We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us why they did or didn't take their husband's last name. From inspiring to heartbreaking to downright badass, here are their stories.
1. "He's not the one who graduated with a chemistry degree, and he's not the one going to school to be a doctor. I am."
2. "I took my husband's last name because my maiden name is Coward. Seriously."
3. "We have the same last name. In our case, it really was a 'Nguyen-Nguyen' situation. I’ll be here all night."
4. "I took my husband's last name because it symbolizes we are one."
5. "Because I married a woman and she took mine."
6. "I liked the idea of having the same last name as my kids."
7. "I kept my last name because I earned it."
"Throughout my whole childhood I was constantly made fun of for my last name. I was always so embarrassed and couldn't wait to turn 18 to legally change it. But, I didn't. The bullying and embarrassment sucked, but I got through it and my name made me who I am. I love my husband, but his name is his, and my name is mine. It took me nearly 30 years, but I'm proud of my whole name and I'm not giving that up for anybody."
8. "I’m from Utah and a former member of the Mormon church, so it was just assumed I would take my husband’s last name."
"I was married at 22 and thought being married defined me. Now, at 28, I wish I had kept my last name or at least hyphenated it because I’ve matured enough to realize I’m not just my husband’s wife.
9. "I lost my father right before I got married and he didn’t have much to leave me."
"I just wanted to keep my last name for a while since it felt like the last thing he had to give me. I wound up divorced six years later, so that sentiment saved some headache down the road."
10. "I took my husband's last name because I chose him and he chose me."
11. "I can’t wait to take my fiancé’s last name! It symbolizes our new journey together as a family."
12. "I didn't take my husband's last name because your name is a pretty important part of your identity."
13. "My parents refused to take each other's last names, so when they married they picked a new last name and passed it on to me."
14. "I didn't take my husband's last name because my husband and I are separate people."
15. "I took my husband's last name because I like how it makes us an easily identifiable team."
16. "My parents, the two people who literally made me, gave me my name and I won't change it for a guy I met three years ago."
17. "Because my father was never there for me."
"I jumped at the opportunity to take my husband's last name rather than live with the name of someone who doesn’t care about me."
18. "I'm only a teenager, but I know I will not take my husband's last name."
"I'm biracial, so my first name is a traditional white last name and my last name is Cambodian. I don't want to lose that part of myself. My last name has been a massive part of my identity, and because my family survived a genocide, I want to keep the family name going on."
19. "I took my husband's name because it sounds better with my first name than my maiden name did. It's prettier!"
"A few years after I got married, my father and I had a horrible falling out and our relationship was profoundly altered. I was very grateful I no longer had his last name — and he couldn't claim ownership of me."