Maiden and married names facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

When a person gets married, they sometimes decide to change their family name (also called a surname). Traditionally, in many places, a wife would take her husband's last name. Her original last name is then called her maiden name or birth name. The new last name she takes after marriage is called her married name.

In some countries, changing your name requires a legal process. When people marry or divorce, the rules for changing names are often simpler. In many Western countries, women usually change their last names when they marry, but men can also change their names, especially in same-sex couples.

In this article, words like birth name, family name, surname, married name, and maiden name mostly refer to names passed down from the father's side of the family.

Names in English-Speaking Countries

It's very common for women to change their names when they get married in English-speaking countries. Because of this, it's usually quite easy to do. The chance to change your name is often part of the marriage process itself.

In the United States, women are not required by law to change their names. Early court cases sometimes said a woman had to take her husband's name. But newer cases have changed this. Now, a person can usually change their name just by using the new name consistently. For example, in 1882, a court case called Lindon v. First National Bank showed that a woman could use a different last name and still claim her inheritance. This helped set the rule that people can legally change their names and use them for things like jobs and court.

However, it can be harder for men to change their last names. In the United States, only a few states let a man officially change his name as part of the marriage process. In other states, a man might need to ask a court to change his name.

How Names Change After Marriage

There are a few common ways people handle their last names after getting married.

Taking the Husband's Last Name

In the past, it was very common for women in England to take their husband's last name after marriage. Sometimes, old laws even made them do it. Today, this is still a common practice in the United Kingdom and countries like Australia, New Zealand, India, and the United States. Even though it's common, there's no law saying a woman must change her name.

For example, a study in Massachusetts in 2004 found that about 87% of college-educated women took their husbands' names. This number was lower than in the past but higher than in 1990. The study also found that women with college degrees were more likely to keep their own last names than those without.

Usually, children born to these marriages are given their father's last name. Some families in the U.S. use the mother's maiden name as a middle name for one of their children. For example, Franklin Delano Roosevelt got his middle name this way.

Keeping Your Birth Name

Many women choose to keep their own last name after marriage. There are several reasons for this:

They don't see a reason to change their name, just like men often don't.
They don't like that this tradition is usually only for women.
They might be the last person in their family with that last name.
They want to avoid the paperwork that comes with changing a name.
They want to keep their own identity.
They prefer their own last name to their spouse's.
They want to avoid problems with their job or career.

Lucy Stone (1818–1893) was an American activist who fought for women's rights. She made it a big issue that married women should be able to keep their own last names, which she did after her marriage. Women who choose to keep their original names are sometimes called "Lucy Stoners."

In 1921, the Lucy Stone League was started by Ruth Hale. This group was the first to fight for women to legally keep their maiden names after marriage. Ruth Hale even went to court to make sure the government recognized her by her birth name, not her married name.

In 1925, Doris Fleischman was the first married woman in the U.S. to get a passport in her own name.

Over the years, many court cases in the U.S. have supported a woman's right to keep her birth name. For example, in 1972, a court in Maryland said that a married woman's last name doesn't automatically become her husband's if she clearly intends to keep using her birth name. Today, American women do not have to change their names by law.

Joining Both Names (Hyphenation)

Some people choose to combine their last name with their spouse's last name using a hyphen. This is less common, especially in the United States and Canada. Examples include U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and former U.S. President Barack Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng.

Name Blending

A newer trend is to blend parts of both surnames to create a new one. This is less common than hyphenating names. An example is Dawn O'Porter.

Birth Name as Middle Name

Some women use their birth name as a middle name after marriage. Famous examples include Amy Coney Barrett and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Nikki Haley sometimes uses "R" for Randhawa, her birth surname, as a middle initial.

Husband's Name as Middle Name

An example of this is Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

Wife's Name as Middle Name

Sometimes, a husband might add his wife's last name as a middle name. Examples include Brooklyn Peltz Beckham and John Ono Lennon.

Children's Surnames

In the United States, some states have rules about what last name a child can have. For example, in Tennessee, a child can only have a last name that doesn't include the father's if both parents agree in writing.

