Names are of course a social convention based on tradition. You are conflating my two arguments. One argument is that traditions can be changed, thus changing the naming conventions. Incidentally, naming conventions vary across cultures, so there is certainly a precedent for passing on female names. Thus, there…

The article actually did point out that women do the same thing. It’s just that this particular study focused on men. But the article specifically pointed out ways in which women do this. Give it a reread.

My name is mine. My name is just as much mine as my husband’s is his, or as my father’s is his. I have always had it; I grew up with it; when people say my name, they mean me. The argument that women’s names aren’t theirs because they “belonged” to their fathers, but that men’s names are theirs in spite of having…

If you go with option 1, might I suggest choosing a name more toward the middle of the alphabet? I am an H, and it has been fantastic, because I never have to go first (nerve-wracking) or wait until last (frustrating).

I wish I had an answer for you. I don’t, but here are some gifs so that you know a random stranger on the internet hears you and thinks you deserve to take care of yourself.

For exercise, I like to put on a show and do some yoga. Nothing specific, just whatever feels good to me that day. Or I have a couple of sets of weights, and while I am more careful with weights in terms of making sure I spread out the stresses on my body, I can still watch a show while I do it!

Yeah, I’ve never had a relationship develop from something that started as “dating.” One time a guy asked me out in a bar, and we went on a date, and it was super awkward and uncomfortable and I hated it. All of my relationships have started with meeting the guy in a group of people, usually a couple of times, before…

Hahaha, I totally started thinking about that stuff 10 months into this relationship. I ended up talking to him about it, and we agreed to get married, although we weren’t engaged for another 6-8 months. It’s kind of a safe way to address the fact that you feel confident about your future with this person. It’s really…

And also...it’s not ok to call unhealthily thin women malnourished birds. I don’t understand why so many people are saying, “No, no, it’s totally fine, Amy wasn’t talking about naturally thin women.”

Ah, but you see, we also disagree on whose last name is cooler!

Wait...I can’t tell whether or not you are serious. Are you making fun of the argument that women’s last names don’t count because they got them from their dads, or are you actually making it? Because obviously my husband also got his last name from his father, making his name exactly the same amount his as mine is…

Oh my god, I know what you mean. Most of the time, I am really happy with my life, and then out of nowhere I’m like, “IF I DON’T HAVE A BABY RIGHT NOW I WILL DIE” It is the weirdest thing. I’ve always wanted kids, but suddenly it is this intense, driving need to have one IMMEDIATELY. My partner and I helped to…

I assumed that “lax” meant “unstructured.” I am currently writing my thesis, and while it is a lot of work, it is work that can happen any time. I struggle with keeping a schedule, because it’s so easy to be like, “Eh, I’ll start working in an hour, and I can just work later tonight.” Then it’s 2am and I am cursing…

One time I was driving at night in a medium-shady part of the city. I was stopped at a light, and a car pulled up next to me and its occupants started gesturing wildly. Much like you, I am not trying to get shot, so I stared straight ahead with as bored a look I could manage, like my peripheral vision didn’t work and…

I know what you mean. Early on in our engagement, I had a whole rationale about how his family was smaller and older, and mine is large and young, so we should take his family’s last name because mine would be more present in our lives for longer.

Did she maybe just pause because of how weird the question is?

Actually both our families are awesome and wonderful. There are a couple of problem relatives on both sides, but the rest of the family recognizes them and either avoids them or runs interference. We are suuuuuper lucky in that regard.

But he has his dad’s name too, right? I don’t totally get the logic there. Obviously I don’t object, because whatever works for your family is great! I’m just not clear on what you mean.

I love this. This is an incredibly sweet and touching way of handling the last name question, and I love it. Thanks for sharing!

One of my best friends had the last name Knight and she changed it when she got married. I was irate! (I mean, I was irate in secret to my boyfriend, because it is her choice, and I am not a monster). But how are you going to change your name from Knight? That is a spectacular name! My friend whose last name was…