Facebook has informed that a recently married friend has changed her name. Even though this is a depressingly frequent occurrence, I’m always a bit surprised when people I know make this choice. A quick facebook census shows me that out of 30 married women among my friends (most of whom are university-educated professionals in their twenties):
18 have changed their names
7 have kept their maiden names
1 has gone double-barrelled
3 are married to other women (none of them have changed their names)
1 has conveniently married someone with the same name
Seriously 18 of you – what the hell do you think you are doing? Unless your surname is “Bottomley-Ballsack” or something, then there’s simply no excuse for this kind of behaviour.
Beetchawawa 
Maybe it’s for the kids – so the whole family has the same name?
Sarah had to choose a name for her professional use. I thought ‘Smells’ would be great, but for some reason she wouldn’t go for it…
I’m not buying the “we all need to have the same name” argument. Why? That’s not what makes you a family. Or if people really believe that having the same name does make you closer, then women should go the whole hog and change their first name to Bernard or whatever as well.
And they should call all the children Bernard as well!
I think the whole family name thing is so arbitrary anyway when it comes down to it. Most women will have their father’s surname, which represents no choice of name on the woman’s part. Changing her name on marriage could be considered a positive choice about which family she aligns herself with, rather than a passing of ‘ownership’.
There is no such thing as taking on your husband’s name in Belgium. By law, you keep your name for life. One can be “socially” known as “Mr and Mrs X” but your official documents will always carry your maiden name.
So I didn’t have a choice. I feel a little robbed. Not that I would have but I would have liked the option.