[thechat] 2 simple US centric Q's

[Judah McAuley]

Chris Evans wrote:
>> 1) what does 'maiden name' stand for? (on a form)
> Not sure how it works in other cultures, but when a women marries, she
> norammly changes her last name to her husband's last name. Her maiden
> name is the last name of her parents.  Men do not have maiden names.

Except, of course, for me.  I was born Judah Michael Hammond.  Then my
mother divorced and remarried.  So I changed my name (about age 10) to
Judah Michael Eckenberg (taking father in laws name).  Then I got
married at age 23 and took my wife's last name and I am now Judah
Michael McAuley.

I took my wife's last name for a number of reasons.

1) My father and step-father were both flaming A**holes whose surnames
deserve to die out.

2) Aesthetics.  Judah Michael McAuley sounds much better than Jocelyn
Olivia Eckenberg.  And my family is predominantly Scottish anyway
(Stuarts) so the name fit.

I had the hardest time dealing with name change forms though.  People
just didn't want to deal with the idea of a guy taking his wife's name.

Judah