Men Changing Names at Marriage

In 2007, a lawsuit in California argued that it was unfair for men to have more difficulty changing their names than women. At that time, only a few states made it easy for a man to change his name through marriage. As a result of this lawsuit, California passed the Name Equality Act of 2007. This law, which started in 2009, allows either spouse to change their name using their marriage license.

Feminism and Personal Names

The idea of women keeping their own names has been an important part of the women's rights movement. Lucy Stone (1818–1893) strongly believed that married women should have the right to keep their own surnames. Because of her, women who choose not to use their husbands' names are sometimes called "Lucy Stoners."

Another feminist, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, used her husband's surname as part of her own, signing as Elizabeth Cady Stanton. But she refused to be called "Mrs. Henry B. Stanton." She felt that calling women "Mrs. John This" was like calling enslaved people "Cuffy Douglas," meaning they were just someone else's property.

Jane Grant, who helped start The New Yorker magazine, wrote in 1943 about her own efforts to keep her name after marriage. She also wrote about other women's experiences with their maiden names when it came to things like military service, passports, voting, and business.

More recently, feminist writer Jill Filipovic has argued that women should not have to change their names when they marry. She kept her own last name when she got married in 2018.

Using Maiden Names for Security

Your mother's maiden name has been a common security question used by banks and other places since at least the 1980s.

Names in Canada

In most parts of Canada, either partner can informally take their spouse's last name after marriage. This is also true for people in common-law relationships in some areas. This is not usually considered a legal name change, except in British Columbia. For federal things like a Canadian passport, people can use their partner's last name if they are in a common-law relationship.

In the province of Québec, the custom was similar to France until 1981. Women would use their husband's last name in daily life, but their maiden name was still their legal name. Since a 1981 law to promote gender equality, people in Québec cannot change their name without official permission. Marriage is not a reason to change a name in Québec.

Names in Spanish-Speaking Countries

In Spanish-speaking countries, spouses usually keep their original last names. Following Spanish naming customs, a person's name has a given name (first name) followed by two family names: the father's and the mother's. Children born to a couple take both of their parents' first surnames. For example, if "José Gómez Hevia" and "María Reyes García" had a child named "Andrés," the child's name would be "Andrés Gómez Reyes."

In Spain, a law in 1981 allowed children, when they turned 18, to choose if their father's or mother's surname came first. If they didn't choose, the father's surname came first by default. A 1995 law change in Spain now lets parents choose the order of the surnames for all their children.

In some Spanish-American countries, women might unofficially add their husband's first surname after their own for social reasons, like on invitations. For example, "María Reyes de Gómez."

Names in Portuguese-Speaking Countries

In Portuguese-speaking countries, wives usually add their spouse's family name to their own legal name. However, recently, more women are choosing to keep their maiden names. Following Portuguese naming customs, a person's name has a given name followed by two family names: the mother's and the father's. Children born to a couple take both of their parents' second surnames.

Names in Other European Countries

Austria

In Austria, since 2013, marriage does not automatically change a woman's name. A name change only happens if someone officially asks for it. Before that, a married woman's name would automatically change to her husband's unless she asked not to.

France

In France, since 2011, any married person can officially use their spouse's name along with their own, or instead of it. Before this, married women often used their husband's name in daily life, but it wasn't legally recognized. This "common name" does not replace the person's family name on their birth certificate.

Germany

In Germany, since 1977, either a woman can take her husband's last name, or a man can take his wife's last name. One of them can also use a name that combines both surnames. The chosen single name is the "family name" for the couple and their children. If both partners keep their birth names, they must still declare one of those names as the "family name" for their children.

Greece

Since 1983, when Greece passed a new marriage law that made spouses equal, women in Greece are required to keep their birth names for their whole lives.

Italy

In Italy, spouses keep their original last names. According to Italian law, a woman who marries keeps her surname and can choose to add her husband's surname after hers.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, people who marry or enter a registered partnership keep their birth name. However, they are allowed to use their partner's last name for social reasons or combine both names. They can choose how they want to be addressed when they register their marriage. If the marriage ends, a person can continue to use their ex-partner's last name unless the ex-partner asks a court to stop it.

