Woman admits to in-laws she didn't take husband's last name because it embarrasses her. AITA?

Amanda Hurley

Jul 25, 2023 | 4:19 P.M. ET

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'TIFU by saying outloud why I didn't changed my last name when I got married'

idontknow72o

Obligatory not in the USA, but Latin America.

I (30f) have been married to my husband (32m) for 5 years, but we have been together for more than that as we are high-school sweethearts.

My husband's last names (yes, names, as in my country we have 2) are really generic not original or cool, just super plain, imagine Smith or Johnson (sorry to all the Smiths and Johnsons) while mine are really uncommon. One is the name of a really beautiful elegant animal while the other is foreign and the name of a little town in another part of the world.

I do not use my husband's name, I have never introduced myself as Mrs. Smith , I don't like being called Mrs. Smith and even when talking about our family, I don't use only his name, like if we are giving a present, I will sign with both of our last names (we are NOT Mr. And Mrs. Smith, even in the wedding, I refused that title).

Nobody knew, only my husband, why I didn't changed my name, everybody just assumed that it was just goog old feminism, and left it at that.

Last week, one of my husband's cousins had his engagement party, he is my husband cousin by blood and she is the one that is marrying into the family, beautiful people, love them very much.

Everyone of my in-laws was there, the grandparents, cousins, my husband's siblings, his parents, aunts, uncles, everybody. ALL NAMED SMITH. And obviously the question about if the girlfriend is going to take the family last name came up. I have to say that every last girl that has married into the family has taken their last name, except me.

Well, everybody was trying to convince the girlfriend to use the last name and someone, I can't remember who, said 'Well OP didn't changed her name', silence, and my father in law stoped, looked at me and said 'yeaaaaah, you didn't....... why?'

Do you know that sensation when your mouth moves faster that your brain, I was just enjoying my food, concentrated in my mashed potatoes cause they were super fluffy and I was making figures, super discreetly, with them. So I just said, no, more like shouted, REALLY nonchalantly 'cause yours are boring and mine are prettier'.

You.. could.. hear.. a.. pin.. drop

After like 5 minutes of purely shock and horror one the youngest cousins just burst out laughing and admitted that their last name is in fact, pretty boring.

But I'm sure they all will remember this incident.

Edit: to my Latin American people. I know that in our land we don't change our last name legally but I really didn't know any other way to say it, cause we like change it socially. Like when we marry we become 'de'. My husband name is Pérez so I am La Señora Pérez, o Doña Pérez y soy Xxxxxx de Pérez y somos la familia Pérez.

And that name is so aggressively common that I am confortable saying it on reddit and I know I am not going to get recognized.

Is just that explaining all the 'de' thing is way too complicated for a reddit post.

Relájense mis panas todo es de amiguitos. Y si tu nombre es Pérez, se feliz, tú tienes a Checo Pérez y los demás tenemos apellidos originales 😅. Los quiero.

Edit 2: I'm glad that the fact that sometimes my brain just turns off and I go on autopilot has made a lot of you laugh. Please keep trying to guess my last names. They have been really chef's kiss. My favorite has been Mrs. Albatross Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. It was so close.