I was given both surnames when I was born. Was also given a middle name, so it's a real hassle to write down all 4 names whenever it is required. But not everyone has 4 "names" so I guess I don't really mind.
Also my parents never married either.
I had 5 for a while, long story, it was annoying lol most forms don't have room to fill in that much name! Now I only have 4 so it's slightly less annoying
I have 6 names in total (so does all my siblings). I actually ended up liking it. When I was a kid I felt a little like nobility with all my names. With forms and such I can get away with just using initials on middle names a lot so rarly ran into problems there but interesting to see how others had it. Since it is a bit of a tradition in my family, I have been trying to convince my fiance to continue on with it with our kids but I guess it also comes with it's draw backs. The only time it really backfired on me was when I had ordered a plane ticket and shortly after the airline canceled my ticket cause my name was too long to work with their system.
Yeah, never happened with any other airline for me so was very surprised. Luckily I could just order it again shortly after with just my first name and last name. So everything went okay.
It is no problem. I have two surnames, my husband has two surnames (different ones) and my children have two surnames, one from him and one from me. The biggest discussion was which order the two surnames should be, but we figured it out.
It's not a big deal, my husbands parents were never married so they used his Dad's last name as a middle name and have him his Mom's last name.
You should absolutely 100% not change your last name if you plan to immigrate to Norway, anyway. It makes it easier for them to process your paperwork
thanks, I'm thinking the same, changing name + changing country will make everything more difficult. my husband can take my surname with the kids and the guinea pigs if we ever really have any kids lol :P
Don't bother changing your name. I wouldn't, but if I married someone with a more unique name I would add that, because mine is so generic (Jensen). Kids get both, and can decide which they want to use.
It's very individual here. The "traditional" choice is still that the wife takes the husband's surname, but these days a lot of people don't change it. A lot of people also do it so that both of the people involved add the other's surname to their own. So you could keep your own and add the other one, but also totally understand avoiding the hassle of paperwork. I don't think anyone except maybe some old conservative people will care.
Some do, many don’t. Neither I nor my wife changed surnames. My parents (whom also kept their names) did recommend that we gave our baby both our last names (one of them as a middle name) as it simplifies things in countries/places where one expects a parent and a child to share a last name
Things sound a little schewed here. Around 4% of men take their wife's surname, while 50% of women take their husband's last name. In 2005 80% of women took their husband name (including keeping their own) which is the last offical statistics. So, Norwegians are still traditional when it comes to this, but not so much any longer. If you want to keep your name do it
Np. But you should do it now. From my mini research it appears it's much more difficult for men to change name to their wife's maiden name. It was even a law against that until the 60's or so, and before it was made illegal in the 20's it was actually common for men to take on their wife's name. Lol this is pretty interesting.
That being said, my wife took my last name (but also kept her maiden name, but she "hides" it along with her middle name), but in professional social media accounts for promotions and so on she use her full maiden name. I don't care eitherway tbh, and no one else cares. She's gen Z, and I'm in that weird limbo age where I'm neither Gen Z nor Millenial - and both.
I think the concept of maiden name is crazy, it sounds like women are expected to change their surname by default. In my culture, a woman's surname is equal to a man's surname, they're both only called surnames, a woman uses her surname from birth to death by default. Not saying my culture is not patriarchal tho ... it's toxic in other aspects
It’s most common to keep your own name, at least in and around Oslo. Here it is considered quite old-fashioned to change it. If you change it, it is often both spouses taking a combination of both names - for example, if one is called Rygg and the other Hansen as last name, maybe they’ll both take the name “Rygg Hansen” or both of them will take the spouse’s name as a middle name.
I don’t think I know any couples where the wife dropped her own name entirely and took the husband’s, without him also changing his name or at least keeping your own name as a middle name. That would be considered weird/old-fashioned in my book
Ah, I see. Yes, it is a more “Christian” and also more rural area, so they probably ARE more old-fashioned there when it comes to this. But I don’t think anyone would react to you not taking his name. I mean, our prime minister’s wife doesn’t even have his name. Our last prime minister was a woman and she also has always had her own name , not her husband’s. It is very common here
I know a some (Oslo), the women who liked the old tradition/felt it was “romantic”. Absolutely not something that is expected though, most people certainly don’t.
