In a same-sex marriage who takes whose last name?

Answer 1

A party to a same-sex marriage, civil partnership and even domestic partnership in some jurisdictions, is entitled to adopt the surname of his husband (or her wife). The name change is optional and can be done at any time after the marriage, even years later. There is no need to obtain a court order. Usually, the couple will decide together whether one will take the others surname or if they will hyphenate and merge their last names. Factors that enter into the decision about which spouse will change his/her name include: (1) personal preference (some surnames are nicer than others); (2) family ties (someone estranged from their father is likely willing to give up using that name); (3) professional license (possessing one typically makes you less likely to change your name); (4) citizenship (aliens sometimes cannot change their name by same-sex marriage).

Answer 2

Some couples choose to continue using the same surnames they each had before they married. After all, in some parts of the country, changing one's name upon marriage is considered old-fashioned, especially among licensed professionals.

Other options are: choose one surname and both use that surname; combine both surnames using a hyphen and both use that name; choose a third surname and both begin using that name. The third choice may require a court ordered name change in some states.

Answer 3

Either spouse make take the others last name, or they may combine their last names with a hyphen, or they may each keep their own last name.