Why some men are taking their wife’s last name — and giving up their own

 

When a 32-year-old man took his wife’s last name, he felt really good about his decision.

He wasn’t attached to his own last name since his father isn’t a part of his life, and he wanted to share a last name with his partner. Through conversations, it became clear to him that his spouse’s last name was significant to her.

Her family name was more important to her than his name was to him, which I think was really the main point in his own deliberation on the topic.

Why would A man ask his new wife to take a last name that he didn’t even really want to pass on to his kids? 

when they got hitched become a (wife's family name). He has legally changed his name on all government ID(s).

asking you to marry me
will require you changing your last name to mine.

As soon as you get engaged, many brides start hearing this question: “So, are you changing your name?” And while taking your husband’s name is traditional, it’s not the only option! You can keep your maiden name, hyphenate or come up with a new name that combines both of your last names. But what about your husband taking your last name instead?

Not surprisingly, women have been significantly more enthusiastic about it when they get to the point of asking the man's name change.

This is a bit of a unicorn, men taking women’s last names in heterosexual relationships is a “very, very rare event.”

The cultural norm still is overwhelmingly that men do not change their name at marriage, Almost every man who’s getting married to a woman is not going to be changing his name.

- While a man taking his wife's name is uncommon, it's not unheard of. ... That's because, depending on the state, your husband's name change may not be considered part of the marriage process, but instead is seen as a legal name change where a marriage license isn't enough. 

- When a man decides to take a woman's last name, the most common reasons include the man not liking his own last name, not feeling attached to his family name or making a political statement.

- When a person (traditionally the wife in many cultures) assumes the family name of their spouse, in some countries that name replaces the person's previous surname, which in the case of the wife is called the maiden name (birth name is also used as a gender-neutral or masculine substitute for maiden name.

- In some states, married women could not legally vote under their maiden name until the mid-1970s. The opposite—a man taking his wife's name—remains incredibly rare: In a recent study of 877 heterosexual married men, less than 3 percent took their wife's name when they got married.

-  those with this belief look to Ephesians 5:22-24 which calls women to submit to their husbands in everything. “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.

- Is there a time limit to change your name after marriage?

The good news is that there is no time limit to changing names after marriage. While most brides make the transition to their new name within 2-3 months of their wedding, some brides may take years. If you decide to take your spouse's name in place of your own surname the process is very straightforward.

He will take my last name in our union, I'm happy
 but I'm a bit concerned that of we spit he will change his name back to his original last name!

Final thought

While a man taking his wife’s name is uncommon, it’s not unheard of. Hyphenating or combining names is the more common option, and celebrities from Beyoncé and Jay-Z Knowles-Carter to John and Yoko Ono Lennon have chosen to simply use both of their last names. Even Antonio Villaraigosa, former mayor of Los Angeles, has a combined name: His last name used to be Villar, his ex-wife’s last name was Raigosa, and though they’re divorced, they both continue to use the combined name they created. And while they’re no longer married, Jack White got his last name (and the inspiration for the band’s name) from his ex-wife and former White Stripes bandmate Meg White.

It’s worth noting that, while the name change process for women is relatively similar from state to state, the process for men varies drastically.