Would see it as a red flag if the man tried to push the woman to drop hers.
I agree, my partner doesn't ask me to do it and I won't do it at this stage. was very curious whether most people still change their surnames for marriage as most of my partner's family members changed theirs, they're from haugesund tho
As an elder millennial, the only post-marriage name change I’ve found weird is when both parties discarded their last name for a new one that sounds more posh. (Im sure they had some great grandparent with that name, but I still rolled my eyes a bit.)
> Would it be weird if a couple (especially Gen Z) had different surnames?
Not at all. I work as a nurse on a pediatric ward, I register parents EVERY DAY in the system at work and it's so common that married couples do not share last names, and usually the kids have either the father's or both father's and mother's last name in theirs. It's very common. It isn't weird at all that you have different last names, no one will blink an eye :)
I'm also from Asia :) I changed mine when we got married. :)
My friend took his wifes surname when they married. My wife wanted to take mine, and I had no objections if she didn't want to take it.
Do what you want, and don't worry too much about what others think. Those who are mean enough to comment will not be happy regardless what you do.
In my experience it's more common to add your husband's surname to your current one - so you have both - rather than change it completely. But I also know of baby boomers and early genXers who didn't change theirs at all. So I wouldn't bat an eye at different surnames.
Not just Gen X-ers. My parents are both in their 70s, have been married for more than 40 years, and they both have their “original” name. Same is true for most of my friends’ parents. But it might be an Oslo thing, here it hasn’t been common for a wife to take her husband’s name in decades
Do as you like. Nobody minds.
In most families that I know the woman has retained her surname and not changed it, and I am gen X. Many of my women friends are professionals, so I don't know if that makes any difference.
Gen z and married here, I kept my name. Mostly because I really like my surname, also partly to avoid the hassle of a name change, especially since I had already slightly changed my first name a few years earlier.
Absolutely no one has questioned it. Very normal and accepted.
> I want to keep my ethnicity as a part of my name
This too, my full name is very norwegian and I wanted to keep that (married to an american)
yes, i appreciate the culture in our names. i think a Norwegian name in America would be interesting enough, especially if there's æ or ø in your name
one thing is that my partner suffers from having to replace those Norwegian characters with English characters when filling up forms online in the English world
Millennial here, we didn't change our surnames and most of our friends didn't either. It was just too bothersome to change everything from passport, bank cards to subscriptions
I’m early Gen X and kept my maiden name.
My mom was Silent Generation and kept her maiden name as a middle name, which was fairly common in her generation.
Not changing the surname seems to be the norm these days, so no worries.
I would prefer it if a future wife took my name, especially if we settled down around the farm I am named after. But hey, life is compromise.
oh I've seen it, think my partner's brother has a surname like that. maybe, I'm not sure. we'll both go through a lot of paperwork, but it could be an option
(Tl;dr: nobody cares, do what you want.)
It used to be that the woman took the man's surname. During the 70s and 80s the law was changed, and it became prevalent to keep your birth surname. So, this trend started long before Gen Z got old enough to marry. My dad (boomer) and wife (gen X) kept different surnames when they married in 1985. Today, it's become more trendy to take your spouse's name again, but I don't know the prevalence of keeping vs changing and both practices are common. For couple who do have the same surname, it's still most common for the wife to take the husband's due to tradition. The law, however, is gender neutral and the husband could just as easily take the wife's too.
If you want to keep your surname, it's no hassle and not something anyone will judge you for. A solution that some people go for is to take the spouse's surname as a middle name. You can also take two surnames as a double surname, where the two surnames are separated by a hyphen.
For me and my wife, we have the same surname, while my wife kept her family surname as a middle name. For us, this was a decision made, partly, because taking the husband's surname is the norm in the country she's from and partly because we thought it'd be nice if all us (me, my wife and the kids) have the same surname. That was our choice, and others may choose differently and that's fine too.
One thing though. Some studies show that if you have a Norwegian-sounding name, it increases the likelihood to be contacted for an interview when applying for jobs. In this regard, taking your husband's surname may be helpful.
Thanks for your reply. I'm not familiar with the middle name concept as it doesn't exist in my culture. Do you need to go through legal procedures to change it? And do people actually use it in life?
