So what's in a (maiden) name?

Anthea Turner may have tried to change her man and failed, but there's one thing she won't have to change if and when she and estranged husband Peter Powell finally hit the divorce courts. Her name.

Think of a famous female who's hitched and you could reel out a phone book of names. But have you any idea what their married surnames are?

Nicole Kidman, Melanie Griffiths, Lisa Kudrow, Dawn French, Dame Judi Dench, Sinead Cusack - would they be the same if they were Nicole Cruise, Melanie Banderas, Lisa Stern, Dawn Henry or Sinead Irons?

More and more women are hanging on to their maiden names these days and the famous rarely change their surnames once they're wed. If Liz Taylor or Joan Collins had done so, we would never have been able to keep up with who they were. There are, admittedly, a few famous names which have changed. Yasmin Le Bon was Yasmin Parvanez, Pamela Anderson became Pamela Anderson Lee and Tina Turner kept the name but ditched the man. But will Emma Noble become Emma Major, or Victoria Adams convert to Victoria Beckham? In private, maybe, but you can bet it won't happen in public.

These women have fought so hard for the fame, they don't want to diappear into obscurity by changing the famous name.

A recent survey has shown that as many as one in ten who marry in their twenties will not take their husband's name. And the figure looks set to rise.

That compares with just three in 100 women over 60 who kept their maiden names after they wed.

Maxine Orton, of Oxford solicitors Cole and Cole, said the general trend for women solicitors in the firm was to keep their maiden names after marriage. "They're known by their maiden names and it seems much easier to keep them for their professional careers. In our experience, most don't change their names, but some traditionalists do.

"As far as the support staff go, some have changed their name, although the most popular option these days is to add their new husband's surname on to their own, given them a double-barreled name."

Sarah Morris is PA to one of the partners at accountancy firm Grant Thornton, based in Botley.

She opted to keep her maiden name after her marriage to husband Paul Spokes in July.

She said: "It was a conscious decision. I like my name. I've lived with the name Sarah Morris for 26 years and I'm happy with that. I also didn't like the name Spokes as much.

"My husband was mortified at first but he's come round to the idea. I did drop hints about him changing his name to Morris, but without success." Sarah - who comes from Abingdon but now lives with her surveyor husband in Reading and commutes to Oxford every day - doesn't have many married friends but knows her single friends feel the same way as she does. "One of my friends has just been promoted at work and is, literally, making a name for herself. She said she wouldn't want to change her name either."

Sarah's parents were delighted she chose to keep the name Morris, as they don't have any sons to carry it on.

"My husband's mum was a bit hurt because she had changed her name to Spokes but I'm known for being a bit headstrong," added Sarah.

Even though she's a thoroughly modern Ms, Sarah did admit she might have to change her name outside work if she and Paul had children.

"I might have to bite the bullet then. It might be confusing if mum and dad have different names. But for now I'm happy to be married - I wear a wedding ring - and I'm happy to be Sarah Morris.

"If the time does come for a name change, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

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