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Growing trend? Men taking wives’ last names?

What’s in a name? Men taking their wives’ last names? Is this a growing trend squashing that age-old tradition of wives taking the last name of their spouse? USA Today has a report on one newlyweds experience(s) and challenges as they had to explain to reception guests what was happening.

As Donna and Mike entered their wedding reception, an unwitting announcer told the expectant crowd, “Ladies and gentleman, put your hands together for the new Mr. and Mrs. Salinger!”

Some guests clapped, some chuckled at what they presumed was a joke and most looked at one another in confusion. The couple spent the entire reception and some of their honeymoon explaining to people what they had done.

The groom, you see, had started his day as Mike Davis and ended it by doing something precious few of his brothers-in-arms do: He took his wife’s last name instead of her taking his.

Thoughts? Men, would you drop your last name in exchange for your wives? Women, would you rather your children keep your last name, or your husbands? Future grandparents?


  • Cynic821

    doesnt matter really, names will get changed over and over , keep it the way it is and itll be easier to track history.

  • SMASH!!!!

    i would prefer to just not change a lastname … but then tehres the struggle of the kids

  • http://www.clunkclunk.com ClunkClunk

    The a big reason my girlfriend is going to take my last name is that her current one has a two words, separated by a space. It makes it very difficult in day to day life, because everyone either wants to hyphenate it, make one her middle and one her last name, combine them, drop one off, etc. The world isn’t set up for two separate last names.

    If she didn’t have that problem, I could see us keeping our names, mostly for her eventual professional career.

  • cynic821

    clunk:

    what does it matter what people call her. call her buttface mchiggens, dont have to change your name legally to have people only use a certain one.

  • http://mophoto.blogspot.com/ mignon

    I wouldn’t mind taking my future husband’s last name, but I would like to have my children carry my last name just because it’s between me and my brother to make sure the name doesn’t die out. If my husband however, is the only son in his fam and also makes a big deal about the family name then I’ll back down and just really make sure my brother has a son even if it means throwing girls at him.

  • Cass

    I’d rather take my husbands name. I don’t know why. I wouldnt consider myself a traditionalist.

  • Tom

    Only if my wife to be made a LOOOOOOOTTTT more money then I did. ;-)

  • chad

    my last name is seaman… so I may just take this one up, unless her name is something like cummer or shitwipe… then we’ll have to combine the 2

    Hi… my name is Halotta Seaman-Cummer…. classic

  • http://www.myspace.com/AlexTheMartian Alex B

    Yeah my last name is Begg, I think I’ll take this one up too.

  • http://quatre.wordpress.com Matthew [Rodgers]

    I’ll go to just a first name basis. Ala Cher and… Madonna and…Spiderman.

  • Daniel

    My wife took my last name. We talked about it and decided that there were a lot of options, but that tradition was a good one. Cultures evolve over a long time and suddenly decided that they don’t fit you is OK, but deciding for others is problematic. It worked for us very well. We just had a daughter and she joins us. We are a family unit and can easily w/o confusion broadcast that as such.

    It makes it more complicated when everyone has different names – especially with so many divorces. It makes it harder for teachers and others to figure out what is going on -which opens up to more questions.

    We just decided that it would be easier on us and the kids w/o having to deal with the questions.

    But that’s just us…

    Oh…. and the guy who took his wife’s name… should turn in his nuts right now. Like right now.

  • Tim

    Ughhh….take your wifes last name? You gotta be kidding me! Daniel has it right….a man who takes his wife’s last name should turn in his nuts right now. Is there anything in society anymore that is sacred? Do traditions mean nothing? You take your wife’s name, you put your balls in her purse AND you become the joke for all of your buddies (if your wife allows you to have any). You may not realize it, but it is happening. Please women, are you so in need of showing your man you are in control or revealing that you are too insecure to share his name? Don’t let your man become part of your insecurities…let him remain a man

  • Stella X.

    Hmm, I honestly don’t want to take his last name because I love my initials. I don’t care if he takes my name, but I’m guessing we’ll just keep our respective last names.

  • Kendawg

    Well my girlfriend’s name is Macbeth so hellz yeah.

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