Mrs, Miss or Ms

Decided to try Ms in the 80s. First class, first day of school year, I wrote my name on the board. Chorus of 'You've left the r out of Mrs, Miss!'

Now usually use Ms or nothing but somehow have Mrs on a bank card and rarely bother to correct anyone's use of Mrs. Occasionally feel it gives me a sense of security when booking taxis, getting building estimates for work etc.

Is Miss gradually dying out? DD kept her surname on marriage, children are double barrelled though older ones sometimes use a shortened version. What happens when a couple, both double barrelled marry I wonder! Quadruple barrelled offspring?!

Relative whose husband was teased about his surname throughout school and even, occasionally now, has had work colleagues altering hers to the 'amusing' version. She has recently changed by deed poll back to her maiden name and so, most willingly, has her husband! He would have changed his name earlier but didn't want to upset relatives who have now died. They also changed the names of their small children so that they won't get the jibes at school. Everyone is happy, especially maternal grandparents. Messes up my family tree a bit but what the heck!

The Germans used to be very over the top, with their "verehrte, gnaedige Frau", but that seems to have disappeared now. I wonder if it's still used in Austria and Switzerland, as I remember those countries being even more formal in the 70s. One Austrian driver used to bring his little girl with him occasionally to the shipping company where I worked and she would make the rounds of all the workers, curtseying to each. It was adorable!

I prefer Mrs, but as long as people are polite, it doesn't matter to me really. Someone addressed me as Miss recently, and I found myself correcting them, Dick Emery style!

We once stayed in a lovely old fashioned hotel where the staff referred to us as sir and dear. Loved it!

Female equivalent to Sir for the male staff

As in the brothel type or French?

At the school my darling daughter taught at, female staff were addressed as Madam!

I know several couples who have retained both surnames, often with the wife's surname appearing last, so that John Smith and Mary Brown would appear as Mr and Mrs Smith Brown. This seems to be a growing trend. I have a contact on Facebook, a divorcee twice over, whose username includes all three of her surnames, so that anyone searching for her would be able to find her whichever surname they use.

Mrs but 25 years in Secondary teaching of being addressed as "Mi-iss!"
Some would ask "Are you Mrs, miss?"
Doesn't matter does it?
One DD Has taken her husband's name, another hasn't (although I do address joint communications to them as Mr and Mrs X ) and the third intends to keep her maiden name when she marries later this year as it is also how she is known professionally. What she does on her passport etc. who knows?

I know someone whose DS has just adopted his new wife's surname.
Does that make him a radical feminist or just right on?

I have had my married surname longer than my maiden name. I was only married for 3 years until we split but still use Mrs. When I had my son by another man (after I was divorced) I gave him my ex husband's surname, as his dad was not on the scene. I chose to keep Mrs to save any awkwardness for the children. Old fashioned I know but that is me.

If I am addressed politely I do not really mind.

First and second name whenever I can get away with that. One bank card is mrs another ms, when completing on line forms I usually use ms but actually I'm not too bothered how I'm addressed. I'll answer to anything as long as it's polite.

I'm not really that bothered, and yet I still use Mrs even though I am both divorced and widowed. Part of me wants to be Ms, but it's so awkward to pronounce... sounds like an angry bee.

At 21 I was so excited to take my DH's name, so I happily became Mrs, with no thought (never mind objection!) that I was using a form that implied I was surrendering my identity to my DH.
These days I usually just give my first and second names with no title, unless officialdom requires it.
I think if I was 21 today and about to get married I might opt to keep my maiden name (and what an outdated expression that is!) and use Ms where I was required to give a title.

I've been a Mrs for 47 years but I often get mail addressed to Ms which doesn't bother me one bit.

I couldn't wait to change my name when I married because I preferred it to my maiden name and it's what you did in those days anyway.

I agree that double barrelled names are unecessary. Something else that has travelled across the Atlantic although you do see quite a few on a school register when divorced or separated parents get a new partner.

I thought about the name change on marriage and changed as I didn't particularly like my surname.
I had a four letter first name and four letter surname on marriage.

All I did was change a four letter surname near the beginning of the alphabet to a four letter name near the end. I would have liked a surname with a few more syllables in. It rolls off the tongue better.

I don't care how anyone refers to me (as long as its polite!). I use Mrs because I have used it for over 40 years and am used to it. If someone introduces themselves to me as Ms then that's how I address them, if they want to refer to me as Ms then that's fine with me.

Me...Mrs. Why not ? I'm married but my name does nor define me. Although I did like my own surname better.

DD1 ...Divorced...use Ms. as she still wants to have the same surname as her son.

DD2...Single.. Miss. Says I'm not married, and not ashamed of the fact so what's the problem.

DD3..newly married...happy to be Mrs. says it doesn't make her any body but who she is.

All strong, feisty women who know who they are.

Silly little insecure radical feminist? What's that all about Marmark?

I wish I had never changed my name on marriage Grannyknot, so I admire your DD on that score. It does seem a very outdated practice.

PS I am NOT 'some silly little insecure radical feminist'. I am a feminist but don't see why I should be described as Mrs when I'm not. And I am certainly not insecure. Radical? What does that mean?

I've been a Mrs in the past but now tick the Ms box when required to describe myself. I wish I had returned to my maiden name whe X decamped but at the time the DSs were early teens and I thought it best to have the same surname as they had.

Funny, I also dislike the buzzy Mzzzzz. I very seldom use a title but when I do I'm a Missus.

My daughter caused a minor upset when she got married last year and announced she wasn't taking on her husband's surname because "I like mine more" and - "double-barrelled names because you've got married are ridiculous ".

Not fussed. Usually just use first two names. Dr is nice an unisex so sometimes that.

Mrs and I am proud to use it. I am who I am and one of the things I am is a wife and mother. I do not belong to DH but I am proud that he and I are a team and that is what my title implies.

I can't really get excited by this issue at all. I do live a very independent life as a woman anyway so how I am addressed does not really worry me.

I would violently object to being called Mrs OH Moser though that is demeaning and very outdated now.