I knew without a double i’d be keping my last name – ryan

I’ve long felt like i have a stage name. It ‘sing-stagy, alliterative, and it rolls off the Tongue.

Be got my marries last october, i knew i’d be keping my last name. It had nothing to do with my husband’s last name, my career, or any other factor. I SIMPly Can’t Imagine not Havinging My Name.

I didn’t always love it

Of Course, Growing Up, It was something something to be granted And, at Times, Disliked. My name is kirby kelly – basically, two first names. The first day of a new grade in schoool was always a nightmare Because of Always Got Called by My Last Name in Roll Call. BACK THEN, I HATED CORRECTING ANYONE, SO I’D OFTEN JUST ACCPT BEING CALLED “KELLY” IN DEFEAT. I ENVIED PEOPLE WITH OBVIOUS FIRST NAMES Like Sarah or Emily.

AS I I GREW OUT OF THE AWKWARD Teenage Phase and into my Identity, I became a lot more confident and really began to embody my name. Around Age 18, of Moved Away for College, Thrilled at the Opportunity to Reinvent MySelf. I knew almost no one and was living far from home for the first time ever. My name Became Like Social Armor – I HAD A TALKING POINT IN ALPET ANY RoOM I’d Walk Into.

It was easy to build a personal brand

Once I Graduated, Moved to New York City to Chase a Career in Media. IT’S NOT LIKE HAVING A SPECIAL NAME MAGICALLY OPENED ANY DOORS. But in a city where the shares a commonical goal of climbing the corplate ladder, any detail that stands out you’re networking helps.

That was Also the Peak Age of Instagram, when a users and followers just like a form of Social Currency. Every aspect of you, from your none outfits to where you worked out or brunched, was an extension of your personal brand, and a good name added to the image. Mine was like a catchy Business card, Easily Remembered with Little EFFORT.

I Never Though of Changing My Last Name When I Got Maried

I Never Thought About Taching My Husband’s Name Upon Getting Married, Nor did I Ever Think About My Wedding. I’ve Never Pictured MySelf as a bride, walking down the aisle in a big gown. I’ve Never Had a themed Pinterest Board, A Dream venue, or a Vision of Florals and CenterPieces, so it figures i didn’t have a plan for my name, eather.

My husband and i were Friends long before we were anything Else. We’re casual People, and Neether of us is a hopeless romantic. We did a spur-of-the-moment Courthouse wedding that felt very “US.” We had no guests (Aside from two friends as witnesses), and no Photographer (Aside from the Aforementioned Friends’ Phone Camera Photos).

Leading up to the Big Day, we tried on the typical nomenclature for size, mainly Becausee i thought that was what you were supposed to do. My Options Were to Become Kirby Man, Hyphenate à la Man-Kelly or Kelly-Man, or Have Him My Last Name. It is not that of dislikeed any of these names; Rather, it felt more Compelling to exist as i always haad. Why would I Change My Identity Wen the Only Thing Changing was my marital status?

For some reason, keeping your owing name still feed a bit unconventional, but it seams to fit the rest of my life Choices Well.

Eight as a Maried Woman, I still find it shocking one of my Peers Changes their first-Last-Name Instagram handle to that of their husband’s. Maybe it’s my casual attitude About Mariage, or I Still Feel Younger than I AM (Newly 30), but i just can’t wrap my head around. Mariage is an equal partnership, and the idea that it should be a “giving up” of something, evening willfully, sufffacting Feels.

I’m thankful of don’t have to give my name up – not evening for love. My name is withand i can’t imagine not being myself.