Alex Best & Julia Carling

[smurfchops]

Why do the oh-so-ordinary Alex Best and Julia Carling (among others) still use their ex-hushands' surnames?  I wonder ...

[libertie]

Erm, not 100% sure about this judiewudie, but I suspect that its to stop people from asking........sorry, you are Alex / Julia who??!!

[xHeatherx]

Ive always wondered this! In the case of Julia - I think her maiden name was something like Smith - so people really would say 'Julia? Smith?? who???' - she needs that surname as there's not much else people would remember her for!

[spudqueen]

It's a bit like when Mrs Merton asked Debbie McGee 'what first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels?' lol

[mystress]

Basically because they(and any ex married woman) can.You don't have to automatically revert to a maiden name.Although I agree in the case of these "celebrities"they would be "nonentities" without their husbands name!

BTW Girls,did you know that your husband can take YOUR name when you get married,I wonder how many Women do though?

[Dark Angel]

Second what Mystress said - a divorced woman can opt to keep  her married name if she wants to, or revert to her maiden name, whichever she pleases. For instance, Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles only changed her name after she married Charles, and everyone knew she was Charles'' mistress for years.

Tina Turner kept her name, after she divorced Ike Turner. The list goes on..

[libertie]

Despite what I said in my earlier post I also kept my married name after I got divorced and I agree that most people do. I think though that judiewudie was simply making the point that people like the above z list celebs only continue to use their ex-husbands names to help promote themselves!!

[littleoldme]

All I have to say in reading this question and some of the answers is - MEEEEOOOWWW!! :-) Lest we forget, both these women have come out of marriages to philanderers (one of them a drunk) which can't have been easy. If they can make something out of that by keeping the names of their unfaithful ex-husbands, good luck to them, I say.

Besides, if as libertie says most people keep their married names after divorce, why should it be any different for women who just happen to have been married to someone famous?

[smurfchops]

Bus hasn't Julia Carling re-married? I think she has two children now.

[jno]

it's tiresome to change your name. Many, perhaps most, women do it once when they marry (pretty well all of them used to); but once you've become widely known as Julia Carling, whether it's through your own efforts or your husband's, you may not see the point of reverting to your maiden name, only to change it again if you remarry. Your name is just a means by which other people can identify you.

[jennymac]

Quite right Jno

[Lindy66]

I remember an interview with Will Carling who said that his ex wife (Julia) was still slagging him off left right and centred after being divorced for a long time, yet still kept his surname just for her "celeb status"

I think she has re-married but still keeps his name for her career.

Priscilla Presley - hasnt she been re-married twice ?

[secretspirit]

If God forbid my husband and I got divorced I would keep my surname. Partly because I would want the same surname as my daughter, partly because I'm used to the name and partly because I like being a Mrs and feel a bit old and responsible to be a Miss again!

[smurfchops]

But I think if a lot of these Z List celebrities changed their name when they re-married, to that of their new husband, the general public would say, as mentioned above, Priscilla who? or Julia who?  And in the case of Alex, what has she ever done? Made a film, had a hit single?  They slag their ex-husbands off, possibly with good reason, but keep their names to keep themselves in the limelight.  If she re-marries, what name will she take then? The 'Old School' like Liz Taylor and Zsa Zsa Gabor seem to have kept their maiden names for professional reasons, they don't need a famous husband to keep them famous! (Especially Liz Taylor).  There must be many more.  Let's see who can think of the most Z Listers who have kept ex-husbands' names!

[jennymac]

Miriam Stoppard, Cheryl Ladd, Demi Moore,Billie Jean King, all have kept their married name whether the husband is famous or not.