Married and maiden names facts for kids

When people get married, sometimes one person changes their last name to their spouse's last name. This is often the wife, who might change her last name to her husband's. Her old last name is called her maiden name, and her new last name is her married name.

In this article, when we talk about names like birth name, family name, surname, married name, and maiden name, we are mostly talking about last names that come from the father's side of the family.

Last Names in English-Speaking Countries

It has been very common for women to change their last names when they get married. This tradition has been around for a long time. In the past, some laws in the United States even said a woman had to take her husband's name. However, these laws have changed. Today, women in America do not have to change their names by law.

Common Choices for Married Names

When people get married, they have several choices for their last names:

• Using the Husband's Last Name: The most common choice for a woman is to change her last name to her husband's. Children born to the couple also usually take the husband's last name. Some families, especially in the USA, use the mother's maiden name as a middle name for one of their children. For example, Franklin D. Roosevelt got his middle name, Delano, this way.

• Keeping Your Birth Name: Some women choose to keep their own last name after marriage. They might do this for a few reasons:
  • They might not like that only the woman usually changes her name. Some women feel it is unfair to have to change their last name. A famous American woman named Lucy Stone (1818–1893) fought for women's rights, including the right for a married woman to keep her own last name. Women who choose to keep their names are sometimes called "Lucy Stoners."
  • They might be the last person in their family with that specific last name.
  • They want to avoid all the paperwork that comes with changing a name.
  • They simply like their own last name better than their husband's.
  • They might be famous and already well-known by their maiden name.

• Joining Both Names (Hyphenated Names): It is less common, especially in the U.S. and Canada, for women to combine their spouse's last name with their own birth name using a hyphen. Examples include U.S. senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

• Blending Names: A newer trend is to blend parts of both last names to create a new one. This is not as common as hyphenating names. An example is Dawn O'Porter.

• Maiden Name as a Middle Name: Many women choose to use their maiden name as a middle name after marriage. This keeps their original family name as part of their full name. Examples include Amy Coney Barrett and Shirley Temple Black.

• Husband's Last Name as a Middle Name: In some cases, a husband's last name might be used as a middle name. An example is Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

• Wife's Maiden Name as a Middle Name: Sometimes, the wife's maiden name is used as a middle name for the husband. Examples include Brooklyn Peltz Beckham and John Ono Lennon.

Name Changes for Men in Marriage

In the United States, a law called the Name Equality Act of 2007 made it easier for either spouse to change their name when they get married. This law started in 2009.

Last Names in Canada

In most parts of Canada, either partner can choose to use their spouse's last name after marriage without a lot of official paperwork. However, in Quebec, things were different until 1981. Women often used their husband's last name in daily life, but their maiden name was still their official legal name. Since 1981, anyone in Quebec who wants to change their last name must get permission from a court.

Last Names in Spanish-Speaking Countries

In Spanish-speaking countries, spouses usually keep their original last names. A person's full name typically has a given name followed by two family names: the father's last name and the mother's last name. When a couple has children, the children take both of their parents' first last names. For example, if "José Gómez Hevia" and "María Reyes García" had a child named "Andrés," the child's full name would be "Andrés Gómez Reyes."

Last Names in Portuguese-Speaking Countries

In Portuguese-speaking countries, wives often take their spouse's family name. However, recently, more women are choosing to keep their maiden names. A person's name usually includes a given name followed by two family names: the mother's last name and the father's last name.

Last Names in Other European Countries

• Austria: Before April 2013, women usually took their husband's last name when they married. Since 2013, marriage does not automatically change a woman's last name.
• France: Any married person can officially use their spouse's name by changing their name or combining both last names. Before 2013, women often used their husband's name in everyday life.
• Germany: Since 1977, either spouse can change their last name to the other spouse's name. They can also use a double name, but it must be hyphenated.
• Greece: Since 1983, women have been required to keep their birth names for their entire lives.
• Italy: People keep their own last names after marriage.
• Netherlands: Married couples each keep their own last name. However, they can be addressed by their spouse's last name. If a married couple has children, they can choose which parent's last name to give the child. If they do not choose, the child automatically gets the father's last name. If the parents are not married, the child automatically gets the mother's last name.
• Russia: It is common for a newly married wife to take her husband's family name. The couple needs to officially apply for this name change.

Last Names in Asian Countries

• China: Traditionally, a married woman keeps her maiden name, and children inherit the father's name.
• Hong Kong: Some people have started following the British tradition of women changing their last name or adding their husband's Chinese last name to their own.
• Iran: In 1918, it became required to use last names in Iran. At that time, the head of the family could choose the last names for family members, including his wife. Today, it is very unusual for either spouse to change their last name after marriage in Iran.
• Japan: Most Japanese women take their husband's last name when they get married.
• Korea: Traditionally, Korean women keep their family names after marriage, while their children usually take the father's last name. Today, many women continue to keep their maiden names.
• Philippines: Women in the Philippines have different choices when they get married:
  • She can be called by her middle name and her husband's last name (e.g., Maria Isabella Flores Garcia-Dimaculangan).
  • She can take her husband's last name and make her maiden name her middle name (e.g., Maria Isabella Garcia Dimaculangan).
  • She can use her husband's full name with a title like "Mrs." or "Ms." to show she is his wife (e.g., Mrs. Dimaculangan).
• Taiwan: Taiwanese women generally keep their last names after marriage. Their children may inherit either the father's or the mother's last name.
• Thailand: An old law used to require wives to take their husband's last name. Now, women can choose to keep their maiden name.
• Turkey: Since 2014, women in Turkey have been allowed to keep their birth names for their whole lives instead of using their husbands' names.
• Vietnam: In Vietnamese culture, women keep their maiden names, and children inherit the father's family name.

Interesting Facts About Married and Maiden Names

• A maiden name is a person's birth name. It is sometimes replaced by their spouse's family name after marriage.
• A Google survey from the 1990s showed that 18% of women kept their names after marrying for the first time.
• Women from Asian and Hispanic backgrounds are more likely to keep their maiden names.
• Women who are Democrats are more likely to keep their maiden name after marriage.
• The tradition of U.S. women taking their husbands’ last names comes from old English law. This law said that a husband provided "coverture" (protection) for his wife.
• The recent trend of women keeping their maiden names might be because they are marrying later in life. By then, they have often already made a name for themselves and do not want to give it up.

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