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How common is it for women to not change their last name after they get married?

Posted by SignificantStyle4958@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 24 comments

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View on Reddit #83857123

ReliabilityTalkinGuy@reddit

Pretty common here in NYC for people to keep their own names. It’s a strange and honestly misogynistic cultural practice, so I bet you’ll get very different responses depending on what areas are being asked about. More progressive and liberal ones likely will have more people keeping their names. 
View on Reddit #83857114

Embarrassed_Fig1801@reddit

My wife kept her last name but I don’t think I know any other married women who did.
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tasareinspace@reddit

for straight marriages, most women i know have changed their name UNLESS it was more trouble than it was worth (high power career where their name had recognition in the industry, lawyer who knew it was very difficult to change their name on all their documentation). for queer couples, all the ones i could think of, there's about a 50-50 split of "both changing our names" and "both keeping our names"
View on Reddit #83857102

Accomplished_Cell768@reddit

It really depends where you live. Where I am just anecdotally from the circles I run in it’s about 50/50, but nationally I think only like 1 in 5 women keep their maiden name.
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JoeMorgue@reddit

14-20%. This is googlable. [https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/07/about-eight-in-ten-women-in-opposite-sex-marriages-say-they-took-their-husbands-last-name/](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/07/about-eight-in-ten-women-in-opposite-sex-marriages-say-they-took-their-husbands-last-name/)
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o93mink@reddit

Google only works in America unfortunately
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cuccumella@reddit

I wouldn't say it's the norm, but it's getting more common as time goes on. I'm a younger Millennial (born in the mid-90's) and about half of the married women I know from my age bracket took their husband's name. The other half either kept their own name, or chose a new last name to share with their spouse.
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EmploymentEmpty5871@reddit

It is becoming a bit more common, but it can create some confusion if/when they have kids. It's not as common as hyphenated names are.
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bluesaber7567@reddit

Depends where you live. I’m in chicago and I’d say 70% of women I know who have gotten married in the last decade have kept their names. In the smaller Midwest suburb I’m from, it was probably closer to 10%
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Visual_Magician_7009@reddit

It varies largely by location, and socio economic status and education.
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Ziggity_Zac@reddit

I have been married to my wife for 12 years. I adopted my daughter 2 years ago. I am the only one with my last name. My motivation is about legal protection... not some genealogical bullshit.
View on Reddit #83857038

thatthatguy@reddit

I can’t think of any women I know in real life who have not changed their last name when getting married. So in the Rocky Mountain and Intermountain west, name changing is still overwhelmingly common.
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Stressed_C@reddit

Its more common for woman to hyphenate their last names then not to change it but not changing has becoming more common then before.
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guysmiley1928@reddit

Not common enough
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ubiquitous-joe@reddit

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/07/about-eight-in-ten-women-in-opposite-sex-marriages-say-they-took-their-husbands-last-name/
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Cancer_Heiress@reddit

Didn’t change mine.
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tujelj@reddit

I believe it’s around 20%.
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hitometootoo@reddit

Not very common but not unheard of.
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DeathofRats42@reddit

Certainly becoming more common though. With all the various places we have to sign up using our names, changing a name now is quite onerous. I did not change mine when I married 10 years ago.
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LeGrandePoobah@reddit

Not very common where I live. Results will vary depending where you are and the sub culture of that region.
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Dr_Watson349@reddit

70-80% of women change their name. 
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marvelguy1975@reddit

Its not common
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Aquarius_K@reddit

I know a few but most still change their name. I've got a very old and unusual name so I'd probably keep mine.
View on Reddit #83856942