Kate Winslet: ‘I was never going to change my name to Rocknroll’

In yesterday’s surprisingly controversial Kate Winslet post, I had an aside at the end about what name Mother Winslet should give the baby she’s expecting with her husband Ned RockNRoll. Some of you liked my suggestion of “Eylove RockNRoll” and some of you had fun with some other suggestions (I liked “Itsonly RockNRoll” too). But seriously, Ned really did legally change his name to RockNRoll. So is this baby seriously going to have the name “RockNRoll”? Unknown. But Kate did give a new interview where she discussed her own name situation:

Actress Kate Winslet will not take on her new husband’s surname of Rocknroll, as she admits she wants to carry on her own family name.

Winslet, who appeared at the Toronto Film Festival this week to publicise Labor Day, married Richard Branson’s nephew Ned Rocknroll in December last year and is now expecting her third child.

Winslet, who has previously been married to Jim Threapleton and Sam Mendes, told the Telegraph: “I was never going to change my name to Rocknroll. I’ve never changed my name to anything so I didn’t see a reason to start now. I quite like Kate Winslet; in fact I think it’s very flashy. I’m proud of my name because I’m one of three girls and we have one boy in our family so essentially the only person who is going to carry the name along is my brother and he doesn’t have any children at the moment.”

Speaking of her varied film roles, and her own experience with relationships, she said: “Of course I still believe in love. It’s up there with great food and the love for one’s child. My parents have been very happily married for well over 40 years now so to have grown up with that level of togetherness in the home was definitely something that was important to me and I’m sure I still carry that.”

She added she now feels “really happy” in life, adding that “things are wonderful”.

Winslet is currently playing a reclusive single mother, abandoned by her husband because she could not have any more children, in film Labor Day.

Earlier this year, a study found women were increasingly choosing to keep their own names after marriage, with a third of those in their twenties using their maiden name. The survey, carried out using Facebook, found 62 per cent of married women in their twenties took on their spouse’s surname, compared with 74 per cent in their thirties and 88 per cent in their sixties.

Rachel Thwaites, of the University of York, said there remained “cultural and social pressure” on women to change their name, adding: “Women who resist this pressure are often doing so as a feminist decision or a move for equality in their relationship.”

It is a tradition followed by many women in the public eye, including Zara Philips who uses her maiden name when she competes in equestrian events.

[From The Telegraph]

I don’t have any strong feelings about marital name-changes in general. No, that’s not true – I’m not crazy about hyphenators, especially when the hyphenated name is super-long or pretentious sounding. Like, I didn’t care for Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. She should have either become Carolyn Kennedy or stayed Carolyn Bessette. I’m not in any kind of rush to get married, but if I did, I would keep my maiden name. I just don’t want to get a new driver’s license AND I don’t think my first name sounds good with any other last name (both are very Indian-sounding).

As for Kate, I don’t think “Winslet” is flashy, but I do think her name suits her and it just sounds very English-y to my ears. She would not be the same at all if she was Kate RockNRoll. Seriously, what are they going to name this baby?!

Here are some photos of Kate RockNRoll at TIFF last week. I never got around to publishing them, sorry about that. Her dress is Jenny Packham.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

38 Responses to “Kate Winslet: ‘I was never going to change my name to Rocknroll’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Sixer says:

    I just think it’s easier all-round if one family unit shares a single surname. But that’s probably just the traditionalist in me speaking.

    There is a British heptathlete called Katarina Johnson-Thompson. No idea if the surname is one of these newfangled Mum-and-Dad manufactures – and I like her very much and she can go by whatever she pleases – but I admit the name makes me snort every time I hear it. And it’s definitely no good for sprint commentators.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      I agree about it being easier, and I also think it’s nice for everyone to have the same name. I especially think its nice when I’m addressing Christmas cards or invitations. That’s the only time I get really judgy and annoyed by the hyphens and the two names. Muttering under my breath, “pretentious,” etc. Other than that, whatever makes you happy.

    • Stef Leppard says:

      I never planned to change my name but then after I was married I felt pressure from family members to change it and so I did. I immediately regretted it, of course, and wish I had stuck to my guns because it would be really awkward to change it back now.

      • themummy says:

        Me, too! This exactly. I kept my maiden name the first time I was married and was so happy with that decision. This time i changed it so we’d all have the same last name (I have stepkids now) and because we’d been together over 10 years. I feel like an alien without my own name, though. I’d change it back, but it’s too much trouble to deal with the DMV, etc.

