The surname debate: do I take his last name?

When you're planning your wedding, you rarely think past the actual wedding day itself. But you should probably consider perhaps the biggest change of all after getting hitched  - taking your new husband's surname.

It may not be common knowledge, but it is not actually a legal requirement in the UK for you take your spouse's surname once you're married. It is entirely your choice whether to or not, and stats suggest that it's becoming more and more popular not to - especially among younger women.

Why do we take our husband's surname?

Well, it's an old English tradition that became customary in the 17th Century. Women previously had no surname at all, and so after getting married, they would take their husband's name to show that they were of their husband's possession. It's a tradition that's been preserved by the majority of women today as a way to symbolise their unity and to pass on the shared surname to their children.

Should I take his name?

There's a number of reasons why a woman would prefer to keep her own name after marriage, the one I most often see is that they believe changing their name could cause their career to suffer, if for example they've built up a reputation around their name.

Some women may see taking their husband's name as a sign of submission and think this suggests that women are inferior to men. The idea that women must change their identity, while the men's identity remains the same after marriage is just outright not fair, and even considered sexist.

I think there's a part of me that would very much like to keep my maiden name when I'm married. I've always quite liked it and I struggle to imagine being known as anyone else. At the same time, I'm marrying my fiancé because I love every part of him, and want to start a family, so in my opinion, taking his name is a way of showing this. I think when it comes to it I will still have my maiden name between my first and surname - exactly as my mother did, so I won't be losing it completely!

So, will you be taking your husband's name after marriage?