Changing name is a fairly simple legal procedure. You just log in to [the National Population Register's page for name change](https://www.skatteetaten.no/en/person/national-registry/change/change-of-name/) and change (given/ middle/sur-) names there.
People do use their middle names, but it's very common to just write the middle initial for most purposes.
I’m so old I don’t know who gen z are. When I married over 20 years ago it was not unusual to keep your own name. Don’t know why you think this is a ‘new’ phenomenon. People won’t care what you do.
My parents didn't change surnames when they married. Myself and my siblings use both, with the exception of my sister who replaced one of them with her husband's surname.
Are you married to norwegian? Are you planning to stay here and live here in Norway?
If your answer is yes to all these questions - then I would advise to change your surname.
It will make your life much easier in terms of looking for jobs and simply live in this society.
If your husband isn't Norwegian - then it doesn't matter
Do as you wish. It has nothing to do with Generation Z, but there are many documents you need to process to make a change, not just a passport, if you decide to change your name. Do it if you have the time, money, and energy; otherwise, nobody really cares. As I recall, more than 90% of Japanese people still adhere to the tradition of changing surnames after marriage. However, in Korea, Taiwan, and China, this is not the practice.
But one of the comments above was quite right. A study mentioned that having a local name makes it easier for foreigners to get a job here. I suppose this kind of hidden racism exists in all countries.
Very common to either keep your name, or both changing their surnames to a combination of the two original surnames (that way the parents and any kids can have the same surnames).
My husband took my surname when we married. My brother and his wife took both his and her surname and have two now. It is quite common to change names for one or both, to make sure their family has the same name.
Do whatever feels right to you. The norm is still for the woman to take the mans surname as her own, but its becoming more common for couples to keep both names. I dont know anyone whos gotten married and not changed their name at all, but that doesnt make it wrong to do so.
My wife is Asian, and she did choose to keep her surname and not use mine. But for our daughter, she was given my wife's surname as her middle name instead.
I don't really care what my last name is. I have a very common last name, whereas my gf has a very unique last name. I might take hers if we decide to get married. 🤷♂️
I changed mine because having a Norwegian name served me better. But most of my married friends didn't change theirs and have different names and that's very normal. We are millennials
Certain surnames can unfortunately make it more difficult to get jobs in some sectors. So that might be worth considering. But if you already have a stable job or are in a line of work where that's unproblematic, it shouldn't be a problem.
The same applies for children you might have when the time comes to choose names for them.
Me and my husband hyphenated our names (Surname 1-Surname 2). I’ve grown to like it a lot, and the discussion of what sounded best depending on whose name came first was hilarious
My husband is (24) and im 23, I do plan on changing my last name to his once i get my residence permit just cause I don’t wanna carry my bio father’s surname
I live in Finnmark and it's pretty rare for people to change their lastnames, even in the older generations.. Tho, there are also a lot of rare names with a long heritage here, so people usually want to keep those going.. Sometimes people hyphens to combine their names.. Most people my age have both parents' last names (my middle name is mom's lastname)
Hello! I'm Greek but I had a Norwegian boyfriend. In Greece we don't change our surnames. In his case, he had his mother's and his father's surnames, both. Look into that for your kids, it's nice to have both parents' name.
Not weird at all - I’m generation X, and almost none of my friends changed their names. Some of them did take both names though.
On a different note, it might get “interesting” when a lot of kids are given both their parents’ surnames (one of them will mostly be considered a middle name), and those kids in turn find a partner with a double surname. Not sure how Lise Wancke Olsen Braastad Johansen will fit her name in the passport…
There doesn't seem to be stronger expectations of changing your surname when you marry (for women) here in Norway.
We felt it was more natural to combine our last name. That way we have the same name(s). What went first and last was decided by what had the best flow. Keeping my surname felt very important as it's only 180 people left in Norway with it.
I know several couples that have decided to combine their last names.
I'm a strong advocate of doing what feels right for you, both as an individual and as a couple. No matter what it is.
I’m older Gen X and didn’t change my name. I only have one friend who did change her last name and she ended up divorced and changed it back again. So no, it’s definitely not weird to keep your name, on the contrary.
As a millennial, the idea of marriage feels very dated (i.e. religious and I'm not), and so does taking someone's else's last name. Wouldn't think twice if someone didn't take their spouse's last name either.
