what do you think?

[onefaith]

i was just wondering what everyone thought about a woman taking her husbands last name? is there anything in the bible about this?

[Pokhara]

I'm not sure that the Bible says anything about it.

[naarah bet-Melek]

i was just wondering what everyone thought about a woman taking her husbands last name? is there anything in the bible about this?

I guess it really depends on how the husband to be views his wife not taking his last name. In some countries the husband takes the wife's last name... Ephesians 5 tells wives to be subject to our husbands as to the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife , as Christ also is the head of the body............Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband..............If your future husband is indifferent to the matter and is happy to let you decide on the matter with no resentment or feelings of  rejection then I guess its up to the individual.

[Jon-Marc]

I've never had any problem with it and never thought about it. Some women keep their own name--especially if they've built up a successful business with their own name--like doctors. Why should they have to change it to something their customers, patients, or clients wouldn't recognize? Of course, they could always contact everyone and tell them, "My name will be changing from Smith to Guggenheimerstein." Try to get that on a business card.  One of my daughters married a Smith.

[vikkijones]

I know in the Bible it says that when people get married, they become one, so somewhere down the line man incorporated changing of the last name and since the man is supposed to be the head of the house then the woman had to take on her husband's last name. Personally, I will be changing my last name to(i don't really want to) my husband's last name but using my maiden name in my profession.

[HRoberson]

It was commonly understood that the wife was the husband's property.

Who's name should she use?

[James Rondon]

i was just wondering what everyone thought about a woman taking her husbands last name? is there anything in the bible about this?

While "last names" are a more modern practice, the concept is not. Compare the geneologies in the Bible, as well as the idea of tribes and even households.

[Imabear]

You should try doing a genealogy in Sweden.  You only have to go back a few generations to find that great-great grandfather Olaf's son's were named Lars Olsson, and the daughter's were named Kristina Olsdotter.  Then Lars Olsson's son would be August Larsson.  Yep, the last names changed every generation, and the sons had different last names than the daughters.   It appears that the woman took her husband's last name when they married, but then of course their kids would just be known as the husband's sons or "dotters".

I think as long as the husband and wife agree, it's okay.  Some choose to use a hyphenated name, but I wanted a shorter name rather than a longer one.  :)