harvey@decvax.UUCP (Miriam Harvey) (09/30/83)
Years ago when my parents married my mother took my father's last name, which at that time was the accepted thing to do. This resulted in her name being: Mary Joann Catherine Turon Amos quite a mouth full. Both parents go by their middle names as someone else in the immediate family had the same first name. Both parents this practice a bit tedious, so all their daughters were not given a middle name and their son was given a name unique to the immediate family. The daughters could then use the maiden name as a middle name if they got married. Now as a married women I have a middle name and I have retained a name that lineates my history. At the time I married I considered keeping my own last name, but for other reasons choose to take my husbands. However I did not take a title as I had not used one previously. I am not Mrs. or Ms. nor was I a Miss. I am individual as indicated by my name. I have found it easy to correct people on the lack of title, especially since I usually have to correct them on the first name as well. If I have daughter, I will most likely give her a middle name. My first choice for a name happens to include a middle name. My second choice does not. I also except society to have changed by the time she would be an adult and the decision of any name change is hers anyways. Any child I have will have an unique name to the immediate family - ie no juniors or little "fill-in-name". This is only the name scheme I used. I believe it is the individual(s) right to choose their scheme (hyphenation, combination, traditional, etc). Miriam Amos Harvey