Customs Relating To Maiden Names in Marriages
In many cultures, traditionally a woman inherits her surname or birth name from her father and changes it to match her husband's surname (which he inherited from his father). This name change custom has been criticized for a number of reasons. It can be construed as meaning the woman's father and then husband had control over her, and it means that lines of male descent (patrilineality) are seen as primary—that a child has no inherited name tying him or her to female ancestors (matrilineality). Moreover, it means that women have no matrilineal surnames of their own, but only "place-markers" indicating their relationship to men. However, for a further treatment of matrilineal surnames or matrinames, see Matriname.
In the remainder of this article, birth name, family name, surname, married name and maiden name are always patrilineal surnames unless explicitly stated to be matrilineal surnames.
Read more about this topic: Married And Maiden Names
Famous quotes containing the words customs, relating, maiden, names and/or marriages:
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—Anna C. Brackett (1836–1911)
“The middle years are ones in which children increasingly face conflicts on their own,... One of the truths to be faced by parents during this period is that they cannot do the work of living and relating for their children. They can be sounding boards and they can probe with the children the consequences of alternative actions.”
—Dorothy H. Cohen (20th century)
“Ma’am! What am I your maiden aunt? Call me Mrs. Aragon. Call me Belle. Call me madame if you’re tired of living, but don’t call me ma’am.”
—Frank S. Nugent (1908–1965)
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—William Hazlitt (1778–1830)
“If common sense had been consulted, how many marriages would never have taken place; if uncommon or divine sense, how few marriages such as we witness would ever have taken place!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)