That’s Mrs. Advice Smackdown to You, Bud

Dear Amy,

My question is non-beauty related, but I think you’re completely qualified to answer it. I follow all of your blogs (yes, even ClubMom, and I’m not a Mom, but am completely smitten by Noah). As my friends are getting married, and “the one” has most certainly entered my life, I have begun to contemplate the Marital Name Change. Since I’m from the South, its presumably changed as such: First Middle Maiden becomes First Maiden Married. Drop the middle alltogether. Works for me.

But I’m also attached to my maiden name. I have advanced degrees in this name. And I’ve noticed that you, and several other talented, beautiful and successful women do the First Maiden Married thing, but are sure to include the Maiden. You’re Amy Corbett Storch. Not Amy Storch. Not Amy Corbett-Storch. (No offense to anyone, but I could not work the hyphen). I love this.

My question (finally! I do have a question!) is- how’d you do it? Is Corbett your middle name? Part of your last name? What happened to your middle name? Did you drop it completely, or is it lurking in there too? Do you introduce yourself as Amy Corbett Storch, or just Amy Storch? Do you use Corbett Storch just for professional gigs, or in personal settings as well?

I know it seems like I’m making a big deal out of all of this- but I’m fascinated by the reasons women make the decisions they do regarding the name change and totally curious as to how they start using the new name once they’re married! I’d love to hear what you and your readers think- how they changed it (if they did) and why!

Thanks!
C

PS: I LOVE that you and Jason gave Noah the middle name Corbin as an homage to your maiden name, and I totally wish mine had some sort of name equivalent for any future children. Alas, it does not. Clearly, you guys just rock at the name thing.

My full maiden name (maiden! like I was a delicate flower locked in a tower, wearing a pointy cone hat and a chastity belt) was Amy Beth Corbett. I had no real attachment to my middle name — never went by Amy Beth or included it in my signature — so I dropped it when I got married. Legally speaking, the name Beth no longer exists — my driver’s license, credit cards, Noah’s birth certificate all say Amy Corbett Storch.

But if you ask me what my middle name is, I’ll tell you. It’s Beth.

I think of “Corbett Storch” as my last name, although I won’t get bent out of shape if you call me Amy Storch. That’s my name too. Professionally, however, it’s very important to me to have the Corbett in there. That’s the only time I’m a stickler about it. Business cards, bylines, handshakes and introductions always include both names.

I could have kept Beth and gone with Amy Beth Corbett Storch. I could have hyphenated. I could have not taken Storch at all. I could have asked Jason to include Corbett. I didn’t really have strong feelings one way or the other (of course, I was 20 years old and had no degrees or professional accomplishments tied to my name, which is a big thing to consider later in life), and after kicking around all the options I decided that Amy Corbett Storch was the best combination for me.

I have friends and family who have used each and every one of the more “modern” options (plus quite a few who did the straight-up dropping of maiden names entirely) and they all seem to work out fine. The days of “Mr. and Mrs. Jason D. Storch” are fading into history now, and most people wait for me to introduce myself before making the assumption that Jason, Noah and I all have the same last name.

I am a member of the Storch family now, but I was a Corbett when I first curled up with mountains of books and decided to be a writer. I was a Corbett when I wrote my first story about the pink bunny who ate ice cream and hop hop hopped, but I was a Storch when I came home from work and proudly showed Jason that MY NAME WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER. Editorial Assistant: Amy Corbett Storch.

Both names have meaning to me now, and in the end, I think that’s a sign that I made the right choice.