FEMINISM
The Rebellious Act of Keeping My Last Name
It’s not a lack of commitment. It’s a part of who I am.
Words have meaning and names have power.
-Unknown
I did not take my husband’s name when we got married. In today’s crazy world of relationships, this may not seem like a big deal. But to me, this gesture was my small stand for womanhood.
This was my way of letting the world know that I am my own person. Yes, my heart may belong to my husband. But my name will always be my own.
I thought this was a common occurrence. But apparently, I was wrong.
Today, not many women opt to keep their own names when they get married. In fact, according to a Google consumer survey,
Only 20 percent of brides keep their maiden names today. Another 10 percent opt to hyphenate their name but still use their birth name professionally.
What’s more, this trend has remained surprisingly consistent over time.
In the 1970s approximately 17 percent of women who married for the first time kept their names, but that number fell in the 1980s to 14 percent, and then climbed again in the 1990s to 18 percent.
