why are some women have two lastnames, whats the logic behind that?

Question

i see a lot of women have double last names
like jonhson-richardson
why do you wanna keep ur first last name?
is it a fashion trend or is there any logic behind it?

Answer 1

Well, I know that in Spanish culture, a woman always keeps her maiden name. Let's say that Maria Hola married Marcus Adios. Then her name would be Maria Hola de Adios.

Answer 2

The tradition goes back to the old Roman Republic, where patrician (aristocratic) lineage was critical. The "houses" of both parents of the aristocracy were listed, since having patrician birth was important, and being patrician on both sides was one step up the snob ladder.
In historical Europe, the use of two last names occured for similar reasons, where matters of inheritance and lineage needed to be traced along both family lines. This tradition continued in the US, though it lost all "legal" significance.
In our current society, the dual surname has a dual purpose. First, it "sounds" aristocratic, since so many "Old Money", aristocratic families carry dual surnames. It's a form of snobbery. Second, it's an offshoot of women's lib, where a woman isn't surrendering her identity by taking her husband's name.

Answer 3

some people preffered it that way. lets say that a woman marries a guy, right? Now some women want to keep their last names because maybe she thinks that her family (sisters, mom and dad, etc.) wants her to keep the family name. But if the women wants to show that they can have the man's name (probably so the man can feel respected somehow) they would use the man's last name as well, making it a double last name.

Answer 4

I have always kept my maiden name because it simplifes things and I like it. My husband's name was hard to spell and pronounce and now that I am divorced I don't have to switch back to my maiden name again. I thought about hyphenating it and now I'm glad I didn't

BTW - women don't have a monopoly on this I've known men to take their wives last names

Answer 5

some people are professionals and are well known by their maiden names. Therefore when they get married they tend to keep their maiden names as their professional name and then hyphenate it and add their married name. Thus, the children will have both names. It's very common.

Answer 6

Some women have been previously married and have a child from that relationship . So when getting remarried they still want the option of using their previous name for the sake of their child

Answer 7

It's just because they don't want to totally give up their maiden name, so they hyphenate it with their husband's name. I dont' know why. But then I've been adopted a few times and hold no identity with my last name.

Answer 8

I did not hyphenate, but I keep my maiden name which is now my middle name. For example, Annie Jones Smith not Annie Jones-Smith.

Answer 9

One reason is it is there married name and their maiden name
Another reason could be they have a kid before marriage and it is their childs last name and their married last name
If they are kids it may be their dads last name and their moms last name

Answer 10

some professional woman have worked a long time with their maiden name and when they get married they use both so that they can still be recognized.