Students preparing for a wedding are faced with many decisions — between flowers, venues, dresses and pictures, it can feel overwhelming. However, there is a larger decision after saying “I do” that leaves many in question if one should leave their maiden name in favor of their partner’s.
Choosing to adopt a partner’s last name creates unity and strength in a married relationship.
The tradition of changing one’s last name started in the 17th century through English common law, according to HuffPost. It was then that lawmakers began to consider the legalities surrounding personhood, families and marriage.
For today’s brides, the choice of changing her last name is often as practical as it is traditional, providing it also has many romantic and advantages.
A person’s last name symbolizes the uniting tie between a married couple, according to Seattle Bride Magazine. Sharing a last name allows for a connection between couples and shows the world that a married person no longer thinks of themselves as an “I,” but a “we/us.”
“Changing your last name to your husband’s shows that you and your husband are family,” junior secondary English education major Hope Joiner said. “You are proud to be tied together for life.”
It is an empowering feeling to be tied to a significant other by taking on the last name of that person. To many brides, changing one’s last name creates a larger connection to the spouse’s family. As marriage is an act of commitment, so is changing a bride’s last name.
Sharing a name will positively affect a married couple — it can even simplify many practical parts of life, especially after having children.
Marriage means couples are recognized as a family — as one, including the children that couple may have. A family can simplify daily tasks such as after school pick-up, traveling and speaking with teachers when they share one name.
Married couples who share a last name find it helps to avoid confusion, according to Bustle. For many interracial couples, sharing a last name unites their family, and also for their multiracial children, “especially if kids look nothing like [their parents].”
Statistics researcher Turid Noack told News in English that changing one’s name for marriage is “more about marking that they’re a couple, and that’s important for many young people these days.”
Many women claim that adopting a new name in marriage is like shedding old skin and becoming a new person — with a new family, a new name allows for a fresh start, according to Woman Getting Married.
Some women change their last name for marriage simply because they do not like their own maiden name, according to Martha Steward Weddings. A woman born with a complicated last name was not given the choice, but adopting the name of her partner is an opportunity for change.
Many people simply assume that a woman will change her last name for marriage, especially considering that 70 percent of adults believe that every bride should, according to Vice News.
Perhaps following tradition is sometimes easier for the marrying couple — it certainly helps to make a wedding simpler.
Changing one’s last name from their maiden name for marriage has advantages to consider. Creating unity as a couple, not only through the symbol of a wedding ring but also by sharing one last name, is showing the world one’s new married status.
