Is it necessary for a Wife to Change her name after Marriage
Whether it is necessary for a wife to change her name after marriage is a matter of personal choice. Legally, the wife is not obliged to change her name. However, the necessary considerations from which she will make her decision will differ between each woman and each family. Here are five key considerations which will help determine whether it is necessary for a wife to change her name after marriage:
Personal Political View:
If a woman believes in the feminist ideal that a name is a source of identity and that adopting her husband’s name is a sign of servitude or submission, than changing her name to her husband’s name may not be a decision she would be happy with. In such cases she might consider changing her name along with her husband to a neutral form, whether that be a hyphenated name (Smith-Johnson), a combined name (Smison), or an original made up name. Alternatively, if a woman believes it is important that she be known as “Mrs Smith” and that it is important to adopt her husband’s name, than that will also impact on her decision.
Children:
If there are children, or there will be children in the future, the couple should discuss the last names of these children. A woman might want to have the same name as her children as a matter of convenience and identity. If the children will be given the father’s name, than perhaps the wife would like to also take the father’s name. Alternatively, the children could take the mother’s name or could have a neutral last name (such as those mentioned above).
Reputation:
If a woman has a solid business reputation or a personal brand, it may count against a decision to change her name. Reputation is associated to names and brands, and therefore career women may be particularly reluctant to change their name. However, this could also be a reason in support of changing her last name. For example, bad debts, or bad experiences in the past, may mean the new name represents a fresh start.
Convenience:
It may be more convenient to change one’s name, particularly if other people are going to assume that you have. Alternatively, some women might find it more convenient to retain their name in order to avoid the legal hassles of updating documents such as passports and driver licenses.
How it sounds:
A name decision might be made on the basis of how the name sounds. A beautiful and melodious last name might be preferable to one which is common or unfortunate (Amanda Hugandkiss might opt to change her name, for example).
In summary, the decision to change or keep a name on marriage is a personal one which should be made after considerations of all the personal circumstances of the couple. A wife does not have to take her husband’s surname, but she is also not precluded from doing so. Whether it is necessary to change her name will be a personal decision she will have to make.
