Meri Brown isn't ready to let go of her name.
The Sister Wives star, 54, admitted that more than two years after she and Kody Brown broke up for good, she doesn’t plan on changing her last name of 35 years just yet.
“I have had the conversation many times with my best friend and some other people too,” Meri shared on the Sept. 12 episode of the I Do, Part 2 podcast. “Right now, I’m not going to."
After emphasizing how long Brown has been her last name, as they tied the knot in 1990, she continued, "I only had my other name—my dad’s name—for 19 years."
Plus, she feels like reverting back to her maiden name of Meri Barber would be a mouthful.
“There’s a lot of R’s in it, and it’s really hard to say," she quipped. "Brown is a hell of a lot easier.”
And it doesn't seem like the decision is bound to change anytime soon.
“Me and one of my sisters, we joke about it all the time, because she’s also divorced,” she added. “We’re like, ‘Love you, dad. But we’re not going to go back to the maiden name.’”
She isn’t the only one of Kody’s exes to continue to by his last name as Janelle Brown, with whom he split in 2022, continues to go by her married name. For her part, Christine Brown, the first of Kody’s then-four wives to exit the relationship, added husband David Woolley’s last name to when they tied the knot in 2023.
In the years since the Brown family has splintered—dad of 18 Kody is now solely married to Robyn Brown—his former wives have experienced the ups and downs of dating life.
"I've dated a little bit and I have had experiences where I believe that some people are not interested simply because of my background," Meri—who had legally divorced Kody nine years before their breakup so he could marry Robyn—shared during a May 4 episode of the TLC series. "Because I come from a plural family, maybe they're nervous that that's what I want."
Due to her complicated past, she also emphasized the importance of trust and honesty in any future relationships.
"There's a lot of uncertainty, and I really need to be able to trust somebody and believe what he says," she continued. "I need to be able to trust that when a person tells me he loves me, he really does."
For more on the full Sister Wives family, keep reading.
Logan Taylor Brown
Born May 21, 1994, Logan is the oldest son of Kody Brown and Janelle Brown. He is also the eldest child of 18 in Kody's entire brood.
After graduating with a master's degree in business administration from the University of Nevada in 2020, he married Michelle Petty two years later.
Aspyn Kristin Thompson (née Brown)
Aspyn is the oldest child of Kody and Christine Brown. She was born on March 14, 1995.
Also a University of Nevada alum, Aspyn tied the knot with Mitch Thompson in 2018. She announced her pregnancy in April 2025.
Leon "Leo" Brown
Born on July 29, 1995, Leon is the only child of Kody and Meri Brown.
In 2020, Leon came out as transgender, sharing that they were previously "socialized as a girl."
"I was pretty young & unfortunately i grew up in a context that was incredibly gendered & restrictive," Leon—who also goes by "Leo"—wrote on Instagram. "and here’s the thing, i’m finally ready to share my favorite self with the world. and that self is incredibly genderqueer, trans, and unapologetic."
Leon married Audrey Kiss in 2020 at a Colorado courthouse wedding.
Mykelti Ann Padron (née Brown)
The second of Kody and Christine's children, Mykelti was born on June 9, 1996.
She married Antonio "Tony" Padron in 2016 in a wedding ceremony documented on Sister Wives. The couple are parents to daughter Avalon and twin sons Archer and Ace.
Madison Rose Brush (née Brown)
Janelle gave birth to Madison—her second child with Kody—on Nov. 3, 1995.
After studying at Utah State University, Madison married Caleb Brush in 2016. The pair share kids Axel, Evangalynn and Josephine.
Hunter Elias Brown
Janelle and Kody welcomed Hunter—their third child together—on Feb. 9, 1997.
Hunter graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2020, before studying nursing at Johns Hopkins University.
Paedon Rex Brown
Christine gave birth to her and Kody's third child together on Aug. 7, 1998.
Robert Garrison Brown
Born Oct. 31, 1998, Garrison was Kody and Janelle's third youngest child together. He died by suicide on March 5, 2024 at age 25.
David "Dayton" Preston Brown
Dayton is the oldest child of Kody's fourth wife Robyn Brown from her past marriage with Preston Jessop. He was adopted into the family in 2015, five years after Robyn spiritually married Kody.
In 2014, Kody legally divorced his first wife Meri so he could marry Robyn and officially adopt Dayton as his son.
Gabriel Winn Brown
Nicknamed Gabe, the fifth child of Kody and Janelle was born on Oct. 11, 2001.
Gwendlyn Genielle Queiroz (née Brown)
Kody and Christine welcomed their fourth child on Oct. 15, 2001.
Gwendlyn tied the knot with Beatriz Queiroz in 2023.
Aurora Alice Brown
Aurora is the second oldest child of Robyn. She was legally adopted by Kody in 2015 after he married Robyn the prior year.
Ysabel Paige Brown
Kody and Christine welcomed their fifth child together on June 13, 2003.
Her struggles with scoliosis have been documented on Sister Wives.
Breanna Rose Brown
Breanna is Robyn's third child from her marriage to Preston. After Robyn married Kody, Breanna and her older siblings were legally adopted into the family.
Savanah Brown
Kody and Janelle welcomed their youngest child together on Dec. 7, 2004. The exes reunited for Savanah's high school graduation in 2023.
Truely Grace Brown
Born on April 13, 2010, Truely is the youngest child of Kody and Christine.
Solomon Kody Brown
Kody and Robyn welcomed their second youngest son on Oct. 27, 2011.
Ariella Mae Brown
Born on Jan. 10, 2016, Ariella is the youngest daughter of Kody and Robyn. She is also the youngest child of 18 in the entire Brown family.