A Professional Name?

People change their names from time to time - not that frequently for guys anyway, unless you're the basketballer once known as Ron Artest, now known as Metta World Peace (psshh) or NFL wide receiver, Chad Ochocinco, who was once Chad Johnson (to be honest I actually like Ochocinco and actually thought that was his original surname).

By the way before I continue, I must warn you that this particular blog entry is going to be highly un-PC so don't say I didn't warn you that you'd be offended.

Of course, women change their names all the time, i.e. their surnames once they get married. Like most places, it is quite a Kiwi tradition for the married wife to take her husband's surname.

Which is perfectly fine of course in all circumstances. Just it's a bit of a pain if you're a professional athlete or musician and your name does actually have some financial value or provides recognition.

The one big gripe I've always had with netball is the sudden appearance of this player whose name I can't recognise only to realize that she just got married and had just changed her surname.

Let's look at some familiar Silver Ferns from the top of my head.

Anna Scarlett
Adine Harper
Anna Rowberry
Lesley Nicol
Liana Barrett-Chase
Julie Dawson
Irene van Dyk
Jodi Te Huna
Donna Loffhagen

I tried wikipedia searching them and well couldn't find them bar Irene van Dyk.. Turns out they're now...

Anna Scarlett is now Anna Harrison
Adine Harper - Adine Wilson (Jeff Wilson's wife as it turns out)
Anna Rowberry - Anna Stanley
Lesley Nicol - Lesley Rumball
Liana Barrett-Chase - Liana Leota (Manawatu centre Johnny Leota's wife)
Julie Dawson - Julie Seymour (Dallas Seymour's wife)
Jodi Te Huna - Jodi Brown
Donna Loffhagen - Donna Wilkins

Now I have absolutely nothing against them getting married - and I should offer my congratulations to Anna Harrison who just got married during the 2012 ANZ Championship by the way. But when their name kinda matters in their career, should they still be known as their name before their marriage?

I'm thinking of Kiwi singer, Brooke Fraser, the daughter of former All Black, Bernie. Brooke is actually now legally known as Brooke Ligertwood - and she is known by her married name when she record songs for Hillsong Church in Australia. However, Brooke still uses her maiden name for her own labels simply because she was Brooke Fraser at the start of her music career - and it just would be troublesome I think too to have to stop and rebuild your music career over your name change. Plus in my opinion, having the option of using her married name enables her to maintain some anonymity too.

Then there's Bernice Mene who is married to former NZ cricketer, Dion Nash. She's still very much known as Bernice Mene as she was in her netballing career - although I'm not entirely sure she's changed her surname to Nash (legally she probably is a Nash). At least there is some consistency and familiarity there.

Should netballers still be known by the names they started their careers with even when they get married? In my opinion, they should be for the commentators' and sponsors' sake whilst maintaining their correct legal name, i.e. using their alias on the court - professional name just like Hollywood actors, e.g. Angelina Jolie who is legally Angelina Voight, Charlie Sheen who was legally Carlos Estevez.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed to change their names until they hang up their bib - in fact, they should do whatever they want. I'm just suggesting the idea of using a professional name in netball alongside the usual legal names.

That's just my opinion really.