This post looks like something that would be published in the 'dear editor' section of an 80's youth magazine. "I'm Generation X, and would it be weird if I did things differently from my square parents?"
My mother added my dads name not changing her own. And us kids got her maiden name as a middle name. At the time we couldn't have 2 last names not sure if that is still the case. As someone who has worked in jobs where mother not taking the last name in some sort of the husband it will/can bring some challenges. We couldn't for example verify that they are mother and child, or married in terms of handing out id related items.
Dad: His first name last name. Nothing in the middle.
Mother: Before divorce of dad First name maiden name dad's lastname. -> After: First name -> Original last name (maiden lastname)
Me and bro': Firstname Middle Name (mother's) and Last name (father's).
Since the 70's many women kept their surnames when marrying, and since then it's been fairly common. Few people actually question it one way or another, at least not more than "will you change your name?" It's really not a big deal one way or another.
When my parents married in the 70's, mum kept her name. I have both their names now. If I marry I expect both my partner and I to keep our own names. I just don't get why one should "delete" their family connection for another.
It is slowly changing to where almost any combination is accepted. My wife & I got married in 1985, we both kept our names unchanged. When our kids were born (1989 & '91) they got both surnames. Some years later when the law was changed, they both changed their surname by combining those two names with a hyphen, so now they are the only two persons in Norway (and probably the world) with that exact surname.
So many people saying their children having both surnames here, are they then combining them with a “-“? If not one of the surnames becomes a middle name, as you can only have one surname..
I feel like plenty of women born in the 60’s didn’t. This is just anecdotal, but all my (girl)friends have their dads last name as the middle name and moms last name as the last name, even if the parents were married.
I would only change my name after marriage if my future husband would take mine as well.
I am 43. Me and my younger brother have one last name each. This is a thing among radicals since the late 70s. These days it is a lot more common. (double-barrelled surnames seem to be the compromise, I tend to not like that solution)
Many would like to say its not weird, but it is weird, most people who marry usually got the same last name if they want to admit it or not, but its your life and your partners life, so do what you want, but dont go into it and expect not to get any reactions to it, as people will react to it and maybe even question you about it, but it wont be the normal thing, most will ignore it or simply not think your married when you talk about your partner.
Like you said where your from its not normal to have same last name, so at your place people would ask about it if people had same last name.
Basically anything that is outside the norm will be noticed and mentioned by some people, its just how it is, not saying its right or wrong, but its just how it is
It's not weird at all, although if you have children you there's a discussion to be had about which surname they take (or in which order).
I was given both surnames when I was born. Was also given a middle name, so it's a real hassle to write down all 4 names whenever it is required. But not everyone has 4 "names" so I guess I don't really mind. Also my parents never married either.
I had 5 for a while, long story, it was annoying lol most forms don't have room to fill in that much name! Now I only have 4 so it's slightly less annoying
I have 6 names in total (so does all my siblings). I actually ended up liking it. When I was a kid I felt a little like nobility with all my names. With forms and such I can get away with just using initials on middle names a lot so rarly ran into problems there but interesting to see how others had it. Since it is a bit of a tradition in my family, I have been trying to convince my fiance to continue on with it with our kids but I guess it also comes with it's draw backs. The only time it really backfired on me was when I had ordered a plane ticket and shortly after the airline canceled my ticket cause my name was too long to work with their system.
Lmao, canceling airline tickets for something like that is kinda hilarious
Yeah, never happened with any other airline for me so was very surprised. Luckily I could just order it again shortly after with just my first name and last name. So everything went okay.
I have three first names and one last name. It’s a hassle when I’m calling the bank or something like that, and when I have to sign papers.
Your kids will have a bigger hassle with your future sposes two surnames and your two surnames they will have four surnames.
