8 Out of 10 Women Change Their Names After Marriage: The Unexpected Career Impact You Might Not Know About

What's in a name?

At first, it appears as an unsteady scrawl on the cover of a textbook or when being marked present during roll call. As time goes on, it shows up at the header of your resume, printed on your driver’s license, and—if fortune favors you—scribed on the title of a house.

However, certain individuals might alter that title without fully comprehending the potential consequences of their choice—whether positive or negative.

In the U.S., 80% of married women in opposite-sex relationships take their husband's surname, according to a study from Pew Research published last year. It's a trend that has showed little signs of fluctuating over the past couple of decades, though younger generations—those between ages 18 and 49—were twice as likely as those age 50-plus to keep their original surname.

In spite of this, 73% of women below the age of 50 decided to adopt their spouse's last name.

For each individual who decides, the choice is highly personal—and frequently influenced by career-related factors—according to Michael Bradicich, founder of MissNowMrs.com, which has assisted more than 400,000 brides throughout the name-changing journey. Some individuals dive right into this without much thought, as Bradicich shared during his interview. gudangmovies21 Those who rely on their reputation often take a break.

Ultimately, "their name is a component of their professional journey."

The unforeseen expenses associated with altering your name

Individuals who choose to alter their name or distinguish between their professional and legal identities might encounter unexpected obstacles, as experts explained. gudangmovies21 .

For instance, female scholars face challenges when consolidating their body of work from their maiden to married name—this can lead to potential loss of essential grants, prospects, or career advancements. Similarly, individuals holding credentials or permits obtained prior to changing their names need to expedite administrative processes to continue working professionally. Additionally, persons with a significant online presence might suffer some erosion of their individual branding identity.

Additionally, there's reputation and (hopefully) good will tied to the name that appears on someone's. LinkedIn Page or email byline—credibility that might require significant time to restore.

Nevertheless, changing one’s last name offers numerous advantages as well. It might help circumvent biases embedded within 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 kind of online reboot. Additionally, it offers a chance to establish better connections with coworkers and clients.

And, of course, there's the most important reason: A person wants to change their name simply because it makes them happier.

The experts gudangmovies21 highlighted one key point: There isn't a correct or incorrect option. Still, an educated decision is better.

The effects of renaming oneself on professional women

Bala Chaudhary had rarely considered her name from a professional standpoint—except for the times she could prepend "Dr." to it—until she overheard a male colleague criticizing another scientist who decided to change their last name following marriage.

Chaudhary, who works in Dartmouth University’s environmental studies department, was guided by a female scientist 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 names, which he found inconvenient for citation purposes.

“It was astonishing to learn that a highly respected and brilliant scientist faced negative comments just because of her name. Given how frequent this name change is for women—being one of the most typical occurrences—it felt as though among all the challenges women in science encounter, this would be the least significant,” Chaudhary stated. gudangmovies21.

Chaudhary’s observation that there is “significant pressure” against changing one's last name aligns with research conducted by Pew Research. The study revealed that as a woman's educational attainment increases, so does the likelihood they will keep their maiden name. Approximately 83% of women holding a high school diploma or lower decided to alter their surnames following marriage, whereas about 79% of those possessing a bachelor's degree chose otherwise. This trend continues among individuals with advanced degrees, where only around 68% opted for a name change.

Name alterations and raising children

Changing one’s last name also signals a transformation in their personal life, which may lead to various presumptions. Chaudhary pointed out that this is often a discussion women prefer to avoid.

It is often thought that following marriage, couples tend to desire starting a family—a trend supported by available statistics—to some extent. This then sets off a widely discussed chain of events concerning women’s professional lives.

A A 2023 study from the CDC Over half (53%) of the births recorded from 2015 to 2019 were to married women, while approximately another quarter (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 just 24 months after giving birth to their first child.

Certainly, not every woman who gets married and changes her last name will have children: They are becoming progressively more content with a dual-earner, child-free way of life Or they may be without children not by their choosing. Nevertheless, the idea persists that others could wrongly infer how her career might develop if this particular woman becomes a wife and, consequently, expected to become a future mother.

Chaudhary pointed out this reality through the fact that women must contemplate the consequences of disclosing personal information. He mentioned, “Many esteemed woman scientist mentors I know wouldn’t utter a word regarding their private matters, as they were constantly concerned about how such disclosures might affect their professional image.”

Updating your license, passport, and other identification materials

Over his extensive experience assisting numerous newlywed couples at MissNowMrs.com, Bradicich has observed that the depth of one’s professional journey can affect how significant the issue of changing their names might be.

