It really irks me!

LauraNorder,
Famous people, like celebrities, who were well known before they were married often kept/keep their maiden names in their jobs. Altho not all do!
But they'd use their married names in their private lives, so they'll still be known as, for example, Miss. Kelly. Preston (actress) would be Mrs. Travolta away from the screen!

Where I come from you have your married name and your own name. "Maidens " rarely come into it.

Ms has never meant divorced, despite what people will tell you. It meant you didn't want to be addressed as either Mrs or Miss.

Whether I'm married or not is usually none of their business.

I've kept my maiden name.
I like it, and dislike MrC's.
If it were the other way around, I would have changed it.
Shallow, I know!

My sister and my daughters all kept their fathers surname on marriage, it never occurred to me to keep my fathers name

Ali nowadays Ms just signifies that you are a woman.
It says nothing of your marital status, just like Mr.

A lot of people keep their maiden names these days, especially in a professional capacity. It gives some anonymity and privacy away from work and if you have built up a reputation in your maiden name why would you want to change it?

Ms. is the shortened version of Mizz which notifies the woman is divorced!
Or, at least it did originally!!
So many things have been changed to suit new generations.

FannyCornforth,
No! I had already changed that name by deed poll several years before I was married, so I was happy to take on my husband's name.
But I was brought up to regard people by their correct names (friends could, of course, be known by shortened names or nicknames) and titles, and to make sure I spelled them correctly, too!

Ali08

Izabella,
Ms. refers to a woman who has been divorced, which it sounds like you may have, so that would be in fitting with you!
Unless you're currently married, in which case you'd legally be a Mrs. again.

No it doesn't.

I kept my maiden name, I certainly wouldnt have wanted it to be double barrelled

The RF really couldn't do that double barrel thing.
It's just like a stage name, particularly in Meghan's case. I doubt if she uses her married name in professional circumstances.

Izabella,
Ms. refers to a woman who has been divorced, which it sounds like you may have, so that would be in fitting with you!
Unless you're currently married, in which case you'd legally be a Mrs. again.

Lazy media I suspect.
I posted recently mentioning that I always used my maiden name during my professional life. It occurred to me that the term maiden name seems outdated in the modern world.

Hello Ali
I'm interested in why it irks you so.
Your first sentence is telling.
Do you resent losing your maiden name?

I understand people wanting to keep their birth names, but why not make it double-barrelled like 'Middleton-Mountbatten'?
I really do not think that is the case but you may well be right!

I am proud of my Huguenot birth name and will keep it for life. A wise decision in retrospect as it would have been changed 3 times now!!

And I am Ms.

Maybe that’s how the individuals wish to be addressed and have made it known to the media.
It’s a personal thing and if a person wants to keep their birth name then that’s fine by me.