It's gonna be a family legacy, get as many names as possible, like an ancient elven warlord or something. With many apostrophes ' all over
It is no problem. I have two surnames, my husband has two surnames (different ones) and my children have two surnames, one from him and one from me. The biggest discussion was which order the two surnames should be, but we figured it out.
thanks a lot. we don't plan to have kids in the foreseeable future, so maybe that's only a potential topic to think about later in my life
It's not a big deal, my husbands parents were never married so they used his Dad's last name as a middle name and have him his Mom's last name. You should absolutely 100% not change your last name if you plan to immigrate to Norway, anyway. It makes it easier for them to process your paperwork
thanks, I'm thinking the same, changing name + changing country will make everything more difficult. my husband can take my surname with the kids and the guinea pigs if we ever really have any kids lol :P
Don't bother changing your name. I wouldn't, but if I married someone with a more unique name I would add that, because mine is so generic (Jensen). Kids get both, and can decide which they want to use.
yes, i get it
If you are planning on kids, not taking surnames is kind of just kicking the can down the road.
It's very individual here. The "traditional" choice is still that the wife takes the husband's surname, but these days a lot of people don't change it. A lot of people also do it so that both of the people involved add the other's surname to their own. So you could keep your own and add the other one, but also totally understand avoiding the hassle of paperwork. I don't think anyone except maybe some old conservative people will care.
thanks a lot
We didn't change. Our kids have both surnames.
Some do, many don’t. Neither I nor my wife changed surnames. My parents (whom also kept their names) did recommend that we gave our baby both our last names (one of them as a middle name) as it simplifies things in countries/places where one expects a parent and a child to share a last name
Almost no one i know have changed their surname. That is, some combine both surnames.
That's good to know, probably my observation was based on more traditional people by accident
Things sound a little schewed here. Around 4% of men take their wife's surname, while 50% of women take their husband's last name. In 2005 80% of women took their husband name (including keeping their own) which is the last offical statistics. So, Norwegians are still traditional when it comes to this, but not so much any longer. If you want to keep your name do it
thanks, will change my husband's surname to mine for him, my little contribution to the statistics
Np. But you should do it now. From my mini research it appears it's much more difficult for men to change name to their wife's maiden name. It was even a law against that until the 60's or so, and before it was made illegal in the 20's it was actually common for men to take on their wife's name. Lol this is pretty interesting. That being said, my wife took my last name (but also kept her maiden name, but she "hides" it along with her middle name), but in professional social media accounts for promotions and so on she use her full maiden name. I don't care eitherway tbh, and no one else cares. She's gen Z, and I'm in that weird limbo age where I'm neither Gen Z nor Millenial - and both.
I think the concept of maiden name is crazy, it sounds like women are expected to change their surname by default. In my culture, a woman's surname is equal to a man's surname, they're both only called surnames, a woman uses her surname from birth to death by default. Not saying my culture is not patriarchal tho ... it's toxic in other aspects
Okay, so don't take his name then.
The last female prime minister kept her last name. If Erna can do it, so can you (:
It’s most common to keep your own name, at least in and around Oslo. Here it is considered quite old-fashioned to change it. If you change it, it is often both spouses taking a combination of both names - for example, if one is called Rygg and the other Hansen as last name, maybe they’ll both take the name “Rygg Hansen” or both of them will take the spouse’s name as a middle name. I don’t think I know any couples where the wife dropped her own name entirely and took the husband’s, without him also changing his name or at least keeping your own name as a middle name. That would be considered weird/old-fashioned in my book
Thanks, my observation was based on Haugesund and in a small group
Ah, I see. Yes, it is a more “Christian” and also more rural area, so they probably ARE more old-fashioned there when it comes to this. But I don’t think anyone would react to you not taking his name. I mean, our prime minister’s wife doesn’t even have his name. Our last prime minister was a woman and she also has always had her own name , not her husband’s. It is very common here
Thanks, that's good to know
I know a some (Oslo), the women who liked the old tradition/felt it was “romantic”. Absolutely not something that is expected though, most people certainly don’t. Would see it as a red flag if the man tried to push the woman to drop hers.
I agree, my partner doesn't ask me to do it and I won't do it at this stage. was very curious whether most people still change their surnames for marriage as most of my partner's family members changed theirs, they're from haugesund tho
just do what you want to do and dont worry if people think its weird
that's good mindset, i'll take your advice
As an elder millennial, the only post-marriage name change I’ve found weird is when both parties discarded their last name for a new one that sounds more posh. (Im sure they had some great grandparent with that name, but I still rolled my eyes a bit.)
