I was off to the social security office this morning to officially change my name from Julie Bream to Julie Fagan. Well, Julie Elizabeth Bream Fagan. Only eight months after we got married! I’m quite punctual.
It’s hard to believe that I’m now Julie E. B. Fagan. The E.B. cracks me up. I feel like the author of Charlotte’s Web.
I considered dropping “Elizabeth” but I just couldn’t ditch the middle name I’ve had my whole life and I wasn’t about to drop “Bream.” The woman at the social security office told me that middle names don’t mean much anyway, so I decided to keep it and have two middle names.
Ryan and my dad got a pretty good kick out of my new name when I called them and said they were now speaking to Julie E. B. Fagan. Maybe I should’ve combined Elizabeth and Bream… Elizaream? Breamabeth?
I think I’ve put off changing my name for so long because I wanted to feel 100 percent comfortable changing my name. I always knew I’d take Ryan’s last name, but no longer being Julie Bream was difficult for me to wrap my head around at first. I absolutely adore my family and love being connected to them. Of course our connection is deeper than sharing a last name and I really wanted to be connected to Ryan (and our future children) in that way, but it wasn’t a simple decision.
But now it’s official and I’m excited! I just have to wait for my new social security card to come in the mail and then head to the DMV (joy!) to get a new driver’s license.
Lunch
Lunch today was inspired by my meal from the Virgin Olive Market a couple of weeks ago.
I placed fresh mozzarella cheese on a sweet wheat Alternative Bagel and toasted it before topping the bagel with tomatoes and fresh spinach.
Strawberry banana Chobani Greek yogurt and fresh blueberries were served on the side of my bagelwich.
I am loving that all summer berries are on serious sale lately! They’re the candy of summer!
Question of the Afternoon
- Did you/Would you change your last name after marriage?
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I’m definitely going to change my last name…though it is “Elf” so it will be very hard to give that up. It’s definitely one of a kind. But I just feel like it will be better come the time of having kids for mom/dad to have the same last name 🙂
I’m totally loving summer berries myself lately. I can’t get enough strawberries!
PS – LOVE strawberry/banana Chobani!
Hi Julie! I’m getting married this coming weekend and I’m also keeping ‘all of my names’ as two middle names and adding my fiance’s last name. I couldn’t part with the names I’ve had for 28 years…I love hearing that other people are doing the same!
I kept all my names too… First middle last and last.. Luv it! I am 42 and have been married coming up on 6 yrs. 🙂
My fiance and I are having this discussion as we speak and he def wants me to change my last night. I of course, don’t mind but I still love my last night. It’d be fun to still the M in my last name there as you used as an initial 😉 great idea!
hah thats funny im in a very similar situation! we got married in november and i havent changed my name yet. i swear ive been meaning to! im definitely going to…just havent gotten around to it!
Yay! Congrats julielizabream+fagan!
I am so excited summer berries are on sale too!! I saw Raspberries for $1 and bought 5 containers the other day… happy to say I’ve already consumed 3/5 containers LOL
I did change my name and completely dropped my maiden name — it’s no where to be found in my legal name now. Now when people say Katie Riley on accident it sounds completely wrong to me lol.
Fun fact: I was actually named Danielle when I was born! My parents changed my name when I was a few months old. My birth certificate says Danielle Elisabeth.
I’ll definitely take my husband’s last name. I understand all the arguments for why people don’t want to do it and I think they’re very valid, but I want to have the same last name as my children. My last name is important to me, but I think there are other ways to honor my family when I get married- I really want to name one of my kids after my dad or his mom!
I’m not getting married, so it’s not an issue for me, BUT your talk about “Breamabeth” reminded me of a swimmer I knew. Mom’s last name was “Bol” and Dad’s was “Laidlaw.” She and her bother had the last name “Bollaidlaw.” No hyphen.
I’m serious.
Oh wow.
My roommates parents last names are “Fox” and “Downs” so they made her last name “DownsFox” We have too much fun coming up with other variations: StrugglesFox, AngryFox, LazyFox….etc.
Congrats on the new name!!! I think I would do what you did and keep my middle name and have a double barreled surname of my maiden name and my husbands surname. Ha! feels weird saying that, I’m not even married yet!
I kept all of my names, too. Even though I’ve been Melody since the day I was born, I just couldn’t drop Lauren, my “real” name. So, now I’m Lauren Melody Parry Jones 🙂
I did the same thing with my name! I am an only child, and just didn’t feel right giving up my parents name, since there are no other boys to carry it on! My husband (lovingly) makes fun of me for having so many names now, but I would not have it any other way!
Also, your blog inspired me to join a gym and start going to body pump… and I’m addicted!
I want to add my my last name after marriage, but can’t do it as yet just to avoid immigration paperwork hassle. Hoping to get it done soon 🙂
Yes, I knew it! 😛
I kept all my names when I got married. I am EENA!
The only this is…I consider myself Erin N. A and I list that on documents before I remember that I kept my middle name! I just couldn’t give up Elisabeth (spelled that way because my mom’s name is Lisa).
