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I changed mine about a week before LO1 was born, for the same reasons. In retrospect, I think I could have kept my own last name, but it was important to my husband, so I caved.

It wasn't that big of a deal--the only "big" parts were standing in line at the SS office and the DMV. Everything else was a fairly simple phone call, although I still have 1 bank account in my maiden name. Your passport is just sent out in the mail--you don't have to go back in the office.

I have known people who went by their husbands name socially, especially in relation to kids, but kept their maiden name legally and professionally. It could get a little confusing for some but as long as you won't be upset when people get it wrong, meh. The only things you need to be really careful on are government ids and airline tickets.

That said, with friends who kept their names I just ask how they like cards and such to addressed- like Christmas cards go to the smith family or the smith jones family or whatever.

@Anagram: I got married over a summer so changed it for the beginning of the year, but I still have students I'll see who call me by the old name. The last group that would have known it are seniors now and I admit I'm a little sad that I'll likely never be called that again!

@Lapin: I have a friend that has never changed hers and had her first baby this year but they still just go by the Husband's Last name Family. Some of my friend's moms growing up I never knew they had never officially changed their last names (or went by their original names professionally) until i was an adult!

@Lapin: I changed mine when my LO was 6 months or so. I am in Canada and kept my passport in my old name, and I bring our marriage certificate when I travel. I meant to change it, but I haven't got around to it, and it's been 3 years now, lol.

If I were you I'd just use your DH's last name socially. Most of the women I know who kept their last names after marriage started doing that when they had kids (and their LOs had their fathers' names). I didn't change my name and we hyphenated my LO's name, so we all go by the X-Y family, which I like.

I didn't chang my name when I got married bc we were in the middle of a crosscountry move with lots of official documents in my maiden name. We just had LO 2 months ago and he has DH's last name, as will all other future children... it honestly just sounds better. Almost everyone in my life knows I have my maiden name, but if acquaintances mess up, its NBD. Sometimes they mess up and call DH by my maiden name, that's always funny it's NBD to him as well.

@Lapin: not sure how it works in Canada, but in most of the US, the mother's birth name (not married name, if she changed it) is always listed on the child's birth certificate. So nothing would change on the birth certificate if the mom later chooses to change her name.

@Lapin: I'm in Canada too- and I kept my passport until it expired. It meant I had to book trips in my maiden name, and carry a copy of our marriage license for the first few years, but it was never an issue!

I changed my surname when DD1 was nearly 3 - she was calling me by her surname so I felt it was time to have the same one.

I changed my name legally after I got married to MyLastNane HisLastName (no hyphen). I quickly regretted it for several reasons. I wish I had just changed it completely. I typically go my HisLastName all the time. The only time I use my full name it for legal/official things and in my work email signature.

My SIL was raised with a mom who kept her maiden name, the dad kept his name, and SIL and her sister were raised with a hyphenated last name using both parents' names. Her folks felt it was easier to understand where their last name came from that way and there was no confusion of who the parents were. However, SIL personally felt her last name was cumbersome and didn't like it, although she faithfully respected her parents' wishes in terms of using the full last name. But she immediately took BIL's last name when she got married and loves having one last name for her whole family.

I haven't changed my name, mainly for logistical reasons with immigration, moving overseas etc, but I do plan on it eventually. I use my husband's name socially but my maiden name for all legal documents.

I never had an issue until just after Christmas this year. My husband returned to the UK early for work and I stayed on in the US for a couple of weeks longer with our 3.5 yr old and our almost 2 yr old. I flew back with them by myself via Ireland, which is where we had to go through passport control. I handed our passports to the immigration officer, thinking nothing of it, but because I don't have the same last name as our girls, and hadn't even thought to bring their birth certificates with me, they had to scrutinise us under the child trafficking laws to make sure these really were my children. Fortunately, it ended up not being too big of an issue, but there were about ten minutes there where I thought they were going to separate us whilst I somehow figured out how to prove these were my children, and that was terrifying. They strongly advised me to either change my name or carry the girls' birth certificates with me at all times if I am travelling with them on my own! My passport expires in 2018 so I will change my name at the same time...

I changed mine when DD1 was six months old. That was 2.5 years ago and I still have some things in my maiden name but I've been changing them as I go.

My maiden name is Spanish and had a rolled R in the middle. People up here botched it all the time. My husband name is very easy to pronounce and fairly common. It's an easier name to live with if that makes sense.