Comments on: Changing Names: Italian Women Keep Their Own Upon Marriage

By: CarryAnne

CarryAnne — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:58:23 +0000

I didn’t want to forsake my lyrical Italian name for my husband’s bland Anglo-Saxon name, but I did because of pressure from him. When I divorced I wanted my name back, but my aunt convinced me that it was better professionally to have the white bread name, and then there were the kids. Kids are grown now and I use my maiden name as a middle name professionally, because there are TOO MANY people with my christened-surname combination otherwise. I really wish I had never taken a husband’s name. If I ever remarry, I’ll revert to my Italian maiden name.

By: Brianna

Brianna — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:20:10 +0000

@mimi: “In Italy since 1975 a woman legally keeps her birth name. Socially, she may add her husband’s name to the end of her name linked with the word in: for example, if Maria Rossi marries Carlo Bianchi she can then use the form Maria Rossi in Bianchi…”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Married_and_maiden_names#Italy

By: mimi

mimi — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:10:37 +0000

I have been doing genealogy on my Italian side of the family. All of my Italians aunts changed their names when they married. Also, the documents that I found of my ancestors in Italy all of the women changed their names when they married. Is not changing the name custom only to a certain region? How long has this been custom? My documents go all the way back to early 1800′s and my great great grandmother definitely changed her name. I asked my great aunt who is from Italy and she this was the first she heard of this.

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 01 May 2010 16:35:25 +0000

I just married an Italian and didn’t legally change my name. We live in the US and I had always planned to change my name. In fact, all my family assumed I did and sent ‘Happy Wedding’ checks addressed to me with my husband’s surname.

So here I am… I still want to change it, but we’re moving to Italy this summer. Should I just suck it up and keep my old name because it will cause too much confusion over there? Ack…

By: Deirdre Straughan

Deirdre Straughan — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 06:21:39 +0000

If you’re marrying under US law I guess you could change your name, but I suspect that wouldn’t apply back in Italy. Or you’d have to go through one hell of a dance with the anagrafe about it…

By: zybix

zybix — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:52:09 +0000

Hi, just a question. I am italan, and about to get married to an american guy in las vegas (under US law): can i change my surname to his? id love to…
cheers and thank u
z.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:43:05 +0000

A friend of mine was named Fugelhawke, and her fiance’ used the nick-name Hawke in D&D, so they both changed to Hawke upon marrying.