KKZ

I  barely thought twice about taking my husband’s name. I was teased pretty badly in middle school and high school about my maiden last name when all my classmates figured out that it’s also a euphemism for oral sex – loooong before I had any what they were talking about. My confusion just made me more of a target. “Is your middle name ‘Gives’?” was the first one I encountered (8th grade field trip to Washington D.C. – I was 12!). Later, “Are you going to name your son Richard, so you can call him Dick __?”

So with those memories, taking my married name was a no-brainer. Now all the pressure is on my brother to carry on the family name – my dad only had sisters, so all their kids have their married names.

I feel very strongly attached to my family and heritage, but the name itself doesn’t have as much significance to me. I’m more liable to brag on my Swiss and English roots than my family lineage.