What’s a maiden name?

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A maiden name is the last name used by a woman before changing her name upon marriage. Some people prefer to use the term “birth name.” As a general rule, a woman’s maiden name is her father’s surname, reflecting the patrilineal system of descent that dominates many cultures.
If a woman was born with the name “Jane Smith” and chose to marry “John Jones,” she could choose to change her last name to Jones, becoming “Jane Jones.” In this scenario, “Smith” would be Jane’s maiden name. Some women prefer to keep their maiden names, using them alone or spelling their surnames, becoming “Jane Smith-Jones” in the example above.

The practice of changing one’s name after marriage is controversial among some groups. Some people feel it is patriarchal, linking the name change with identifying a woman as a man’s property, in a way. Others feel that it simply undermines a woman’s personal identity by rejecting her long family history. For professional women especially, keeping a maiden name can be a matter of career advancement, especially if they became famous before marriage.

There are several ways to indicate a maiden name in the text. Using our Jane Smith from above, her name could be spelled “Jane Jones née Smith” or “Jane (Smith) Jones”. Many genealogists like to indicate the original of women on their family trees to make it easier to trace the family history of women in a family. Some women may also use this format in formal correspondence, especially if they are recently married, so that recipients of a letter know who the communication is from.

As a general rule, a legal procedure is required to change one’s name after marriage, although the expenses are often minimal to make it as simple as possible. Women may also choose to legally leave their maiden name intact, but use a married name socially. When changing your maiden name, it’s important to make sure it’s changed on all legal documents and identification documents, to ensure there is no confusion.

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