WHAT'S YOUR NAME ?

more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday

In the past at least in Germany when a woman married she got the name of her husband. Miss Jones became Mrs. Smith. In case of divorce she could ask for getting her maiden name back or keep the name of her ex husband.

When my parents moved to Belgium, my mother suddenly was not anymore Mrs Newman as she had been for the last 21 years, but suddenly Mrs. Oldman, her maiden name, which confused her so much, that when at the Doctor's she was called she didn't move because she thought it was another person.

In Belgium a woman keeps her maiden name from diapers to coffin on all official papers. So it can happen that Mrs. Jones has 8 children all named after her husband's name Smith and in the mailbox you have one letter addressed to Mrs Jones and letters to her children are in the name of Smith.

When I married I changed name and in my passport it was changed too as I have a German passport. Now I was Mrs. Black and not Miss White anymore, but not for Belgium there my name remained White, although in private live everybody called me Mrs. Black, on official papers like driver licence or identity card, I only changed from Miss White to Mrs. White. When I booked a flight I always had to insist that the flight ticket had to be on my husband's name and not on my maiden name, otherwise I got troubles at the check in.

Therefore it happened in the past that Belgian couples had to travel with their marriage certificate otherwise they wouldn't get a double room in some countries, only because on their passports they had different names but were married ! Today nobody cares anymore if you are married or not.

I mean in one way it is logical that a woman born as Jones should remain Jones her whole life. Why taking the name of the husband ? and when she divorces 6 times she has to change her name 6 times too ? That's what I think today, but in the past I was so proud of my new name that I was quiet angry when I was called with my maiden name.

Today it's different in Germany, it became even complicated because now women can choose what they want : to keep their maiden name or take the husbands name or both together. The man can also choose he can take the name of his wife. Of couse if she is a noble he would rather prefer to become a Sir than remain a Mister.

In other countries there are also different laws, which I don't know exactly.

But it still seems strange to me when a couple is burried together, on the gravestone they have different names, which for Belgians is normal.

STOP

Jill Samter Photography explains what to do to protect you even without this feature.