On changing one's name

[Inchessi]

Your reasoning is your own. My cousin has recently done the same. I have no opinion about it either way. Now, after $40,000 USD spent in higher learning:

Mitochondria are passed directly from the mother, they stop on the male side. i.e. You won't pass yours on, and your father didn't pass his on. Scientifically it makes sense to carry on your maternal name. oh, I got this useless piece of information in the first $8,000.

[dfmacliam]

Native cultures, geneology is traced through the woman... anyone can be your father... but you know exactly who your mother is....

[CDNSushi]

Add to the list of cultures that use matrilineal genealogy, traditionally, Jewishness is also traced maternally (according to Halakha - Jewish law).

It seems to me that you've been thinking about this for a very long time, and have considered it on and off, but now more seriously. Sounds like you won't really get it off your mind until you either DO IT, or come up with an argument compelling enough to get it out of your head forever. Somehow I don't think the latter is your case, based on what you've told us. Given also that your own mother is very receptive to the idea, I'd say go for it.

Hey. Worst case scenario, you could always change it back if you don't like it. Really throw people for a loop!

Good luck with your new name, Mr. Kilpatrick.

[Paul]

Go for it!

[dutchy kilted]

Sounds like a great idea for all the right reasons. Was it Shakespeare who said, "to thine own self be true"?

[Kilted Jeeper]

I changed my last name at the age of 18 to that of my step-father. Today, almost 20 years later I am close with both my father and my step-father. There is no issues as my father understands my reasons.

Go for it!

[NewGuise]

Was it Shakespeare who said, "to thine own self be true"?

It was ... although for better or worse he put those words (along with the equally well-known "Neither a borrower nor a lender be") into the mouth of a pompous and relatively foolish character: Polonius, in Hamlet.

[MacBean]

Mitochondria are passed directly from the mother, they stop on the male side. i.e. You won't pass yours on, and your father didn't pass his on. Scientifically it makes sense to carry on your maternal name. oh, I got this useless piece of information in the first $8,000.

Well, for another $8,000 (or a nickel to me), you carry basically the same Y-chromosomal material as Adam in the garden of Eden, as that is passed down the male line exclusively. This is the basis of genetic genealogy. True, recombination and mutation have altered the Y chromosome over time, but because this is the archtypal gender-determining chromosome, changes are not often viable, so the gene sequence is relatively stable. The neat thing for men is that this should track your surname nicely. On the other hand, besides testosterone (and hairy ears), it isn't completely clear what the Y chromosome encodes for.

[Coinneach]

You've been thinking about it quite a bit. I see no reason not to do it if you want to. My cousin's sons all from the same father have different surnames.

Son 1's surname = father's surname-mother's surname
Son 2's surname = father's surname
Son 3's surname = maternal grandmother's maiden name

Son 3 had a similar relationship with his father as you described and had always felt closer to his mother's (and my) side of the family. So he changed his name. Since then, he and his father have improved their relationship. But he likes his name.

Genealogically, it looks funny, but each individual is happy with his choice.

[O'Callaghan]

You might use "Tobus Kilpatrick Nee Englishname" on your typed signature line, the sign it "Tobus Kilpatrick"

A small point. For a man it would be ne, not nee (either one being lower case). It's French for born, a language that I assume you don't speak. And there is an acute accent on the first (or only) letter e, but I don't know how to type that.