The Great Grey’s Anatomy Mystery: Ellis Grey’s Surname
Perhaps, it made more sense for the plot too.
There aren't any characters on Grey's Anatomy that you would want to hold up as moral examples. If they were all good people, there would be little drama for us to indulge in. However, some of the characters are significantly worse than others, and the fandom is as captivated by them as they are disgusted by their means.
Ellis Grey is certainly one of those characters. Throughout the seasons, the audience gets to know her better by learning more details about her past, as well as Meredith's upbringing. From cheating on her husband to completely neglecting her child, Ellis has always been a perfect example of a narcissist.
This fact made it even harder for fans to believe that she'd be willing to keep her ex-husband's last name after their divorce.
Already deeply in love with Richard and clearly ready to put her past behind her, Ellis divorced her then-husband Thatcher, but kept his last name, Grey, which was also given to their daughter and found its way into the show's title. Although Meredith would always be Grey simply because it was the surname of both her parents at the time of her birth, Ellis didn't have to keep it.
While some fans think the woman simply didn't see the need to go through all the legal hassle of changing her name since she was very busy with her career, others think the career itself was the biggest reason she kept the last name. By the time her divorce from Thatcher was finalized, she was already an established and famous specialist.
Even though she could change her name and people would still be just as likely to get used to it, Ellis wasn't the type of person to risk even an ounce of the attention and recognition she had. Taking her ex-husband's last name must have hurt her ego at first, but all the benefits of the decision were worth the initial discomfort.
If you want to see what other details of the Grey family's past will be revealed in the future, be sure to tune in to Grey's Anatomy season 20 on ABC. Keep an eye out for important production news and the premiere announcement.