What's in a name? Part 3 - The Surname Conundrum

With the wedding day looming, a question that often arises is -- Will you change your name? For curiosity sake, I googled the meaning of this tradition and stumbled across some interesting facts:

According to Slate.com, "roughly 90% of American women automatically assume their husband's names." That may be true, but "now that women marry later and live more of their adult life with their maiden names, it can feel unnatural to assume another name, even for women who do not consider themselves feminists." I agree.

A more historic article states three key reasons for a bride taking the groom’s name:
1. Protection of family and wealth
2. Designation of a new life direction
3. Acknowledgement of God’s presence in and endorsement of the marriage
Do these 18th century traditions really still apply?

When I introduce myself to strangers, I purposely disregard my last name. It's a mouthful and the other person has no idea what I'm saying. On the phone, I spell my name out loud often. It goes like this: B(as in boy) - UEN - V(as in Victor) - IA - J(as in Jack) - E. Despite the clarity of my message, there is still a high probability it will be spelled incorrectly.

I get compliments on my last name. It's unique and has a clear meaning -- good trip. It can be found in signs all over Spanish-speaking countries. Its the title of a movie from Uruguay that played at Cannes Film Festival. Its the name of a hostel in Cuba that gets great reviews. Its the title from a series of Spanish language books. And I even share my name with the chef from one of my favorite brunch spots in SF.

While the meaning of my name and source of my lineage makes for interesting conversation, the butchering of the pronunciation is something I wouldn't miss. Reyes, on the other hand... it might as well be Smith or Brown. Okay, maybe not quite. To be fair, it does have its claim-to-fames.

Reyes is a type of computer software used to render realistic 3D images. Its the name of a brewer and food service provider. This name is shared by a artist, national park, fashion designer and of course, martial artist. According to About.com, Reyes derives "from the Old French rey, meaning king, Reyes was often bestowed as a nickname for a man who carried himself in a regal, or kingly, fashion. Alternative meanings include "one who plays the part of a king in a pageant" or "someone who works in the king's house." I will not be labeled "the one who works in the king's house". Oh hell no.

If I don't change my name, people may be confused. "What do you mean you're married and don't have the same last name?" And when we have kids, there is a sense of unity in sharing the same name. The Buenviaje Reyes Family sounds a bit absurd.

While I know this decision doesn't need to be made immediately, in some sense it does. Shortly after our wedding, my driver's license expires. I'll need to go through the hassle of renewing it and changing all my addresses. If I'm going to do the name change, I might as well do it then. But do I want to? What do you think?