Why do woman take their husband’s name when they marry? Why not keep their own?

Answer 1

Because when a woman marries a man, she leaves her family and becomes ONE with her husband.

Answer 2

I think couples should be able to chose. Why not the husband take his wife's name?

In Belgium you don't have a choice, the woman has to keep her maiden name. Gets complicated because any children automatically get the Husbands surname. How weird is that, a mother not having the same name as her children.

Answer 3

In korea (STH) they keep theirs but are called Mrs...
I kept mine when i was
Its a modern thing
I think women before they worked and were independent used it as a status to be Mrs...
It showed
1/ you were off the market
2/ you belonged to the family of your husbands now

Nowadays as people have their own jobs and income its not really necessary until kids come along and then a double barreled name might be prefereable
until the kid gets married and then they have to decide whether their spouses double barreled name and theirs is going to be too long

this could be a problem in the future

Answer 4

Because a woman is not expected to have an identity of her own. The fact that society expects her to give up her surname indicates the many roles she is expected to play. People do change their names for other reasons so I would never criticise the individual concerned. What does annoy me however is the fact that some women think the law states they must use their husband's surname, and never question this tradition.

Answer 5

I have always believed that when you marry you become one but not his property so I kept my name. Just because I am married doesn't mean that I have to give up who I have been for all these years. If a guy doesn't understand then you might need to rethink getting married because what else will he not understand? My husband didn't like it but he accepted it.

Answer 6

Tradition can be changed if people want to. In the past in China, sixty years back, women had to take their husband's name after marriage as a symbol of belonging to him and his family. No matter how bad he treated her, she couldn't ask for a divorce or whatever. but now see the world changed totally, women are so independent and they have every right as men does.

Answer 7

I think in the Western world its becoming more acceptable to keep your madien name, even when you get married, or you can join both names although it tends to get long. For example "Mary Smith Alexia Johnson". Also in some societies like a small tribe in Ghana, the children have to take on the wife's madien name, so its all very personal, diverse and optional really.

Answer 8

Perhaps all this name-changing goes back to historical times when a man bought his bride!!! A woman doesn't have to take her husband's name. I've kept mine, but sometimes I use his. I have two sons, they have my name, but I received some birthday cards for my youngest addressed with my husband's surname, even though my husband wants to change his.

Answer 9

Because the bible says when you marry the two of you become one- its respect and it shows the world you belong to each other. I took my husbands name but when we divorced i went to all lengths to get rid of it. I am not sure about if i marry again- i have worked hard to become a new me so i don't want to lose all identity again. Matter of preference though these days.

Answer 10

Tradition