Ellie Taylor on married names.

Life Another of those blog posts in which the writer has obviously written something in rage and passion, hesitated, thought "fuck it" and clicked the "publish" button on their blogging software, to which I always have to say well done. I wish I had this courage:

" (then) my friends go and change their surnames and I hate it.

"I HATE it. It’s visceral. And it’s usually Facebook’s bloody fault. A day/48 hours/a week have passed since vows have been exchanged and FaceyB casually notifies me that my friend has changed her name. Just like that. In a meaningless notification. Like they are a Farmville request. A tiny insignificant notification to tell me that my friend no longer has the name that has defined her, no, been her, forever.

"And then I feel angry."

It's their choice of course, a symbol of their union, but it's also an antiquated historical hand-me-down, especially since it's not balanced. Men don't change their surnames the other way. Double barrelled, yes, sometimes, but why doesn't the man never, never adopt the lady's surname?