Get Spousesrdps Last Name

The concept of a woman taking a man's last name goes back to the 15th century when women were legally considered their husband's once they married. But it wasn't until the 1970s when many states began shifting their laws to make it easier for women to keep their surname upon getting married.

Most women in opposite-sex marriages (79%) say they took their spouse's last name when they got married. Another 14% kept their last name, and 5% hyphenated both their name and their spouse's name. Among men in opposite-sex marriages, the vast majority (92%) say they kept their last name.

In most states, you have the option to take your spouse's last name, hyphenate your last name, use two last names without a hyphen, or move your maiden name to your middle name and take your spouse's last name. We think it's important that you know all of the name change options before your big day.

You can go the "traditional" route and list your "maiden" name first, or you could choose to list your new last name first, followed by your original last name. Some couples decide to have both partners change to the hyphenated last name, as a show of unity and equality.

While more women are keeping their maiden names after they get married, it's still the norm for a wife to take her husband's last name. Fifty years ago, only 14% of women kept their last names; By 2010, that number has risen to 22%.

It's true that patrilineal baby-naming dominates in America. Researchers have found that heterosexual married couples give the baby the father's name more than 95% of the time.

Even as marriage changes in the United States, most brides are holding to the custom of taking their groom's last name and dropping their own. Almost 80 percent of women married to men have followed this tradition, ing to a recently released Pew Research Center survey.