[Sally] The Last Name Project

In this new series co-hosted by from two to one and The Feminist Mystique, we will be profiling an array of individuals and couples about their last name decisions upon marriage or what they expect to choose if they marry. The goal is to explore how individuals make decisions about their last name, and to highlight the many possibilities. We will be posting profiles periodically and encourage you to stay connected via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  If you would like to participate in this series, email Danielle at danielle [at] fromtwotoone [dot] com or Shannon at hill [dot] shannonp [at] gmail [dot] com. 

The following post is from Sally. 

I identify as a feminist, my husband and I have been married for 19 happy years, we have two kids (who have my surname as a second middle name and his last name).  Only my grandmother raised a question as to why I wasn't taking his name when we got married, but no one else really made much of it.

My husband's last name is that of an infamous Nazi official. No kidding. Fortunately, his family has no known relationship to this butcher. But the question of this suspected relationship sometimes arises when we meet new Jewish acquaintances. His family is also pretty conservative; mine is progressive, and I identify more with the values that my family espouses. (My mom assumed my father's name when they got married, although she still uses her maiden name as a middle name.) My husband and I are both Ivy League PhDs, and I worked very hard to achieve this educational and professional goal, and I prefer that my published work appear under my own distinct name. Even though I kept my "maiden" name upon getting married, would you believe that we still get wedding invitations from his cousins addressed to "Dr. and Mrs. [my husband's name]"?