In Germany the current government had the idea (but never follow through on it) to allow a married couple to form a new last name based on their last names. Funnily enough the article mentions that this meshing of names is already possible and getting more popular in the USA and Great Britain.
Yeah, you can legally change your first and your last name to pretty much whatever you want as long as it isn’t deemed too offensive in both the U.S. and the UK.
It is a pain in the ass, a burden that is put on the woman. Men don’t even have to consider changing their last name if they don’t want to, (straight, married) women have to consider if they will betray expectations by not taking her husband’s last name.
A coworker of mine did this. He and his new wife took parts of their last names and blended them together to create a unique new last name for both of them.
A lot of last names here are frozen patronyms (e.g. at some point some dude named Hans had kids; now there are lots of people calling themselves his son, Hansen) or place names. I kinda like the place name bit: Just give kids last names to a place they have a connection to. Where they were born or conceived or something.
Yeah, doesn’t seem to be a thing in Norway, but it could probably be revived for the countries that did that. Like Sheryl Copywriter or Ross Youtuber or whatever.
Sorry, but unfortunately I got interested and followed your link:
There is a popular legend that “hooker” as a slang term for a prostitute is derived from his last name[26] because of parties and a lack of military discipline at his headquarters near the Murder Bay district of Washington, DC. Some versions of the legend claim that the band of prostitutes that followed his division was derisively referred to as “General Hooker’s Army” or “Hooker’s Brigade”.[27] However, the term “hooker” was used in print as early as 1845, years before Hooker was a public figure,[28] and is likely derived from the concentration of prostitutes around the shipyards and ferry terminal of the Corlear’s Hook area of Manhattan in the early to middle 19th century, who came to be referred to as “hookers”.
“Tallahassee”: Pretty frickin’ awesome as a nickname but not sure formally.
“Syracuse”: I syr-acuse that of sounding dumb.
But regardless, besides all the “Von” or “De” or whatever names I’m willing to bet that modified or old spelling last names based on places are totally a thing that we also just decided to stop doing.
Yeah, like the -berg names (e.g. Stoltenberg), it’s likely the family farm if you go far enough back. My family has a name that’s an island and the settlement on it. Taking a profile picture next to the town sign that’s also our last name is pretty common (for a name of a few hundred people).
Terrible idea. People clearly already struggling at naming kids. Coming up with a family name will be endless letters making the wrong sound, random sections being ‘silent’, so many puns or references to things, corporate advertising “oh it’s the X.com family!”… Terrible, just terrible.
Are you saying that the people who came up with the original surnames are more qualified than people today? At least with my idea when people come up with a new name they have to use it themselves, rather than their defenseless children.
My wife and I actually did this, sort of. Not a completely new name, but we took her grandmother’s name, rather than either of ours. Or, her great grandfather’s name, I suppose.
The only reason I wouldn’t want to take my partner’s name, or have the partner take mine, is the same reason I wouldn’t want to blend. It’s just a headache to make sure everything is changed. It’s why you see a lot of people who published research before their marriage continue to publish under the same name even if they changed their name. It’s a major hassle.
That’s great we’re in agreement. Your comment said “… a lot of people who published research before their marriage continue to publish under the same name even if they changed their name.”
So I didn’t read your comment as saying woman shouldn’t change their name, because you’re describing women changing their name, and then not using the new name in a specific context.
My wife was made fun of for her last name until she was like 25 (her social group sucked), so she was delighted to changed her name when I asked her if we were going to use mine or hers. I still don’t entirely mind changing mine or keeping it: I’d gotten a few public works built around town and one of them was named after me, and if I took her name the chances of getting them to change the name of that shelter were fuck all. You can only be the center of the universe for so long. So it just kind of worked out for both of us.
When people get married they should come up with a completely new last name for them both.
In Germany the current government had the idea (but never follow through on it) to allow a married couple to form a new last name based on their last names. Funnily enough the article mentions that this meshing of names is already possible and getting more popular in the USA and Great Britain.
https://www.rnd.de/panorama/namensrechts-reform-kann-man-bald-zwei-nachnamen-vermischen-3AOXUKZP6VFV3IFKWBFLKWXBQY.html
Yeah, you can legally change your first and your last name to pretty much whatever you want as long as it isn’t deemed too offensive in both the U.S. and the UK.
https://listverse.com/2024/02/21/10-bizarre-legal-name-changes/
Big props to the kid who legally changed his name to Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine Hulk and The Flash Combined
No thanks. I don’t care what my hypothetical spouse wants to do with their last name but I’m not changing mine. Sounds like a pain in the ass.
It is a pain in the ass, a burden that is put on the woman. Men don’t even have to consider changing their last name if they don’t want to, (straight, married) women have to consider if they will betray expectations by not taking her husband’s last name.