In 2006, Bradicich founded MissNowMrs.com when he observed a friend grappling with the extensive documentation required for changing their name. Over the past approximately twenty years, Bradicich along with his team has assisted over 400,000 women facing similar challenges, noticing a clear trend emerge from this experience.

He clarified that for someone younger—who might still be in college or hasn't embarked on a major career path—the primary concern tends to revolve around governmental paperwork that needs attention. It essentially comes down to ensuring these documents are handled correctly and follow the proper sequence; however, this mainly presents itself as an issue of procedure.

However, he went on, “When you enter the professional sphere, 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 matters.”

The effect each experience has also brings about an understanding of what changing one's name involves, although people still occasionally get surprised by this, added Bradicich.

He mentioned that this perspective is only prevalent among those at the very top of their profession, where one's reputation is integral to their success. gudangmovies21 When you step back from that, I believe there isn’t much forethought. Individuals often dive right in.

The aspect that often gets overlooked when people travel is starting the process without thinking about how lengthy it might be. You end up dealing with travel documents, passports, and driver’s licenses that do not align, leading to various complications.

What benefits can you gain 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 serve as a way to reset in our perpetually connected society and simultaneously enhance personal privacy. gudangmovies21 .

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 professional level or has developed their career, they accumulate a substantial history. Therefore, adopting 'new career, new name, new me' can be highly beneficial as a form of online fresh start or what some might call a digital clean slate."

This can be particularly handy for those seeking greater privacy online as well. Consider, for instance, educators aiming to conceal their social media accounts from curious students peering in.

Through a long-term perspective, changing the name might offer a workaround for the biases undesirably embedded within educational and recruitment processes. For instance, a 2023 research paper from the University of Michigan Reviewing 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 assessed randomly.

Similarly, students whose names begin with letters from A to E were more likely to receive higher grades compared to the randomly selected group. The research indicates that this tendency can have a significant long-lasting impact on a student’s professional journey. However, additional obstacles have also come to light regarding hiring systems.

An ongoing study The study from King’s College London, which examines over 12,000 job applications, highlights persistent international bias. The findings indicate that candidates with English-sounding names were about three times as likely to receive favorable responses for leadership positions compared to those with non-English names, receiving roughly 27% versus only around 11.3%, respectively.

Although altering practices to overcome such biases reveals significant flaws in hiring procedures, White has faced various (more favorable) tactical choices. The coach assists others in learning his trade and suggests that distinguishing one’s legal and professional identity—similar to a stage name—can prove highly beneficial.

Much of coaching involves being open and vulnerable; however, individuals often struggle with this using their current identities across various social media and networks, particularly among acquaintances," White noted. "They typically rely on changing their names for relief. Once they did so, it felt akin to removing shackles—particularly true for well-established professionals who created an entirely new persona online to distance themselves from previous experiences.

Should you consider changing your surname following 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 misunderstandings in a professional environment from external parties is to transparently communicate the choice.

It could be as straightforward as a " reintroduction" post on social media, or you can remind individuals in your email signature about the upcoming change in your display name.

He stated: "In the workplace, individuals interact with other individuals. These professionals tend to view corporate facades and staged behaviors as impersonal, distant, and hard to engage with. They believe that nothing vibrates on a stronger wavelength than sincerity. Therefore, when someone displays genuine openness within a challenging environment such as a business setting, it will ultimately attract others over time."

“There isn’t really a correct or incorrect response,” said Bradicich. “This is quite an individual choice, yet it’s crucial to talk about it with your loved ones, such as your family, significant other, or close buddies.”

The needle is shifting universally as well, added Chaudhary—this crucial discussion has been overdue for a significant period.

The ultimate feminist choice involves having total autonomy and being able to alter your decision whenever you desire," the scholar stated. "When I was a student, the advice was, 'Choose now and commit fully.' However, we should also allow for adaptability.

What we're seeing now is that women are gathering and conversing both formally and informally. Personally, I'm part of several female-only Slack channels for scientists where the issue of name changes comes up frequently. Thus, this unofficial information exchange system seems to be functioning effectively.

She noted that discussions amongst female scientists are underway. The subsequent phase... involves incorporating these insights into mentoring programs. This means bringing those conversations into laboratories, integrating them into faculty gatherings, as well as discussion forums within the search committees.

A variant of this tale was initially released on gudangmovies21 on June 22, 2024.

This tale was initially showcased on gudangmovies21