      • Allie says:

        I never changed my name when I got married. I considered it carefully because my husbands family is extremely traditional but I felt uncomfortable with the idea. My husbands family wasn’t too happy about this but my husband supported me so I didn’t back down.

        I have both my parents last names (no hyphen and my dads last name is my “real” last name). It never caused any problems growing up. I hated how unique my name was when I was younger but now I love it.

    • TheOriginalWaffle says:

      The Brits have a VERY long tradition of double-barreled surnames. It’s meant to preserve the prestige of the maternal line (if the money or social status in the marriage partly or wholly comes from the wife).

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        It’s cute when you do it. I mean it seems legitimate. I think we’re talking about two yuppies who hyphenate to sound sophisticated, or give the impression that they’re from wealthier or more socially prominent families than they really are. I realize that’s not the motive for a lot of hyphenators, but I know a few like that.

      • Sixer says:

        I am British! I promise you that the current trend for first generation double-barrelled surnames among your average working/middle class people is new.

        I’d say it’s to do with the fact that more couples are choosing to cohabit rather than marry.

        Don’t confuse a few posh people with the majority!

    • Ange says:

      My mother went back to her maiden name after she and my father divorced, it never caused any problems. I certainly never forgot she was my mum and nobody who knew us did either. I’m getting married shortly and despite protests from my fiancé I’ll also be keeping my name. It’s who I am!

  2. blue marie says:

    Whether she were to change her name or not, I’d still refer to her as Winslet. RockNRoll is not a last name, it’s a joke.

  3. The Wizz says:

    Those boobs are rockin

  4. Tulip says:

    Very very few women in Italy change their maiden name when they get married. I’ve never known one woman who did it, and I didn’t change mine, either.

    I love Kate. I think she’s too impulsive when getting into a relationship, she strikes me as one of those women for whom it’s always “the love of my life”, but I love her anyway, and she’s still one of my favourite actresses.

    About the Rocknroll thing… well… whatever makes him happy, I must admit it doesn’t hurt anyone so it’s in his own right. But still it sounds so much like a joke.

    • Jill says:

      I live in the US and changed my name, but I agree with everything you wrote.

      Do her other children have her last name hyphenated with their fathers? Is that how she’s carrying on Winslet?

      • Tulip says:

        Hi Jill!
        As far as her imdb bio goes, her kids’ names are Mia Honey Threapleton and Joe Alfie Winslet-Mendes… I don’t know why she hyphenated only one of their surnames.
        She has two sisters (an older one and a younger one) but she also has one brother, Joss Winslet, who still doesn’t have children of his own, so maybe that’s why she hyphenated her son’s name and not her daughter’s?

    • mouse says:

      Not sure that’s entirely true. I have family in Italy and all the married women have assumed their husbands last names (I can count at least 8 from different regions)

    • Shoe_Lover says:

      Just a tidbit re the Italian thing- My Mum is half Italian and when she applied for her Italian passport (not having to use the Australian one in Europe is so convenient, it makes getting through customs so easy) she had to use her maiden name on the passport even though she legally took my Dad’s name.
      Ally my Italian Aunts took their husbands names as well but their passports had to be in their maiden name

  5. Merritt says:

    Women should decide for themselves if they are going to change their last name. I wouldn’t change mine. And if I have kids, I would want them to have my last name or a hyphenated version.

  6. L says:

    So many countries/cultures have different traditions when changing ones last name. I don’t think any of them have issues with having different surnames than their parents. In fact, does anyone? Mom is Mom. Dad is Dad.

    In Quebec you legally not allowed to change your name when you get married. Your passport/drivers license et all have to have your maiden name. French women can’t either but will go by their husbands name socially.

    Certain south american countries and in Spain the name tradition is where the kids take mom and dad’s surname and it doesn’t change upon marriage So Penélope Cruz Sánchez and Javier Encinas Bardem have kids with the last name Encinas Cruz. Which don’t match either parent.

    • chloe says:

      L I was getting ready to point out Javier and Penelope’s last name of their children. I find it interesting how other countries do the whole last name thing with marriage and children. I had neighbors from Greece and the last names of their children were both different, I guess it’s different depending on the sex of the child (I’m sorry if I’m wrong, it’s been years since I’ve seen them.) As for me I took my husbands last name, but I still use mine for reservations because his is hard to spell. I really hope Kate doesn’t give her baby the last name of RockNRolla.

  7. The Original Original says:

    Lately I keep seeing pictures of her where she doesnt look like herself. Pregnancy maybe?

