name change

[Erica Greene]

Ok, maybe someone has advice for this dilemma?  What do you do when you 
aren't totally against changing your name to your future husband's, BUT 
YOU HATE HIS LAST NAME!!!  In principle, I don't see anything wrong with 
taking one's husband's name, especially in my case as my career path is 
still in diapers.  However, my SO has this really horrible last name.  
Its long enough that hyphenating or the 4 name thing would be pretty 
ridiculous.  One might suggest that he take my last name , right?  Well, 
he has a few serious publications in his name, and while he may be 
liberal, he is a conformist and that is not done too often here.  The 
other option is to take a new name together, but each of us is okay with 
our own name, plus this is not good for his publications.
The clincher is that while he is an only son, he hasn't spoken to his 
father in years, so there's not too much sentiment in anything connected 
to Dad.
I kind of like the idea of you keep yours, I'll keep mine, at least for 
work, and let the doctor call me want he wants to.  But, then what do we 
call the kids?  My SO's last name is one of those names that kids get 
teased for. 
Too complicated.  I think I'll just stay single.
Any ideas?

Erica Greene
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Beersheva, Israel

PS.  Here, my first name is considered kind of weird (not Israeli, from a 
different generation, and Ford has a European car named Erica), while my 
SO has a perfectly normal Israeli name.  When we visit the States, the 
tables turn.  You can't win.