4 Cool Alternatives to Taking a Partner’s Last Name in Marriage

Very few things in life are as exciting as finding your life partner. When you decide to formally declare your love for one another and start the rest of your lives together — aside from flower arrangements and guest lists — there are also other things you need to consider. For example, do you want to take your partner’s last name? If you don’t, that is perfectly okay. So, what can you do instead? Here are four awesome alternatives…

1. Use a Hyphen to Include Both Names

This is widely considered the middle ground for those who don’t want to give up their last name in favor of their partners. Since marriage is the union of two families, it would only make sense that you both join your last names to signify your union. It’s romantic, and most of those names will make you sound like a royal. Wouldn’t you like that?

2. Choose a New Last Name Altogether

Who said you should be the only person to change their last name? What if you both pick a new family name as they did in Father of the Bride Part II? It’s an amazing opportunity to start your joint life fresh with a name you chose yourself! It will make you feel special and unique. And if you don’t want to come up with an entirely new last name, you can combine both your current last names and see what comes out of that!

3. Ask Your Partner if They Don’t Want to Take Your Last Name

Traditions are often there so they can be broken. Before you start mourning the loss of your last name, try asking your partner how they feel about taking it themselves. It’s not unusual among younger generations, and it’s yet another romantic gesture that your partner can do for you.

4. Keep Your Last Name as a Middle Name

Here’s another “middle ground” option for when you want to take your partner’s last name, but you also don’t want to part with the history and meaning of yours. You can instead use your family name as your middle one and assume your partner’s last name to be yours as well.

Despite traditions, there is no actual rule about whether you should keep your family name or take the one of your significant other. Before you make any choices, you first need to ask yourself what it all means to you and how you want to present yourself to the world. Your partner will surely understand that.