Good grief, only 2% of American women keep their names when they marry! Here you have to justify a choice to take your husband’s name, it’s so rare. I couldn’t find the exact numbers at Statistics Norway but among the peope I know as many men have taken their wife’s surname as vice versa. And no, that’s not because a lot of men change their names, though unlike in the States, either way is easy enough. I guess a few women do add their husband’s name to their own, but even that’s seen as slightly off.
Of course, it’s entirely possibe that I just have strange (though loveable) friends.
Related
Discover more from Jill Walker Rettberg
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Anne
It’s most common in Canada as well. But I’ve never understood the name-changing thing, as if one day I would wake up and answer to another name! My partner and I get a good laugh from telling people he’ll take my name 😉 It says something that people are horrified by that prospect …
Robert
If I get married, I’ll probably take my wife’s name.
Jill
Is that because you like her name better than yours? Uh, come to think of it, I don’t even know if you’ve met your possibly future wife yet?
Jamie Blustein
In Quebec it you need a good reason to change your name. Being married is not sufficent reason.