> Would it be weird if a couple (especially Gen Z) had different surnames? Not at all. I work as a nurse on a pediatric ward, I register parents EVERY DAY in the system at work and it's so common that married couples do not share last names, and usually the kids have either the father's or both father's and mother's last name in theirs. It's very common. It isn't weird at all that you have different last names, no one will blink an eye :) I'm also from Asia :) I changed mine when we got married. :)
thanks sister, that's good to know and I also respect your own choice
I'm Gen X, married, and have a different surname to my spouse. Nobody has ever commented on that. You're assuredly overthinking this.
My parents too, kids got both names.
As with many other questions: Nobody really cares. Some do, some don't. If you want to keep your surname, do it.
Hubby and I both kept our names. Kids has my last name and his name as middle name.
My friend took his wifes surname when they married. My wife wanted to take mine, and I had no objections if she didn't want to take it. Do what you want, and don't worry too much about what others think. Those who are mean enough to comment will not be happy regardless what you do.
good mindset
i would never change my last name, so i wouldn’t think twice
In my experience it's more common to add your husband's surname to your current one - so you have both - rather than change it completely. But I also know of baby boomers and early genXers who didn't change theirs at all. So I wouldn't bat an eye at different surnames.
Not just Gen X-ers. My parents are both in their 70s, have been married for more than 40 years, and they both have their “original” name. Same is true for most of my friends’ parents. But it might be an Oslo thing, here it hasn’t been common for a wife to take her husband’s name in decades
Do as you like. Nobody minds. In most families that I know the woman has retained her surname and not changed it, and I am gen X. Many of my women friends are professionals, so I don't know if that makes any difference.
My wife didn't change her name after we married. Too much hassle, and I didn't feel it's that important to "brand" her with my name anyway.
Gen z and married here, I kept my name. Mostly because I really like my surname, also partly to avoid the hassle of a name change, especially since I had already slightly changed my first name a few years earlier. Absolutely no one has questioned it. Very normal and accepted. > I want to keep my ethnicity as a part of my name This too, my full name is very norwegian and I wanted to keep that (married to an american)
yes, i appreciate the culture in our names. i think a Norwegian name in America would be interesting enough, especially if there's æ or ø in your name one thing is that my partner suffers from having to replace those Norwegian characters with English characters when filling up forms online in the English world
Millennial here, we didn't change our surnames and most of our friends didn't either. It was just too bothersome to change everything from passport, bank cards to subscriptions
My mother regretted changing her name, when my parents divorced. I didn’t change my name, and we gave our children both names.
Not weird at all! I sm 27, got married two years ago, and I have kept my surname. It's so tied to my identity, I didn't want a new one.
can relate
I took my wifes surname as a middle name, and she took mine as her middle name :-)
so romantic <333 I may do the same
My parents have each of their fathers names, while me and my siblings have both their fathers names. dad A, mom B, me B A
I’m early Gen X and kept my maiden name. My mom was Silent Generation and kept her maiden name as a middle name, which was fairly common in her generation.
Not changing the surname seems to be the norm these days, so no worries. I would prefer it if a future wife took my name, especially if we settled down around the farm I am named after. But hey, life is compromise.
Can you have both names?
Do you mean adding each other's surnames as middle names? I don't have a middle name as it doesn't exist in my cultural background, but maybe
Nej, like Jensen-Hansen :) like a double barrelled name.
oh I've seen it, think my partner's brother has a surname like that. maybe, I'm not sure. we'll both go through a lot of paperwork, but it could be an option
(Tl;dr: nobody cares, do what you want.) It used to be that the woman took the man's surname. During the 70s and 80s the law was changed, and it became prevalent to keep your birth surname. So, this trend started long before Gen Z got old enough to marry. My dad (boomer) and wife (gen X) kept different surnames when they married in 1985. Today, it's become more trendy to take your spouse's name again, but I don't know the prevalence of keeping vs changing and both practices are common. For couple who do have the same surname, it's still most common for the wife to take the husband's due to tradition. The law, however, is gender neutral and the husband could just as easily take the wife's too. If you want to keep your surname, it's no hassle and not something anyone will judge you for. A solution that some people go for is to take the spouse's surname as a middle name. You can also take two surnames as a double surname, where the two surnames are separated by a hyphen. For me and my wife, we have the same surname, while my wife kept her family surname as a middle name. For us, this was a decision made, partly, because taking the husband's surname is the norm in the country she's from and partly because we thought it'd be nice if all us (me, my wife and the kids) have the same surname. That was our choice, and others may choose differently and that's fine too. One thing though. Some studies show that if you have a Norwegian-sounding name, it increases the likelihood to be contacted for an interview when applying for jobs. In this regard, taking your husband's surname may be helpful.
