Meghan Markle doesn’t want you to call her Meghan Markle anymore, and here’s the reason why

What’s in a name? As Shakespeare once said, a “rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” but names are a deeply personal thing that come, in some ways, to define us and how we relate with the world. They form a core part of our identity, our haecceity, a key part of the uniqueness we bring to the table. Meghan Markle, whose acting career is strewn with credits using her Markle name, no longer wants to use the name Markle — and for a rather sweet reason.

Speaking to her friend Mindy Kaling on her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, Meghan revealed that she no longer uses the Markle name in her day-to-day life. Instead, she uses “Sussex” — the surname bestowed upon her by the late Queen Elizabeth II, thanks to Harry’s “Duke of Sussex” title.

It’s so funny that you keep saying Meghan Markle. You know I’m Sussex now.

Many women change their names after marriage, a tradition going back centuries, although many more these days are deciding not to, whether for personal or professional reasons such as paperwork or professional credits in their maiden name. For the Royal Family, things are slightly different in that their names come from titles.

After becoming the Duke of Sussex, Harry’s name changed to Harry Sussex. This wasn’t the first time Harry’s surname has changed: He was Harry Wales long before he was Harry Sussex. The new title would see Meghan’s name change, too. It wasn’t until much later that the children’s names would change to match.

Before King Charles ascended to the throne and awarded his grandchildren with royal titles, the pair’s children were known by the Mountbatten-Windsor name after a decree from Elizabeth II that family without royal title should honor the union of the houses of Windsor and Mountbatten. For Meghan, the change was a special moment she would only come to value much later on.

You have kids, and you go: “No, I share my name with my children.” I didn’t know how meaningful it would be, but it just means so much to go: “This is our family name, our little family name.”

Meghan considers the Sussex title and name to be part of her family and love story with Harry, saying it “means a lot” to her. Their children won’t on a royal title to their own children, so in theory, the Sussex name will last only a single generation. Whether or not their grandchildren will receive the name “Sussex” or “Mountbatten-Windsor” (as per the late queen’s decree), who can say. Such a thing is many, many years away — and the Sussexes have already bucked royal traditions before and in a major way!

But for now, the family name of “Sussex” is important to Meghan because it’s more than just a name, it’s an integral part of her “love story” with Harry and of the bonds the family shares. This is one feeling many will share with the Duchess of Sussex, as many people value the connection a shared name can bring.