Do you remember doodling on your notebook as a little kid? Mrs. Jordan Knight, Mrs. Knight. Mrs. Smith-Knight. (You remember Jordan, right? Cute singer from New Kids on the Block? Dont know about you, but everyone in my fifth grade class wanted to marry him.) So it got me thinking – as little girls we doodle our future Mrs. Somebody names, but when it comes down to it, are we ready to make that all important, very legal and tough to reverse name change?

Since Heidi Klum recently changed her name to Heidi Samuel after four years of marriage to Seal, I discovered that she’s one of very few celebrities who has legally changed her name. Most celebrities opt to hyphenate their names – so I looked into it.

Robin Wright-Penn

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz

Rebecca Romijn-Stamos

Pamela Anderson-Lee

You get the idea. But what’s the point of hyphenating your name? Do you legally have to change your name to hyphenate it? The answer is yes. So there is just as much legal mumbo-jumbo for adding a hyphen to your name as there is simply taking his name. And yet, many celebrities and your everyday average Janes choose to do it for many reasons, most of them professional. Perhaps you’re well known in your work circles by your maiden name. Why confuse the masses? This creates an interesting option though; can you have his name and keep yours too? Keeping your maiden name in your professional circles and taking his for social circles may cause some questions. Doesn’t this also cause some serious confusion when someone wants to get something monogrammed for you?

So you’ve got yet another choice to make. Do they ever stop? No. They don’t – and that’s the fun part.

This is my favorite quote from the movie “BIG” with Tom Hanks. I thought it was appropriate given the topic. Enjoy.

 Susan: It happened again. David, the girl is absolutely useless. You’ve gotta get me someone who knows what she is doing. Excuse me. I’m not getting any of my mail, nothing has been filed. Ever since she got engaged, my life has been a disaster.
Personnel Director: You know, she came so highly recommended.
Susan: She spent the last three months writing down her married name. “Mrs. Judy Hicks”, “Mrs. Donald Hicks”; “Mrs. Judy Mitchellson Hicks”, sometimes with a hyphen, sometimes without a hyphen. SOMETIMES, SHE SPELLS THE HYPHEN.

Whatever you decide to do, we’re here to help and we make it easy on you, hyphen or no hyphen. Anyone out there have any comments on what they chose to do?