What's in a Name?

Blending our monikers into one new name was an expression of how we want our marriage to be.

BY: Elizabeth Rusch

Have regard for your name, since it will remain for you longer than a great store of gold.
--Ecclesiastes

Four years ago, I, Elizabeth Schulz, took Craig Russman to be my lawfully wedded husband. Shortly after the service, a friend introduced us by our new name, Craig and Elizabeth Rusch.

The union of two equals, that's how Craig and I saw our marriage. We were a Catholic and a Jew, finding common ground in our new faith, Unitarianism. We believed that a new last name, a blend of our given names, would be an apt expression of our vision for our new life together.

Embracing a new name meant parting with the identity that last names confer. What did our original names say about us? My maiden name Schulz is Polish, but is often mistaken for German. People assume I'm either Christian or Jewish since Schulz is a common name in both traditions.

My husband's more unusual name, Russman, speaks volumes. It tells of the Russianmen, the Jews who fled Eastern Europe to escape pogroms. The name also marks my husband as one of the Chosen People, a living example of survival of a great tribe through eras of senseless slaughter. This is a heritage we would not abandon lightly.

We considered using just Craig's name, but felt it didn't reflect our vision of an equal marriage. We also considered hyphenating Russman-Schulz or Schulz-Russman, but found those names long and awkward--heavy baggage to ask our children to carry.

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