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Why don't Spanish women change their surnames when they marry?

Spain has a unique naming tradition that keeps family heritage – and bureaucracy – simple

Spain is one of the few countries in the world where women don’t take their husband’s surname after marriage. While in many places it’s expected – and often automatic – for a woman’s surname to change, in Spain, it simply doesn’t happen. But why?

Well, it all comes down to Spain’s unique naming system. Here, everyone has two surnames: one from their father and one from their mother. So, for example, if a woman called Ana Martínez Rodríguez marries a man named Juan Sánchez Pérez, they both keep their own names. If they have a child, their surnames are combined, first taking the father’s first surname, then the mother’s first surname. Their child might be named Carlos Sánchez Martínez.

(On a side note, the common suffix ‘-ez’ on Spanish surnames originally had the meaning of ‘son of’, so someone named Álvarez was the son of Álvaro and Fernández was Fernando’s child.)

The system of Spanish surnames has deep historical roots. In the 19th century, Spain moved from parish records to a formal civil registry, which meant surnames needed to be standardised. The first civil register was set up in Madrid in 1822, and by 1840, it had expanded to all major provincial capitals. By 1871, the entire population was registered, and in 1889, the Spanish Civil Code officially established the use of both the father’s and mother’s surnames for children, a rule that still stands today.

Beyond tradition, there are also practical reasons why Spanish women don’t change their names. First, the bureaucracy involved in changing a surname is complicated. Unlike in some countries where it’s a quick and easy process, in Spain, legal name changes are rare and require a formal application, usually needing a strong reason. Even then, it can be a lengthy and frustrating process. Keeping your name simply makes life easier since your ID, bank details and official documents all stay the same.

Then there’s the feminist perspective. For many Spanish women, the idea of taking a husband’s surname feels antiquated, even sexist. They see it as a relic of a time when women were seen as property rather than individuals. In Spain, keeping your birth name is the norm. It’s a matter of identity, independence and equality.

So, the reason Spanish women don’t change their names after marriage isn’t just about tradition; it’s also about practicality, bureaucracy and, for many, a strong belief in gender equality. And honestly, it makes keeping track of family trees a whole lot easier!

Also of interest: Do you know why Spanish uses upside-down question and exclamation marks?

Image: Soulseeker/Pexels

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