Before their first child is born, married parents can choose the child's last name (either the mother's or the father's). If they don't choose, the child automatically gets the father's last name.

Russia

In Russia, it's common for a wife to take her husband's family name. However, any name change needs an official process. This is often done when the marriage is registered. The law is fair to both genders: a couple can choose either of their surnames, or even a completely different one, to be their common family name. The law also allows for combined family names and for spouses to go back to their original name if the marriage ends.

Turkey

Since 2014, women in Turkey are allowed to keep only their birth names for their whole lives instead of using their husbands' names. Before 2014, the law required a married woman to use her husband's surname, or to use her birth name in front of her husband's name. In 2014, a court ruled that stopping married women from keeping only their maiden names was against their rights.

Names in Asian Countries

China

Traditionally, in China, a married woman keeps her name unchanged. She does not take her husband's surname. In mainland China, children usually get their father's surname. However, the law says a child can use either parent's surname. It's also common for two children from the same parents to have different surnames, one from the father and one from the mother.

Hong Kong

Because of British influence, some people in Hong Kong have also started the tradition of women changing their English last name. Or, they might add their husband's Chinese surname to their own for official events or business cards, but usually not on their ID or travel documents.

Iran

In Iran, it became mandatory to use surnames in 1918. At that time, family leaders could choose the surnames for their family members, including wives. Current law states that a wife keeps her own family name. It is very unusual for either spouse to change their surname after marriage in Iran today.

Japan

Japanese law does not recognize married couples who have different surnames as legally married. This means that about 96% of married Japanese women take their husband's surname. In 2015, the Japanese Supreme Court said this law was not against the constitution. They noted that women could still use their maiden names informally.

Korea (North and South Korea)

Traditionally, Korean women keep their family names after marriage. Their children usually take the father's surname. In Korea, people have always valued their family identity. It is traditional for Korean women to keep their surnames after marriage because it's what they inherited from their parents and ancestors. Today, women still keep their names after marriage. Children can have either parent's surname, but it's customary to use the father's surname.

Philippines

The law in the Philippines gives married women several choices for their surname:

Keep her middle name (mother's maiden name) and add her husband's surname to her maiden name (e.g., Maria Isabella Flores Garcia-Dimaculangan).
Take her husband's surname and make her maiden name her middle name (e.g., Maria Isabella Garcia Dimaculangan).
Take her husband's full name, with a title like "Mrs." or "Ms." to show she is his wife.

In 2023, a bill was proposed to allow women to keep their maiden name, as Philippine law does not require a woman to take her husband's surname. This is often done for professional reasons, so a woman can keep her name among her business contacts.

Children born to a married couple take the mother's middle name (maiden surname) and the father's surname. For example, if a couple is named Maria Josefa Lopez Mañego-Luansing and Juan Candido Luansing, their daughter Juliana would be named Juliana Mañego Luansing.

Married women in professional fields often combine their maiden and married surnames (e.g., Gloria Macapagal Arroyo). This helps people know they are married and keeps track of their work achievements.

An older custom, based on Spanish naming customs, added the word de ("of") between the maiden and married surnames (e.g., Maria Isabella Garcia de Dimaculangan). This tradition is not common anymore.

Taiwan

Taiwanese women generally keep their surnames after marriage. Their children can inherit either the father's or the mother's surname. However, it is legal to take the spouse's surname. Some older women have their husband's surname added to theirs, which was common in the early to mid-20th century.

Thailand

A Thai wife who took her husband's surname because an old law required it can now change back to her original surname.

Vietnam

In Vietnamese culture, women keep their family names when they marry. Children usually keep the father's family name, but names can sometimes be combined from both parents' family names.

Genealogy

Genealogists (people who study family history) often record all the surnames a person used during their life. This includes names from birth parents, names given at birth if the father was unknown, and names taken after marriage or remarriage. For example, in some European countries, a child abandoned at birth might be given a surname that means "abandoned."