Last names. A tried and true tradition in weddings as far as anyone can tell, really, or at least until the 11th century. Yes, the tradition of the bride taking her husband’s last name is one that exists firmly in our society.
But if that isn’t for you? We see it all the time, with wives keeping their given name professionally, and changing their last name for legal purposes. And that’s not even looking at couples outside of the heterosexual space. And we’re all accustomed to the couples that will hyphenate their new last name together becoming “Miller-Jones” or “Hearon-Smith”.
A NEW COMING TOGETHER, A NEW TRADITION
But with that being said, we’re seeing a new tradition of “the last name” appearing. More and more couples are looking towards the idea of combining their last names into a new word, one that isn’t hyphenated, or even selecting a new word entirely.
A couple sat down with the New York Times, and spoke about how they selected the word “Mente” to be their last name. Being the Spanish word for mind, mente was selected because it is “reflecting their commitment to mindfulness and their admiration of each other’s intellect with honoring the bride’s Colombian roots.”
Another couple spoke with The Lilly about how they went about creating their new last name from combining each or their given names. They chose “Goldtzvik” as a combination of “Goldberg” and “Cwik” as a more practical option to their hyphenating which can get a bit complicated in future generations.
For both the Goldtzviks and the Mentes, creating a brand new last name also is a symbol of their family that they are creating together. It’s the beginning of a new journey, and this name is a way for them to kick it off.
IT’S YOUR WEDDING, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR NAME IF YOU WANT TO
As with anything, people can find their own pros and cons to a situation like this, but I say that first and foremost this is the couple’s decision. It’s your wedding! It’s your new life together! Do what makes you happiest! And if this is what that is, then all parties involved should support such a creative symbol of love.
