Should You Take Your Partner’s Last Name?

Did You Know?

“In the United States, there is no law or religious dictate that says the bride must take the groom’s last name. However, approximately 70% of Americans agree that a bride should change her last name.”

So why do some people choose to change their name on their Wedding Day?

1. “Having the same last name throughout your family unit just makes things simpler, especially once you have children. You’ll likely find that things are easier when you go on trips, dealing with schools, and even just interacting with other parents when you’re easily recognizable as being one family with a common last name.”

2. Monogramming home goods, personalizing decor items, and making dinner reservations all become easier (although I hope you’re not changing your name for a doormat!)

3. Many brides find that having the same last name as their husband helps them feel more like a family, and changing their name is an important and official symbol of the commitment they’ve made to each other. To feel more connected to their new last name, they can do some background research into the family name and see what it means to them. They can try this and hopefully feel like they are more part of the family they are marrying into.

If I choose to not change my last name, what are some of the cons I may face?

1. You are getting married, not becoming a different person. Changing your last name may feel like a loss of self or a loss of identity, and if so, perhaps you shouldn’t change your name.

2. If you are the last of your family with your last name, you may not want to give it up.

3. If you’ve become well-known in your career field, it may be hard to reestablish your reputation with a different last name.

Luckily, if both options are not quite right for you, there are some alternative options to consider like hyphenating, keeping your maiden name as your middle name, or creating your very own brand new last name!

77 Interesting Facts about Weddings; (December 23rd, 2009) http://facts.randomhistory.com/interesting-facts-about-weddings.html

Should You Change Your Name When You Get Married; Nina Callaway (April 29th, 2016) http://weddings.about.com/od/getorganized/a/shouldchangenam.htm