  8. TG says:

    I think it is funny that it looks like she is going to give her kid her last name and she is already trying to justify it. There is nothing wrong with giving your child your last name but when your husband has a joke of a last name it is funny that even she knows it is stupid. Don’t her other children have their father’s last name? I didn’t changed last name either. I have an English sounding last name and love it, but my daughter has her dad’s last name.

    • themummy says:

      She doesn’t have to justify it to anyone and I don’t think she is. Just look at the names of her other kids. She simply talked about it when asked.

  9. Ag says:

    I’m hyphenated, so, there. 🙂

    But I hope that poor baby’s last name is Winslet. I mean, RockNRoll is seriously horrific.

  10. lucy2 says:

    I would hope they don’t give the baby Rocknroll as a name – if Ned as an adult wants to be called that, whatever, but don’t saddle a kid with that.
    As for changing names with marriage – do what you want and what makes you happy.
    I like the name Winslet, I think it’s pretty and suits her.

  11. pzc says:

    When my parents got married, my dad took my mum’s name because his is a swear word in my home country. They’re no longer together. My dad then went on to have kids with a Swedish woman. She didn’t like her name (very common) and he didn’t want to give the kids his last name (which he had changed back to the swear word), so they came up with new last names for the kids.

    I’d love to give my future kids my last name only, but I realise I will probably have to compromise by double-barreling. I have no intention of ever changing my name though!

  12. Nami says:

    Well, It is a must to change your last name after marriage except for a few influential people in this part of Africa *RME*. I would love to keep my maiden name though cos the thought of having to change my lastname, licence, pasport and all the stress that will be associated with the changing process will not even allow me marry early ;).

  13. Nami says:

    But really, He changed his name to RockNRoll?????????? Like really??????? RocknRoll??????????

    This just feels like a cast of hangover coming to live. Don’t even no which is better btw him gettin a boob implant or the name.

    But then its his Life and his choice.

    But Really, RocknRoll??????????????????

  14. Lucy says:

    I love Kate! And am I the only one who doesn’t mind his last name at all? Like, it amuses me, but I don’t find it super offensive or anything.

  15. themummy says:

    “Here are some photos of Kate RockNRoll at TIFF last week.”

    Why do this? The whole article was focusing on how she DIDN’T choose to and DIDN’T want to change her name. That’s just rude.

  16. notthatjanetheotherjane says:

    I hated my maiden name; it was long, ugly sounding and difficult to spell. When I married, I gladly took my husband’s last name; short and sweet. Haven’t regretted it for one minute. It has to be a personal choice to change one’s last name. Kate Winslet is in a ‘name recognition’ business, too. How many actresses changed their names, only to have to change back when they divorced? What name they’ll give that kid is another question altogether.

  17. Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

    Now that I’m actually thinking about it, I see that I don’t personally know one woman who has kept her maiden name after getting married–funny, I never noticed that before. As always, do as you please since I’m too busy thinking about me to worry about your name change or non-change. But if I ever get married, you will have to tear the pumping heart out of my living body to change my name. It didn’t occur to me to care when my sister changed her name, but for me it would definitely be a case of ‘I have a name, who told you to kill it, you butt?’ As for confusion, I don’t build my life to accommodate the easily perplexed, so if Maggie Malone could go maiden in the ’80s, I could do it in the hypothetical future.

    I’m not facetious, I’m actually going to watch Divorce Court now. Also, shut up.

  18. terrah. says:

    i think she looks superbly,lushly fecund in the last picture. wouldn’t ned winslet make more sense in a mature, progressive society? he can’t really be happy with that moniker…..

  19. KM says:

    You know, I vividly remember an article in the British press when she first married Jim Threapleton, and said she was practising her new signature on all her bank cards. She definitely said she was changing her name in her personal life when she was first married.

  20. Jennifer12 says:

    Too bad her husband didn’t say the same thing.

  21. Becky1 says:

    I kept my maiden name. My husband and I don’t have kids but if we did I probably would change it to my husband’s so we would all have the same last name (his name is easier to spell and has a nicer sound than mine).

    I kept my maiden name for a few reasons. 1. Laziness (I didn’t want to go through the hassle of changing it) and 2. It just never felt right to me.

    It’s funny-I don’t know anyone else who has kept their own name…none of my friends, family or co-workers. Over the years people (not my husband-he was fine with it) have given me a hard time about it which I find really annoying. It’s not like we live in a conservative area either (I live right outside of Baltimore, MD which tends to be a more liberal place). I certainly don’t judge anyone for changing their name and wish people would respect my decision, too.