We should use uuids
There’s even a website cataloguing them all! https://everyuuid.com/
UUID me daddy
I identify myself as a ULID.
came here to make this exact comment, was delighted it already exists XD
our beautiful baby boy Robert 3de2d34e-a089-4a5a-acd8-b00d7c7eb07a
Oh yeah, little Bobby 3d we call him
I mean it’s not far off from Musk’s X AE ZigZag VII Advent Children and Kkkopernicus Diceware Password kids.
Calm down Enoch Root
A coworker of mine did this. He and his new wife took parts of their last names and blended them together to create a unique new last name for both of them.
I hope it wasn’t a tragedeigh
That’s very cool, i like that
A lot of last names here are frozen patronyms (e.g. at some point some dude named Hans had kids; now there are lots of people calling themselves his son, Hansen) or place names. I kinda like the place name bit: Just give kids last names to a place they have a connection to. Where they were born or conceived or something.
Also jobs. Lots of millers, smiths and hunters etc
Yeah, doesn’t seem to be a thing in Norway, but it could probably be revived for the countries that did that. Like Sheryl Copywriter or Ross Youtuber or whatever.
Ironically no one had the last name of “prostitute” or “harlot”
coughHookercough
The job was named after Joseph Hooker
Sorry, but unfortunately I got interested and followed your link:
To be fair, he could probably have chosen a better place to set up…
I, John Prostitute, am offended by this.
Better than Whorson at least.
deleted by creator
🎤 My name is chika-chika Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
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Dragon Rider The Bathroom At The Roller Rink
“London”: Not too bad, works ok.
“Climax”: …
“Tallahassee”: Pretty frickin’ awesome as a nickname but not sure formally.
“Syracuse”: I syr-acuse that of sounding dumb.
But regardless, besides all the “Von” or “De” or whatever names I’m willing to bet that modified or old spelling last names based on places are totally a thing that we also just decided to stop doing.
Yeah, like the -berg names (e.g. Stoltenberg), it’s likely the family farm if you go far enough back. My family has a name that’s an island and the settlement on it. Taking a profile picture next to the town sign that’s also our last name is pretty common (for a name of a few hundred people).
Conceived? You really want to be named after the motel your daddy did a big cummy in your mommy’s pussy?
Are you familiar with the Paris Hilton?
It’s tacky, but let’s be honest, that’s the least tacky thing about her.
I think she gets a pass for the last name seeing as the hotels are named after her family and not the other way around.
Not sure if she was conceived in Paris. I’ll ask her next time I’m having a three-way again with her and your mom.
obviously, her family is already named Hilton so GP couldn’t have been referring to that
That last sentence is cursed.
If you say so, Ms. Motel 6.
I seem to recall it was pretty common on Reddit (back in the day maybe)
“Hi there, Mr. Dumpsterbach.”
You’d end up with lots of people in each area having the same name.
And we do! The most common name in the Netherlands translates to “the Frisian”.
Certainly in the long past your last name was probably derived from the town or area that you lived in. I don’t think it would work today.
Terrible idea. People clearly already struggling at naming kids. Coming up with a family name will be endless letters making the wrong sound, random sections being ‘silent’, so many puns or references to things, corporate advertising “oh it’s the X.com family!”… Terrible, just terrible.
We could always do what Iceland does.
I’m sure that will scale up to much larger populations without issues.
Are you saying that the people who came up with the original surnames are more qualified than people today? At least with my idea when people come up with a new name they have to use it themselves, rather than their defenseless children.
My wife and I actually did this, sort of. Not a completely new name, but we took her grandmother’s name, rather than either of ours. Or, her great grandfather’s name, I suppose.
Introducing Mr and Mrs. KoboldCoterie!
The only reason I wouldn’t want to take my partner’s name, or have the partner take mine, is the same reason I wouldn’t want to blend. It’s just a headache to make sure everything is changed. It’s why you see a lot of people who published research before their marriage continue to publish under the same name even if they changed their name. It’s a major hassle.
Sure it’s a headache. So why does the woman have to do it? I think either keep your names as is or both people change.
Uh… that was exactly what I said…
And that was exactly what I was saying I wouldn’t do…
That’s great we’re in agreement. Your comment said “… a lot of people who published research before their marriage continue to publish under the same name even if they changed their name.”
So I didn’t read your comment as saying woman shouldn’t change their name, because you’re describing women changing their name, and then not using the new name in a specific context.
My wife was made fun of for her last name until she was like 25 (her social group sucked), so she was delighted to changed her name when I asked her if we were going to use mine or hers. I still don’t entirely mind changing mine or keeping it: I’d gotten a few public works built around town and one of them was named after me, and if I took her name the chances of getting them to change the name of that shelter were fuck all. You can only be the center of the universe for so long. So it just kind of worked out for both of us.