Comments on: Changing Your Name After Marriage

By: Valery

Valery — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:16:43 +0000

Yes, in former USSR we have the same traditions. I know exactly that when I will merry I will take the last name from my dear husband. I’m so tired from mine I heard about combining last names (for example my doctor has such one),but it’s very rare. The most of our women take husbands’ last names. And furthermore, our men feel injured if woman don’t want to take his last name. It means for him that his wife doesn’t respect him

By: Kuong Do

Kuong Do — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:03:16 +0000

I really do not know why people in the US and Europe countries calle by their family name but I rarely see same names. For example, there only one football player named Beckham, Owen, Rooney,… Is there only one person has the family name? In my country, Vietnam, if people called by their family name, then we can see almost people have same names. For example, a high percentage of all Vietnamese family name is Nguyen. If you call them by that rule, then many football players named Nguyen.
In my country, we call people by there first name (given name). When a woman get married with a man, she does not need to change any part of her name. To do so can cause problems with the legal document (identity card, certificate, degree,..). In the past (50 years ago, my grandmother, for example), woman could be called by her husband’s first name (for example, If the woman Nguyen Thuy Linh got married with the man Do Manh Cuong then she could be called Mrs. Cuong) (note that Cuong was the given name, not the family name). That was only the informal, everyday name, not the legal name (in fact, the name in her identity card was still Mrs. Nguyen Thuy Linh).

By: Daven

Daven — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:34:03 +0000

Hi, Lucy, there is no such custom in China.
Woman will keep their last name. But the last name of children will use the father’s.
I’m not sure if you understand this tradition.

By: Haideh

Haideh — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:50:42 +0000

hello every body,

Thanks Lucy ,it was an informative article, I am from Iran. here when women get married they would not change their last name or add theirs to their husbands. in other word every partner keeps his/her last name, but the child will get exactly the same last name as his/her fathers. to be honest this is big question for me why in some countries like US, AUS, Canada, European countries women forget their maiden last name in the expense of their partners’ , it could be a sign of sexual discrimination?! or male domination , of course the situation in Iran as I already mentioned is not appealing but the best and sex neutral aspect could be the combination of two last names or choosing a new last name which already has its drawbacks such as coming to an odd and strange last names.

By: Victor

Victor — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:16:27 +0000

Hi, Lucy and all the members of this interesting podcast.
I’m from Mexico and in our country, women acquire the husband’s last name as ” de”. For example “Annie Lang de Ramírez”, meaning that she is the wife of Mr. Ramírez. Men conserve his original last name which come from both parents and in no case one could change or combine our last names.
Lucy and Jeff, thank you for your interest in teaching english to foreign learners, I’M REALLY LEARNING A LOT!!!

By: Stanislav

Stanislav — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 12:08:08 +0000

Hello,Lucy!

It’s is very interesting article…Thanks to you that you explained me this topic…In Russia,The Ukraine and other ex-USSR countries we have almost the same traditions…But I’ve never heard combined surnames…

”These are just a few of the most common options, and we won’t get into (begin discussing) how children are named or what happens in same-sex marriages (when a man marries a man, or a woman marries a woman). We need another blog post for these issues!”

I’m really sorry that you don’t want to tell us about this topic…It’s very important for me to know…

From Stanislav with appreciation.

By: Mi Sook kim

Mi Sook kim — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:07:49 +0000

Hi Lucy,

Thank you very much. I’m enjoying your class.
In my country, Korea, we never change women’s name even though they get married.
I think that’s very reasonable meothod. Women’s right is stronger than any other countries because they have their own name.

Thanks. Have a Great weekend.

By: dongsung

dongsung — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:03:57 +0000

Women do not change their name when they got married, here in Korea. We do not have concept of middle name. First name is family or surname, and last name is given name when we are born. Women in here are using their name forever, from born to die. But we have a system called HOJUK which is family register, woman who married has to get rid of her name from the HOJUK and goes in to her husband’s register.

By: Sara

Sara — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:29:55 +0000

Hi Lucy,

Thanks for the post. I am from Iran living in US. In Iran women don’t change their last name after marriage.
I was wondering how would be for children’s last name in US. they should have father’s last name or parents can choose for them too.

By: Doriana

Doriana — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:05:10 +0000

I am from Albania, actually living in Canada. In my country people call each other using their first name and generally don’t use last names. Women when they get married, they can chose to keep their last name or take her husband last name, but they can not keep both last names whereas regarding men, they also can chose to take the last name of his wife, but this is not common due to a strong tradition of a male-dominated society.