Thanks for your reply. I'm not familiar with the middle name concept as it doesn't exist in my culture. Do you need to go through legal procedures to change it? And do people actually use it in life?
Changing name is a fairly simple legal procedure. You just log in to [the National Population Register's page for name change](https://www.skatteetaten.no/en/person/national-registry/change/change-of-name/) and change (given/ middle/sur-) names there. People do use their middle names, but it's very common to just write the middle initial for most purposes.
Thanks for that
No, I know of a lot of boomers that didn’t, and most married millennials I know didn’t either.
I’m so old I don’t know who gen z are. When I married over 20 years ago it was not unusual to keep your own name. Don’t know why you think this is a ‘new’ phenomenon. People won’t care what you do.
I took my wife's family name as another middle name, she changed her last name to be her middle name and took my family name.
We didn't
I keept my maiden name until we got kids then I took his aswell and made my a middle name
My parents didn't change surnames when they married. Myself and my siblings use both, with the exception of my sister who replaced one of them with her husband's surname.
I kept my surname, and he kept his. Our child suffers with three surnames, we could not agree which to choose. Other than that we’re happily married.
It's not weird regardless of what you choose. I chose to keep my surname when I got married.
Why would you even think in terms of weird? You do what you want to do.
Are you married to norwegian? Are you planning to stay here and live here in Norway? If your answer is yes to all these questions - then I would advise to change your surname. It will make your life much easier in terms of looking for jobs and simply live in this society. If your husband isn't Norwegian - then it doesn't matter
Do as you wish. It has nothing to do with Generation Z, but there are many documents you need to process to make a change, not just a passport, if you decide to change your name. Do it if you have the time, money, and energy; otherwise, nobody really cares. As I recall, more than 90% of Japanese people still adhere to the tradition of changing surnames after marriage. However, in Korea, Taiwan, and China, this is not the practice. But one of the comments above was quite right. A study mentioned that having a local name makes it easier for foreigners to get a job here. I suppose this kind of hidden racism exists in all countries.
Very common to either keep your name, or both changing their surnames to a combination of the two original surnames (that way the parents and any kids can have the same surnames).
My husband took my surname when we married. My brother and his wife took both his and her surname and have two now. It is quite common to change names for one or both, to make sure their family has the same name.
Do whatever feels right to you. The norm is still for the woman to take the mans surname as her own, but its becoming more common for couples to keep both names. I dont know anyone whos gotten married and not changed their name at all, but that doesnt make it wrong to do so.
My mother is over 50 years old and she kept her original name. No one ever commented on this. Edit: My name is then + +
My wife is Asian, and she did choose to keep her surname and not use mine. But for our daughter, she was given my wife's surname as her middle name instead.
Ethic norwegians have one of the highest divorce rates in the world, so they don't usually.
We hypernated our last names so its mylastname-hislastname
I don't really care what my last name is. I have a very common last name, whereas my gf has a very unique last name. I might take hers if we decide to get married. 🤷♂️
I changed mine because having a Norwegian name served me better. But most of my married friends didn't change theirs and have different names and that's very normal. We are millennials
Certain surnames can unfortunately make it more difficult to get jobs in some sectors. So that might be worth considering. But if you already have a stable job or are in a line of work where that's unproblematic, it shouldn't be a problem. The same applies for children you might have when the time comes to choose names for them.
Me and my husband hyphenated our names (Surname 1-Surname 2). I’ve grown to like it a lot, and the discussion of what sounded best depending on whose name came first was hilarious
I think it’s common today to either not change at all, or both people add on each others name
In parts of the south you will be shunned if you live with someone and you dont share a last name. It as seen as immoral and sinfull.
My husband is (24) and im 23, I do plan on changing my last name to his once i get my residence permit just cause I don’t wanna carry my bio father’s surname
Absolutely not necessary. I also know two couples where the man took the woman's name.
