Taking a name in marriage

poinltess: The practice of the wife getting the name of her husband added to that is being followed in India for ages. Nowadays of course since passports are required for travel and changing names in passport involves work many women retain their names as it is. My daughter has name given by us followed by my name. Much depends on culture and value system imbibed in individuals -- Even in this 21st century in some families girl will not call her husband with his name. there are some families like that also. In advanced rich families they call them by the names or nick names.

I know three couples in which the woman kept her last name after she was married. The children of two of the couples were given their dad's last name. So everyone in that family but the mother has the dad's last name. The other couple I know who had children hyphenated their child's last name. So say her last name is Jones and his is Smith. The kid's last name was Carrie Jones-Smith. So the child shared both identities of the parents. If I were to get married and keep my last name, I would have no problem letting my children carry my husband's last name and not mine.

If I ever get married and the man I marry wants us to have the same family name, he'll have to take mine unless his is really rare. I see no reason to change mine, as I don't think it's the name that makes the relationship. Plus I like my name, and it's not very common. I've got my mothers family name, I could have changed to my fathers middle name (his mothers family name) just because it is very rare but I think it's a bit late now. Now my name is my :-) Haven't planned any children, but I think I'd give it my name. Also, I can't see why it's should be logical that it's the mans name that is chosen if a family wants to have the same name. Not sure why it should be an issue to have different names though, although too many hyphens (if you have two persons with two family names and they have a child, it could get a very long last name) can get confusing. We never really use the Mr and Mrs here, I've hardly ever used them in English either. I've avoided the problem by finishing my PhD, so I can use Dr instead of Mrs/Ms/Miss.

Though it has been common for the people I have known and or met that the wives take the husbands last name, I too would be one of those as well. Now as for the question about who gets what last name for the children, usually I have seen the children would get the Fathers last name. As far as how do you introduce the couple when they both opted to keep their own last names. Hmm, I guess people would just say this is Suzie and Bob and or they may just assume and say this is Mr & Mrs (whichever the male last name is). I don't think many would say the first and last name of each, unless the person introducing them feels it is really of great importance to the couple and is aware of both their names. Usually I have seen where they would day, This is Mr. Bob Jones and his wife Suzie. Something like that.

hi dear PQ when I got married exactly 6 years ago it was no question at all that I would take my husbands last name. Was overjoyed about it as I dislike my maiden name for several reasons. It was a great day for me and really a lovely start to a new life. Its possible here in Germany too that spouses each keep their names. Have always wondered why this happens.....

nowadays there is anew trend of combining names- like rina kaul arora. which i dont approve of. i think you should either take ur husbands name or keep ur maiden name. i mean if u have to be progressive, do it in areas like really matter- like female foeticide etc. its so hypocrital and stupid. i really think that if ur confident u dont need to resort to such gimmicks. i think its only doen to get attention. its a trend which will soon die out.

Most women when they get married will take their husbands last time in some form. I do not know any who have decided to choose to keep their own last name unless their husband takes on that name in some form as well to make it easier for the kids, and everyone else involved. I did consider when I got married hyphenating my last name with my Married name as my maiden name was French, but I chose just my husbands instead.

I'm not really sure how that would work. I would think they would still go by the man's last name. I kept my last name and added on my husbands last name. I had a child before we married and gave her my maiden name since I did not marry her father. I tried to get my husband to take my last name instead but he decided not to. If we ever renewed our vows, I think he would take my last name and keep his as one of his middle names. That would be alot to go through and change though for records.

I had my own name and married at 22 years old. I took my husband's name and we had a baby son. He also got that name. Six years later I got divorced. I still keep my ex-husband's name. I had another relationship and had my disabled son. I gave my disabled son my boyfriend surname but later regretted that. So when my daughter was born I gave her my surname. I would very much like to change my disabled son's surname to my name. I am thinking of changing it by deed poll. I am also keen to change the name on my disabled son's passport. A child's passport only lasts for five years in my home country. So therefore I need to get a new passport for my disabled son before Christmas. I am not planning to get married again. My regret is not naming my disabled son my name and now it is not possible to change his birth certificate.

I took my husband's name both times i married [for all the good it did mr, lol]. Years ago i took my maiden name back by going to court & having it done correctly. It was really my favorite name of all.

In my country, children have two last names. First comes the father´s, then the mother´s. People don´t lose their last names ever and I have them in my passport. Many woman of my granny´s generation and some of my mother´s "took" socially theirs spouses names at marriage and signed what in a loose translation would have been "X... belonging to Y..." OMG!!! I didn´t do it ever, except borrowing my husband´s last name whenpeople required a last name at the drycleaners, because I had to spell mine while his was of Spanish origin. Peple who went to work abroad, many times put his mother´s names as middle name as my father and siblings did for their scientific work. Both my daughter have legally my husband´s and my own last names. Their children have my husband´s as second last name.

In my country, the husband and the wife don't change their names after the marriage. Their right of name are protected by the law. When they have a child, they could discuss which last name should the baby has. In reality, most children have the same last name as their fathers. I guess it's the consequence of traditional views.

In my country it's mandatory for the child to take the father's name, if the parents are married. The hyphen is not accepted, unless both the parents changed their names to the form with hyphen at the time of marriage. I have a friend who kept her name after marriage (and really, her husband has a very weird name), but now she's really annoyed because her child has a different name than hers.

In my opinion, because i committed to become the wife of my husband, i think i have to show him how much i love him. One of those ways , is having his family name as my last name. But here in the Philippines, it is the custom to take the last name of your husband , when you get married.

I took my husbands last name and our kids also have his last name. Besides I like his last name better... lol