OK that is BEYOND weird b/c I JUST NOW got back (lunch hour multitasking!) from the social security office, doing the same thing! I got married on June 11th and went today to make the switcharoo … I’ll be going from Caroline Marie Saxon to an eternal name: Caroline Marie Grabenbauer.
Why do boys have it SO easy? We have to do everything! Change our names, have the babies, get the monthly friends, shave 80% of our body hair (ew that sounds gross!), etc. How rude! (how Stephanie Tanner of me!) Haha 🙂
Anyways, it’s going to be so weird having a diff name, isn’t it? I’ll need to practice saying it and also signing it!
PS – u shouldn’t need to actually have your ss card w/you for the dmv change, it just needs to have been done beforehand and your new license will be able to “clear” 🙂 Unless it’s diff in FL, u shouldn’t have to wait 2 weeks for the card!
Amen on the “women have to do everything!”
Ugh I said the same when changing my name! And now that I’ve had one kid, I’ve told the husband it’s his turn to have #2!
Hmm, that’s tough. I lean towards not wanting to change my name if I had to do it again. But now that I’m preggers (MEEEP! 14 weeks and just making the announcement), I want our children and myself to all have the same last name.
I changed my last name to my husband’s, but did not keep my maiden name. I already had two middle names, and adding a third one would have been a bit much for me. 🙂
My DMV let me use a print out from the SS office to get a new license, so I got them both on the same day. It took a few hours though, b/c nothing happens quickly at the SS office or the DMV.
I got a print out and then had to wait till the next day to get my driver’s license. Problem was, I wasn’t very good at signing my new last name!
I changed my last name pretty quickly after I was married. I decided to drop my maiden name though and keep my middle name. My middle name is an old family middle name and I share it with my mom. I knew I couldn’t give that up but I know a several people who have dropped their middle name and kept both last names.
Congrats on changing your last name! I am definitely changing my last name. I am not fond of the memories that my last name brings up, meaning my dad’s side of the family. So I will be happy to have a new last name to sign. 🙂
I have actually had this conversation recently with a few friends and my boyfriend actually. I always said I would take my husbands last name and keep my maiden name as I guess my middle name like my mom did. I want to have the same last name as my kids. The only way I would keep my last name is if I was a doctor, and I have no plans on that happening!
It’s been over 2 years and I haven’t changed my last name. I think I will eventually, it’s just it’s hard to give up my middle name and my last name really reminds me of my dad. And now that he passed away, I REALLY want to keep my name.
But I do think it would be a nice gesture for my husband. So I’m thinking of doing it maybe next year on our anniversary as a surprise.
Oh that would be so romantic! And I totally get wanting to be connected to your dad. I feel the same way, though your situation definitely has a more emotional tie. I know some people use the woman’s maiden name as a middle name for their kids which I think is cool!
Famous volleyball player Gabrielle Reece did that… named one of her daughters ‘Reece’ … it’s cute!
I’m an only child and my middle name is my mom’s maiden name! It’s going to make it complicated when I get married and end up with 3 last names haha
I have thought about what I will do when I get married and my boyfriend (of 5 years, I assume I’ll marry him) said he doesn’t care that the decision is 100% up to me. I think what I am going to do is take his name personally but keep my professionally. It is very important for me to keep a part of who I am, especially in the professional world. Ultimately we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. 🙂
I would really like to change my last name, but I think it’ll be hilarious to see what my name becomes after I get married. Since my first name is Liv, there could be a lot of interesting combinations lol…
I’m probably going to be in the minority here but I don’t plan on changing my name. I’ve had it forever and I want to keep it!
I also plan on going back to school to get my doctorate so I want my name to match my diploma/keep it for professional reasons.
One of my best friends is from Iceland and she’s appalled that people here change their names. Super funny!
I love this post! I was just discussing this issue with one of my closest friends last night. When my fiance and I get married next summer, I am going to keep my name. My mom kept hers, and, as Paula @ Eat: Watch: Run mentioned, my last name is special to me because of my dad. My fiance is 100% okay with me keeping my last name and fully supports it.
Congrats Julie!!!! Love the new middle initials!!! I have thought about it and I want to but professionally I may keep my maiden name! By the time I get my PhD t will have been so much work.. I really wanna be Dr. Mullan!!! But I agree about being connected to your husband and having the same name as your kids!!!
Your lunch looks yummy too! Miss the bagelwiches in my life!
I changed my name right away and dropped my maiden name completely. It never even crossed my mind to keep my maiden name. Sure, I miss it every once in a while, but I love sharing a last name with my husband!
I think I would change my last name after marriage, and I like the route you went – I would totally keep my middle name and maiden name and just add my husband’s name. My middle name is Marie and my father has joked that he named me after Elvis’ daughter! I think I want to keep that long-running joke for the rest of my life. 😛
I didn’t change my name and my husband didn’t really care, but he said he wanted our kids to have his name, which I thought was totally fair so our son has my husband’s last name. I’m sure that’ll cause some major confusion at some point. I did offer to hyphenate, which many of my friends have done, and my husband said he preferred all or nothing.
