For many years, I’ve known a decision like this one would likely arrive. 

All my life I had never just assumed I would be a Mrs Someone. I’d always cherished my name, and it felt strange to consider giving it up. But that time had always been in the far off future, until the day we left a jeweller in Sydney, having just put down a deposit for a custom-made engagement ring. I knew, then, that I’d have to seriously think about it.

But even on our wedding day, we’d still not made the decision.

In total, it took me nearly three years to make a decision (I swear I am usually far more decisive).

But in the end, I made a decision that scared me but also felt right. I am now Meg Fanning! 

Truthfully, it was tough to figure out what to do, and taking my husband’s name was not the default answer.

I advocate for equity, equality and women’s empowerment. I couldn’t simply default to “tradition” without challenging it. 

And we both challenged it.

We tossed around plenty of options: taking both our names (it doesn’t really flow nicely), him changing to my name, us creating a whole new surname. The only option we didn’t consider was keeping our names as is. The reason? We wanted unity. This was a personal value we both shared, and for us we had a driving motivation to have a single family name. 

In the end, we landed on his name for a handful of personal reasons. And we’re both so happy we’ve made this decision.

One of my biggest fears was about losing my ‘brand’. I had been building my career around my name, Meg Panozzo, for a while. Wouldn’t everyone forget about me? I asked this of a friend who also changed her name a few years ago. Her response was refreshing. “People remember you. You just have to give them a chance to.” I decided not to let that fear be an obstacle, and indeed, it’s surprisingly easy to chuck a (nee Panozzo) at the end of LinkedIn or email. People figure things out pretty quickly.

The thing that we have to remember is that what I value might be different to what you value, and that’s ok. I know people who have kept their names, I know people who have made up a new surname for their child, and I know people who have combined their names. The important thing is to follow our truth and to act in line with our values.

The reason I share my story with you is because it’s nice to get insight into someone’s thought process, in case it gives another perspective. Or, you might just be curious about why I’ve suddenly changed my name.

Until next time,

Meg Fanning (I’m still getting used to this)