There is a long-held tradition in many countries where a woman will take the last name of the man that she has just married.
Maiden names are referred to as the original and unmarried names that women hold before they are married, but there is no equivalent for men. The process of taking a man’s last name after the marriage has begun to grow less popular and is not considered essential anymore.
An interesting recent development in many places is that men are increasingly willing to take their new wives’ last names after marriage. If you have wondered why this might be the case, read on for more information!
The biggest reason that many men are willing to change their name after marriage is that they do not like their name.
If you have a last name that has never struck a chord with you and you want to part with it, you can certainly take your new wife’s last name! Many men state that they do not want to pass down a name they do not like to their own children and would rather take their wives’ last names instead.
For some men, an abusive father or stepfather whose name they carry can also motivate them to make a change. There is nothing that is more refreshing than breaking the bonds of familial ties with someone who has caused you pain and suffering and this is a great way to accomplish that.
Just like many women over the years, there are men that are using a double barreled surname if they do not wish to fully part with their last name and instead want to commit to a conjoined set of names with their new wife. Typically, you will keep your own surname in the first position and then tack on your wife’s surname after the dash.
Many men opt to drop their surname completely and just take their wife’s last name as well. Some couples will also use the wife’s surname and husband’s surname to create a new last name altogether. This can be a great solution if neither party is attached to their last name and want to make a fresh start together as a couple with a brand-new name.
Some men also take the wife’s surname as a new middle name. This can be a great way to remove a middle name that you have never liked and replace it with a name that you do approve of!
Imagine being able to get rid of the middle name that you were given at birth that you have always hated! This can also be a great way to remove a middle name that you have just never connected with and bring your wife’s maiden name into the fabric of your own name with ease!
This is still a relatively new occurrence and it has not created a significant change in the last name-changing conventions of most marriages. However, due to the ability of gay couples around the world to get married and increasing disinterest in old-fashioned values that led to carrying a family name through from one generation to the next, the last name change traditions are shifting.
One of the best benefits of this kind of naming freedom is that you are actually allowed to change your name to anything that you wish as long as you do the right paperwork and you can divorce yourself from a name or a family member that you do not approve of. This might apply to anyone in the situation of taking on a new last name after marriage, and the fact that the process is so easy after marriage can make it a great time to make a change for the better.
Women are very excited by the possibilities of being allowed to keep their own last names if they are attached to them and it can be very appealing to avoid all of the documentation and legal paperwork to change your last name if you are not that attached to your potential new last name after marriage.
You might have just gotten married or maybe you are only just learning about the ability to change your last name now and you want to pursue the process. There is a process that must be done to legally change your name and the work is the same whether you are a man changing his name or a woman.
To get your last name changed for either party, you will need to execute a Deed Poll. This is the process that gets all the records that are on file for you in the UK changed to your new last name in one easy process. This makes it much more likely that you will have a smooth transition to your new naming convention and it gives you permission to refer to this as your legal name for things like home ownership and credit card applications.
If you are thinking about changing your last name to match your wife’s last name, that is a very exciting decision to have made! You will just need to follow the steps that are listed online to execute your deed poll and you will be able to start using your new legal last name.
If you are ready to start the process of changing your last name, we are the UK Deed Poll Office can easily help you through the process.