Sometimes I think it would have been easier because most of the world just assumes you are now Mrs. xxxxx once you get married. Even my in-laws still get it wrong (4 years later), perhaps they think I’ve changed my mind.
I ditched my maiden name, because that’s what my mom had done. I adore sharing Hubb’s last name, but I definitely miss having my maiden name be an ‘official’ part of my name. Good for you for making sure you were 100% comfortable with your decision!
I am not going to change my name when I get married. I won’t have my kids’ names be hypenated. They can take my husband’s last name. My mom never changed her name and I have no desire to change mine.
All this being said I think it is a very personal choice and every woman should do what feels right for her.
That’s a toughy, because my last name (price) makes a pretty lousy middle name, in my opinion. But I LOVE it as a last name. My beau’s last name is pretty solid, but I can’t help kind of wonder if we got married would I really want to take his last name or keep mine? UGH what a tough question!
At least his last name’s not Michael, otherwise I’d be Jordan Michael (though if I were ever published, it’d be Michael, Jordan.) Whew, dodged that bull(s)et.
hahaha! this comment is super cute!
I’ve thought about this a lot because I am the last person with my last name. Once I change my last name, my last name will no longer be passed on to anyone. I still think I want to change it though.
I’m getting married in October and was originally going to drop my last name b/c I’m more partial to my middle name but decided that I’m going to keep both too. So I’ll be Jessica S. B. Green 🙂
Well I have to say E. B. are pretty awesome initials, from an EB herself. Eliza Bensley to be exact. But my middle name is Knox and I never want to give it up because I think its pretty unique so ill be EKB + (?) Something one day!!!
I cannot wait to change my last name. I like mine but I am ready to change it. We have been married just over a week but here in Canada the postal system is on strike so I will not have the marriage certificate for a while. Oh well!
I am going to change my name for the same reason you changed yours…I definitely want my whole family to share a name. Funny thing is that my fiance’s family is Nigerian and he has a very Nigerian name. So my name change is going to be a big one 🙂
I am a firm believer in name changing. I am a teacher, and its very confusing when parents send in checks for things or paperwork, and the last names don’t match any of the kids! I know its sometimes unavoidable, but whenever possible I really think both parents should have the same name as their children.
I did the same thing when it came down to changing my name. I waited a whole year to do it because I wanted to feel comfortable and ready. My husband didnt pressure me to get it done once we were married and I loved that. Now, his mother on the other hand…she wanted me to change it once we got back from the honeymoon. I didnt keep my madien name, because I thought my name would be too long, but now I am wishing I would have done so. Congrats to you, Julie.
I just got married in Feb and I must admit I was SO thrilled to change my last name! The SS office was a piece of cake….the DMV on the other hand, oh boy! That took a few hours!
I <3 strawberry/banana chobani!! I've been meaning to try it in my smoothies!
By no means did I rush to change my name, but I wish I had taken more time. I flat-out took my husband’s last name, but I now wish I had done a hyphenation or something – I like the dual middle name idea.
My dad passed away five years ago, two years before I got married. I really struggled with the name change because of it – I wanted to maintain a tangible connection with my father. I actually use both names on Facebook and LinkedIn, and I like that.
It’s been something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. It’s harder than one might imagine to let go of a name…
That’s such a good idea! I’m no where close to getting married, but I hate the idea of loosing my last name (and I also hate the idea of not changing it). So it might be a little bit of a mental debate. I like the second middle name idea!
I just got married like 6 weeks ago and am completely changing my name and dropping my maiden name…. but the process is riduculously long due to all the places that I need to fill out paperwork with etc.!
Congrats on making it official! That lunch looks perfect for this hot summer day!
If I ever get married (fingers crossed haha), I will totally change my name. I’m not what some would consider a traditionalist in many ways, but for some reason, I always have been that way with the last name thing.
I definitely will! It will be hard because I have been a Strum for so long! I like the whole ring of my name 🙂
I did the same thing and now have two middle names. My maiden name is a doozie but it is also such a big part of who I am and I couldn’t drop it. My new last name is also a mouth-full but I’m proud to have it. My license looks really strange now–my name actually stretches across my picture. Jacklyn Sue Pysarchuk Jablonka.
I changed my name completely. I didn’t have strong connection with the last name – being my Dad’s so it was an easier choice for me. Plus I knew I wanted to have my hubby’s last name for sure.
I would definitely hyphenate. I like the way mine sounds now though – it’s alliterative 😀
PS – next time you’re at virgin olive you NEEEEED to order the ultimate grilled cheese! Holy yum!!!!
I can’t change my name only because both my first and last go so well together–Jihane Jeanty. I mean nothing fits with it except for that…
And, can I just say that I am IN LOVE with my name so even if my future husband’s last name meshed well with my first name I don’t know If I could do it. :/