why is it okay with women to change their last name with their husband?

Question

i'm just wondering...

doesn't that feel weird?

you lived your childhood, adolescenthood, and adulthood carrying your original last name only to have it changed to somebody's last name when you get married... how do you take that?


would you care to tell?


thanks!!

let me reiterate the title:

why is it okay with women to change their last name with their husband's last name?

Answer 1

A lot of women feel like they're moving on to a new life. People reinforce it everywhere. You always hear, "Good luck in your new life together!"

A new name for a new life? I don't think I'd do it. But I can see why they might feel the need.

Answer 2

Well, really you're just going from being property of one man to property of another. First you have your male father's last name, then your male husband's last name. It's never really your own.

In Italy, women don't change their last names. They also don't get listed in the phone book, because each phone number only gets one listing and it's normally in the man's name. Major inconvenience when you're trying to phone an Italian woman. It makes things much easier when everyone in the household has the same last name.

That being said, I think the best way to do it is to hyphenate both names or create a new name that mixes the two. That is real equality.

Answer 3

In the majority of cultures and religions the changing of the woman's last name to the man's is a custom. It's a symbol of the transition of her life from her family into that of her new husbands. The reason for her taking his last name is to finalize that step of leaving home and being accepted into your new role as wife, mother and daughter in law to your husbands family. Some cultures the woman may never see her family again because she is given to her husband and his family. You have become that extension of him to complete him. Hence the changing of him no longer being single but know together you two are one.

Answer 4

I don't think it would be weird, that's how things are. Its like customary, so its the norm and most people do it and don't feel weird. I am not married, but do plan on marrying the guy that I with right now and I plan on taking his name. If a woman changes their name, its just more like a union and they are united together. That kinda sounds weird the way I put it, but most people should get what I mean. Its just the way things are.

Answer 5

woman changing the last names is a carry over from the olden days when women were believed to be the property of their husbands.I'm sure that you must notice that more and more women are retaining their last names, and a good number choose to hyphenate their last names, keeping their name and adding the husbands after.

Answer 6

This very common experience is based on the days when women were considered to be chattel.

There are, however, many cultures where women keep their last name and the SIR name is added as a last thought.

Answer 7

I think now days it's a choice. Some women keep their maiden names and some women go with tradition.

Answer 8

why don't we have our last name after mom, it's mom the best we got the chance to come to the world.
Change last after married feel like women become part of another man's property and we don't belong our self anymore

Answer 9

i dont know...i think its really stupid to change your name...its like you're giving up a part of yourself...i'm not gonna change my last name...my mom didnt either...in fact, no woman in my family changed their last name when they got married...

Answer 10

if you keep your maiden name, it is your father's surname. wouldn't it be weirder to choose your dad over your husband?