Why do women change their name when they marry?

Question

yet you will never her of a man changing his name? Well I do take that back I read about three months ago something like that took place what a stink it raised.

Answer 1

I think it's because the man was always usually thought higher of the women in class and all those stuff. (which is really unfair, girls rule!) So when they got married, the women would change her last name, and not the man. The women changes her last name because it shows that you respect the fact that you got married, and it's like im his property kind of thing. But women also do it because they r proud 2 have this man as their husband. They are proud 2 be in this new family.
I can't really put it in words, but that's the best i can do. But in China, women don't change their last name. (some women don't in America either)

Hope this Helps!

Answer 2

It’s not a custom, not a preference, not a practice but a MANDATE by our LAWS. In every family code of a system of laws that govern our nation there’s always a mandate that women should carry the husband's name. The rationale behind this is simply because man is thought to be the head of the family and women must submit themselves to their husbands... I’m not downgrading here the status of women but just telling what reality is. In every society there should be a leader or else chaos would be in a society if there are two heads. In a family, the smallest unit of society, the husband is the head; therefore women should be under his name. Some countries nowadays are authorizing some women to carry their names in some circumstances, especially women who are famous. But in legal transactions their names are only hyphenated and still they carry their husband’s names. Regarding a man changing his name to his wife's name, I think it’s not yet legally authorized as far as I know.

Answer 3

Most do it as a custom, some do it because they have been waiting for the day.

I don't care for the things my father-in-law did to his family (at times I hate him and want to pee on his grave) and having his last name isn't the greatest because of that. However, I could not wait to get rid of my given name because it is a constant reminder of a childhood I'd rather not be reminded of. Plus, I don't like being easily found. I have stalkers!

If I could go back and do it over, I would have asked my husband to change his name to his mother's maiden name on the license, and I would have taken that. I knew before I married him that his father was an uninvolved parent and I wish we had the name of his mother's parents. My MIL and her parents raised and provided for my husband and his brother and there is not one negative thing that can be said about her parents and their last name except that maybe they loved them too much, and I don't think any child can get too much love. My husband is named after his grandfather (first and middle name) and it would be an honor to have his whole name.

However my husband has some sick need to pretend his father was better than he was so I doubt he would ever get rid of "Dad's" name. I would gladly pay to change it to his mother's maiden name if he wanted to.

Had I stayed single I probably would have changed it to Valenti, my grandmother's name. It means "talented" in Italian!

Answer 4

Perhaps for women, it's because so many of them want to be rescued by some big, strong man, who instead of clobbers them on top of the head and carries her back to his cave, in modern time offers to put a roof over her head and put her on his health insurance plan. She wants to prove that she "belongs to somebody."

As a PhD candidate, I have a motto "DrB4Mrs." No offense to the guys up here, but some people think wife and mother are the only thing to be. My son loves to call me Professor so n so in front of his friends. Although, my love and I are planning a future and I love him more than anything, I've worked too long and hard to loose my identity.

P.S. If any man should have changed his name, Bobby Brown should have taken Whitney Houston's.

Also, it is call SURname for a reason. Since the beginning of time the male child has carried on the bloodline. You'll have to ask the creator why he (not she) used Adam's rib to make Eve, and not vice versa.

Answer 5

Tradition is to have the same name in a family. Why would you not want to be on the same team as the rest of them in your family.

Answer 6

It used to be that man gave a woman his name. That used to insure his commitment, protection and care and served to present the family as one unit. It is an outdated practice, yes, but people still do it for traditions sake or because of social ramifications.

Answer 7

When the woman's movement of the 60-70's came about alot of women refused to change their names, made hyphenated names or their husbands changed their names. I have no idea why women do this today. Unless you are carrying your mothers name, you are simply carrying another man's name so what difference does it make if you change it. Hyphenated names just confuse people. I changed my name because it was better than what I was born with.

Answer 8

That is a large part of the Marriage Custom. And yes the groom also has the option.

Answer 9

I couldn't give up my name, it felt like a part of me. I did hyphenate it, and keep my maiden name-then added my married name. It made things much easier when I got divorced and I maintained my great credit while he filed bankruptcy, because I kept everything in my maiden name and we didn't share money on paper.

Answer 10

Not all women do. But I did because I am proud to say I am married to my husband. I want to carry his name and be part of him so I changed mine. I want to be as one with him.