Changing identity
Women in the UK traditionally give up their maiden name and take their husband’s surname when they get married. This tradition is slowly changing. Rising equality and more independence, which can mean that women don’t necessarily want to take on their husband’s name, are factors that are effecting this change.

Increasingly women are choosing alternative name options: keeping their maiden name, combining their maiden name with their husband’s surname to create a double-barrelled name or in some cases the husband takes his wife’s surname.

Why the change?
It is no longer a requirement for a woman to have the same surname as her husband and more British women feel that their personal identity does not have to be connected to their husband’s. Andrea from Oxford comments, ‘I just found it less hassle to keep my maiden name – I would have had to change all my documentation, such as passport and driving licence and, in any case, I like my own name better than my husband’s.’

Julian Smith took his wife’s surname when they got married, ‘I wanted us to be Mr and Mrs something. She agreed…I saw this as a show of my love for her… and it would carry on her family name as my father-in-law has two daughters… I liked the idea of breaking the normal tradition, doing something almost unique…’. Julian is now Mr Vicari.

Meshing
Many couples don’t want to make a choice between her surname and his surname, so they use both and create a new double-barrelled surname. In the UK double-barrelled surnames are traditionally associated with the very rich aristocracy. Now many more people choose to have double-barrel surnames. However, even this can lead to tough choices: whose surname will go first? Or will it just be too long when it comes to filling in forms…?

‘Meshing’ is a new solution which has recently reached the UK from the US. So, for example, if Mr Blair and Ms Bush got married they could be Mr and Mrs Blush! Or Wayne Rooney and Coleen McCloughlin could become the McLooneys. Cerys from Aberystwyth says, ’if I had a double barrelled name with my partner I’d be Anyalewechi-Powell. It’s far too long, I think I would rather ‘mesh’ and be Powchi.’

Personally, when I got married I kept my maiden name because with my husband’s surname my initials would have been M.A.D – no way!

Mary-Ann
November 2006

Though women’s liberation is not a fresh topic, the article is informative as many English learners take for granted that western women use their husband’s surname after marriage. - Xiaodan

I didn’t know you could do “that” when you don’t want to acquire your husband’s surname!  - April

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