Name Change

I am really struggling with changing my last name.

I'm not a big fan of my maiden name....it gets mispronounced constantly, and if people pronounce it correctly, then they want to know if I know so-and-so, or if I am related to whoever. It gets kind of old, especially when I tell people that the person is, at best, a very distant relation. People get mad! They insist that I must be related to whoever, and then the conversation gets kind of awkward.

It's more of an identity thing, I think. It's been my name for 23 years....and there is only one person with my name--me. If I change my name, I will be the 114th Stacy MarriedName. I also feel like I shouldn't have to change my name, but I feel like I do have to. I know I could hyphenate, but I don't like the way it sounds, and it feels clumsy. I want my kids to have the same last name as me, and if I don't change my name, then that won't happen. I also don't want the name situation to be a royal pain.

Don't get me wrong, I love Ryan's last name. It's short, not super-common, easy to spell, and nearly impossible to mispronounce. The name change really has nothing to do with him, it's all me. I'm 96% sure I am going to change my name, but it's not going to be an easy thing for me to do. Going into the wedding planning process, it's not something I foresaw myself have issues with.

How are you feeling about changing your name? Are you hyphenating, keeping your last name, switching to his?