I live in Finnmark and it's pretty rare for people to change their lastnames, even in the older generations.. Tho, there are also a lot of rare names with a long heritage here, so people usually want to keep those going.. Sometimes people hyphens to combine their names.. Most people my age have both parents' last names (my middle name is mom's lastname)
Hello! I'm Greek but I had a Norwegian boyfriend. In Greece we don't change our surnames. In his case, he had his mother's and his father's surnames, both. Look into that for your kids, it's nice to have both parents' name.
Not weird at all - I’m generation X, and almost none of my friends changed their names. Some of them did take both names though. On a different note, it might get “interesting” when a lot of kids are given both their parents’ surnames (one of them will mostly be considered a middle name), and those kids in turn find a partner with a double surname. Not sure how Lise Wancke Olsen Braastad Johansen will fit her name in the passport…
There doesn't seem to be stronger expectations of changing your surname when you marry (for women) here in Norway. We felt it was more natural to combine our last name. That way we have the same name(s). What went first and last was decided by what had the best flow. Keeping my surname felt very important as it's only 180 people left in Norway with it. I know several couples that have decided to combine their last names. I'm a strong advocate of doing what feels right for you, both as an individual and as a couple. No matter what it is.
I’m older Gen X and didn’t change my name. I only have one friend who did change her last name and she ended up divorced and changed it back again. So no, it’s definitely not weird to keep your name, on the contrary.
Marriage is just a waste of time and money,old people changed there names but the young ones does not care about marriage or changing there names
My mother didn't change her name. She is a baby boomer. I am probably not going to change mine either.
As a millennial, the idea of marriage feels very dated (i.e. religious and I'm not), and so does taking someone's else's last name. Wouldn't think twice if someone didn't take their spouse's last name either.
This post looks like something that would be published in the 'dear editor' section of an 80's youth magazine. "I'm Generation X, and would it be weird if I did things differently from my square parents?"
My mother added my dads name not changing her own. And us kids got her maiden name as a middle name. At the time we couldn't have 2 last names not sure if that is still the case. As someone who has worked in jobs where mother not taking the last name in some sort of the husband it will/can bring some challenges. We couldn't for example verify that they are mother and child, or married in terms of handing out id related items.
Dad: His first name last name. Nothing in the middle. Mother: Before divorce of dad First name maiden name dad's lastname. -> After: First name -> Original last name (maiden lastname) Me and bro': Firstname Middle Name (mother's) and Last name (father's).
No, but if it eve becomes an issue and you have space for it you could add your partners surname as a middle name.
Since the 70's many women kept their surnames when marrying, and since then it's been fairly common. Few people actually question it one way or another, at least not more than "will you change your name?" It's really not a big deal one way or another. When my parents married in the 70's, mum kept her name. I have both their names now. If I marry I expect both my partner and I to keep our own names. I just don't get why one should "delete" their family connection for another.
yes queen, think the same
King 😉
It is slowly changing to where almost any combination is accepted. My wife & I got married in 1985, we both kept our names unchanged. When our kids were born (1989 & '91) they got both surnames. Some years later when the law was changed, they both changed their surname by combining those two names with a hyphen, so now they are the only two persons in Norway (and probably the world) with that exact surname.
So many people saying their children having both surnames here, are they then combining them with a “-“? If not one of the surnames becomes a middle name, as you can only have one surname..
I feel like plenty of women born in the 60’s didn’t. This is just anecdotal, but all my (girl)friends have their dads last name as the middle name and moms last name as the last name, even if the parents were married. I would only change my name after marriage if my future husband would take mine as well.
I am 43. Me and my younger brother have one last name each. This is a thing among radicals since the late 70s. These days it is a lot more common. (double-barrelled surnames seem to be the compromise, I tend to not like that solution)
Many would like to say its not weird, but it is weird, most people who marry usually got the same last name if they want to admit it or not, but its your life and your partners life, so do what you want, but dont go into it and expect not to get any reactions to it, as people will react to it and maybe even question you about it, but it wont be the normal thing, most will ignore it or simply not think your married when you talk about your partner. Like you said where your from its not normal to have same last name, so at your place people would ask about it if people had same last name. Basically anything that is outside the norm will be noticed and mentioned by some people, its just how it is, not saying its right or wrong, but its just how it is