional factors come into play. You must update your name with payroll. This initiates a series of changes including modifications to corporate email addresses. Then comes the task of updating professional certifications and licenses. Everything needs to be aligned consistently; otherwise, complications will arise. The extent of one’s professional journey significantly influences this.”
The influence each experience brings also fosters an understanding of the implications that come with changing one’s name, although people often still get surprised, as Bradicich pointed out.
He mentioned that this perspective is only prevalent among those at the extreme end of the professional spectrum, where individuals trade on their reputation and see their name as integral to their career.
When you step back from that, I believe there isn’t much forethought. Individuals often dive right in.
The aspect often overlooked when people begin their journey is not accounting for the duration of the trip from the outset. Issues arise with travel documents, passports, and driver’s licenses failing to align, which leads to various complications.
What benefits can come from changing your last name? It offers a clean beginning.
Jamie White, an Ireland-based life coach and business mentor, noted that renaming oneself can essentially press “reset” in today’s perpetually connected digital landscape, while also providing an extra level of privacy.
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White, who has been invited to lecture at some of the foremost institutions in his country like Trinity College and Dublin City University, is noticing more people employing their names strategically.
He stated, “In an era dominated by digital tracking, once someone reaches a high level of expertise or their profession has developed significantly, they have accumulated quite a history online. Therefore, adopting ‘a fresh start with a new career, a new identity, and essentially a renewed self’ can prove highly beneficial as a form of digital cleansing.”
This can be particularly handy for those seeking greater privacy online as well. Consider, for instance, educators who aim to conceal their social media presence from curious students peering in.
Through a long-term perspective, changing the name might offer a workaround for the biases inadvertently integrated into educational and recruitment processes. For instance,
a 2023 research paper from the University of Michigan
Analyzing 30 million records revealed that students whose surnames fell in the latter half of the alphabet (from K to Z) received lower grades when ranked alphabetically compared to being evaluated through random grading methods.
Similarly, students whose names start with letters from A to E were more likely to receive higher grades compared to the randomly selected group. Although the study indicates that this bias can significantly impact a student’s professional journey over time, additional obstacles have emerged within hiring systems.
An
ongoing study
The study from the United Kingdom’s King’s College London, which examines over 12,000 job applications, highlighted persistent international bias. The findings indicated that candidates with English-sounding names were about 27% likely to receive favorable feedback for leadership positions, whereas those with non-English names garnered just under half as much positive response, only around 11.3%.
Although altering practices to counteract this kind of bias highlights issues within hiring procedures, White has faced several (more favorable) tactical choices. As a mentor, he assists others in learning his trade and suggests that distinguishing between personal and professional identities—similar to adopting a stage name—can significantly benefit individuals.
Coaching often involves being open and vulnerable; however, many individuals struggle with this using their current identities on existing social media accounts and among acquaintances,” White noted. “They usually resort to changing their names. Once they do that, it’s akin to removing shackles—particularly for well-established professionals who create an entirely new persona online to distance themselves from their previous selves.
Should I change my last name after marriage?
In the end, the sole aspect that truly counts regarding a name change is whether the person desires it.
While individuals alter their names for numerous reasons, White suggested that the most straightforward method to reduce any potential misunderstanding in a professional environment from external parties is to openly discuss the choice.
It could simply involve posting a reintroduction message on social media platforms, or adding a line in your email signature alerting recipients about your potential username change coming up shortly.
He stated, “In business, interactions happen between individuals. People aren’t interested in overly professional appearances and acts; they perceive these as impersonal, hard to relate to, and challenging to engage with. They believe that nothing vibrates on a stronger wavelength than sincerity. Therefore, when someone shares openly within this complex environment of commerce, over time, it will draw others closer.”
“There isn’t a correct or incorrect response,” said Bradicich. “It’s quite an individual choice, yet it would be wise to talk about it with your loved ones, such as your family, significant other, or close friends.”
The needle is shifting universally as well, added Chaudhary—an essential discussion that has been overdue for a considerable time.
The ultimate feminist choice involves having total autonomy and being able to alter your decision whenever desired,” the scholar stated. “When I was a student, the advice given was, ‘Choose now and commit.’ However, we should also embrace adaptability.
What we’re seeing so far is that women are gathering and conversing both formally and informally. Personally, I’m part of several female-exclusive Slack channels for scientists where the issue of renaming conventions comes up frequently. This indicates that the underground communication system is functioning effectively.
As she noted, discussions amongst female scientists are underway. The subsequent phase involves incorporating this into mentoring programs. Essentially, it’s about introducing these concepts into laboratories, bringing them up during faculty meetings, and addressing them in search committees.
A variant of this tale was initially released on
on
June 22, 2024.
This tale was initially showcased on
