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

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

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