21st-century trend sees more men taking wives' surnames

11 October,2011 11:22 AM IST |   |  Agencies

A possibility of emerging matriarchal system in the society is predictable with men increasingly taking on their wife's surname after marriage


A possibility of emerging matriarchal system in the society is predictable with men increasingly taking on their wife's surname after marriage.u00a0

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Marriage celebrants are conducting more ceremonies for couples turning tradition on its head and taking the bride's name.
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"A husband taking his wife's name is a very 21st-century idea," the Daily Telegraph quoted social demographer Bernard Salt as saying.
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"It's very much a Generation Y trait and I think it reflects the changing nature of relationships," he stated.
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Salt said that although this trend was becoming more widely accepted, a man who opts to take his partner's surname might be criticised by judgmental onlookers.
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"People who are forerunners of social change are always remarked upon and sometimes teased and mocked," he said.
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The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages do not keep statistics on men who take their wife's surname.
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But Sydney marriage celebrant Jan Littlejohn said the trend was catching on saying "I have seen it several times in the last few months"
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And Charles Foley, a Queanbeyan celebrant, added: "More and more men in younger generations seem to be less hung up on name matters."
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