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It really irks me!

(169 Posts)
Ali08 Tue 29-Jun-21 08:51:53

When I got married my maiden name was 'put in a box and forgotten about' for want of a better way to put it!
But why, even after 10 or so years, is Prince William's wife, Catherine, STILL referred to by her maiden name?
And Harry's wife the same?
Why do the media insist on calling them Catherine/Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle instead of using their husbands surname, Mountbatten-Winsdor?
And also, why have we women, in general, stopped being known as Mrs. or Miss but instead are referred to as Ms. or Miss regardless of marital statuses?
Is this just laziness of the media? Can't they be bothered to use our correct titles anymore?

AGAA4 Thu 01-Jul-21 17:05:14

I didn't mind taking my husband's surname but was irked when I received letters addressed to Mrs David A.
I had even lost my first name to him. angry

MissAdventure Thu 01-Jul-21 17:08:56

I would hate that!

ElderlyPerson Thu 01-Jul-21 17:11:30

An irk that has arisen in recent years is that if one telephones somewhere where one has been registered for something, that one is asked for name, address and date of birth FOR SECURITY.

It seems to me that there is a danger in that, as it seems that if anyone knows someone's name, address and date of birth and their voice sounds to be of the same gender that the business may accept that the so-called security has been passed and then later claim that the caller gave the correct security information so WE HAD TO PRESUME that it was you and THEREFORE we are not liable for the loss.

Upon stating my name and address one call answerer actually said "And can you confirm that your email address is" and read out my email address. I mentioned that they should ask me to state my email address and compare it to their record, not read it out to whoever called and I was told that they had to do it that way to comply with data protection laws.

So now I just say "yes" and continue.

But feel irked if that is a word!

Dryginger Thu 01-Jul-21 17:20:48

When I got divorced I went back to my maiden name now remarried I am Mrs ...
I did want to have a double barrelled name so I could keep my maiden name but new DH didnt want me too. I dont like Ms or Mizz or bein g called Guy as in hey Guys Im not a guy Im a female.angry

ElderlyPerson Thu 01-Jul-21 17:23:44

tictacnana

My married daughter incorporated her maiden name into her married name so is double barrelled. She is a doctor so doesn’t need the Mrs. Miss Ms thing as it annoys her that women need to announce their marital status. My other daughter uses my mum’s maiden name as her profession name as a book illustrator.

Yet there seems to be a convention that a woman who is a doctor, either medical or Ph.D., is always referred to in print and on signs as Dr onegivenname surname whereas males medical or Ph,D. are listed as Dr. n-initials surname.

I know that this is done at my GPs on the list of doctors.

AGAA4 Thu 01-Jul-21 17:38:08

The female doctor in my practice years ago was referred to as Doctor (Mrs) B........!

Cymres1 Thu 01-Jul-21 18:26:01

I was very pleased to take on a new name at remarriage, my first husband's name was the same as my maiden name so it was finally ditched. There's an old saying about change the name and not the letter, change for worse and not for better. That was clearly the case with 5 times the same ** letter. Well rid!!
As for using Mrs, I'm happy to do that too. Marriage is blooming hard work at times, "Mrs" is my badge of office for survival without a jail term and not clocking him one....

grannyrebel7 Thu 01-Jul-21 18:35:30

Ali08 so glad you raised this it bugs the hell out of me too smile

Copes283 Fri 02-Jul-21 21:04:51

A male colleague (computer technician btw although this has no bearing on this post!) always commented that "Ms" stood for "miserable" ... I'll just leave this here!

Alegrias1 Fri 02-Jul-21 21:06:34

Copes283

A male colleague (computer technician btw although this has no bearing on this post!) always commented that "Ms" stood for "miserable" ... I'll just leave this here!

He sounds nice.

Savvy Fri 02-Jul-21 21:15:26

I've always used Ms, mainly because its nobody's business if I'm single, married or divorced and its always irked me that as far as I'm concerned, Mrs denotes that you are the property of a man.

I've never been anyones property, so its Ms all the way for me.

Galaxy Fri 02-Jul-21 21:17:42

He sounds like hes never had a relationship grin

NannanTo4 Sat 03-Jul-21 07:49:26

I use husband no2 and current husband’s surnames double barrelled. No2 is father to my 3 girls and even though 2 of them are married now it’s our historical connection. My youngest especially finds it comforting. Current husband did consider taking on my previous surname.

It is simply all down to personal choice.

nexus63 Sat 03-Jul-21 23:24:36

i recently had to call a company who sent me a letter addressing me as miss, i may be widowed but i still prefer mrs, the girl who answered the phone asked me if it made any difference. i was also asked a few years ago why i still use my late husbands name....it is simple, that is my name and i have never remarried so why would i change it.

Beswitched Sat 10-Jul-21 09:35:00

Calendargirl

I was quite proud to take my husband’s surname when we married. It helps that his is a more ‘common’ name than my maiden name was, I was always having to spell it out.

I preferred being ‘Mrs Calendargirl’ than ‘Miss Calendargirl’ also.

Back then you had more status when married, or so it seemed.

Which is probably one of the reasons women don't like being referred to as Miss in middle age. An unmarried friend says it makes her feel like a prim governess or the tragic friend left on the shelf in a Jane Austen novel. Neither of which describe her in the least.

Also, as so many women now work, own their own businesses, look after their own financial affairs etc it is appropriate to have one formal title for addressing women in all official or professional correspondence. Or should clients, bank managers, business acquaintances etc have to run around trying to find out women's marital status before sending them a letter or email?

lemsip Sat 10-Jul-21 10:21:43

just to drop in that 'Mrs' short for Mistress , Ms for Miss or Mistress just as
Mr is short for Mister or Master if a child.
I reverted to maiden name many tears ago and sometimes I am Mrs and sometimes Ms. Most times on mail I am first and last name only.

Smurf52 Fri 06-Aug-21 16:11:21

I suppose when the media first cottoned on there was a romance ongoing, Kate and Meghan were known by their maiden names and with ongoing publicity it kinda stuck. I remember everyone still referring to Diana, Princess of Wales when she was alive as Lady Di even when she was married.

PaperMonster Fri 06-Aug-21 19:54:03

The term Ms was first used in the US direct marketing industry at the beginning of the last century because it was easier to use that than try and find out if the women they were writing to were Mrs or Miss. It was then later adopted by women’s libbers.

I was married and took his surname and was known as Mrs but it really never felt comfortable with it, it wasn’t my name and I reverted to Miss and my birth name as soon as we split.

For my second marriage I didn’t change my name. He changed his.

I’m using Ms more and more now, mostly because I have a young daughter and it feels right to use that as I want her to be aware that the choice is there. Bloomin DVLC still insist on calling me Mrs though, which annoys me.