A "maiden name" is the family name carried by a woman before any of her marriages. A maiden name may be indicated using the word "née" (pronounced as either "nay" or "nee"), from the French for "born", hence Margaret Hilda Thatcher née Roberts. A family name, or surname, is the part of a persons name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. ... Image of a woman on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space. ... Marriage is a relationship and bond, most commonly between a man and a woman, that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ... The French word née (feminine) or né (masculine) (or the English word nee) is still commonly used in some newspapers when mentioning the maiden name of a woman in engagement or wedding announcements. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925) is a British politician and the first woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a position she held from 1979 to 1990. ...

The term is ambiguous for those who changed their name before any marriages, therefore some prefer the term "birth name", which can also be used in the case of a man changing his name upon marriage. Image of a man on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space A man is a male human adult, in contrast to an adult female, which is a woman. ...

The term "maiden name" has been disliked by many American feminists since the 1970s. Those who find the traditional term unacceptable and even offensive say it demeans women by labeling them according to their sexual status, "maiden" (being a synonym for "virgin") and being construed as meaning the woman's father and then husband had control over her body and "branded" her with their names to signify that control. Feminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... A maiden may refer to: A female virgin. ... A virgin is most commonly seen as a person who has not engaged in sexual intercourse. ...

It has become more common, especially for feminist-minded women, to take their husband's name but put it before their birth name—for example "Kate Luyten" marries "John Smith" and becomes "Kate Smith Luyten" or "Kate Smith-Luyten." Sometimes both husband and wife will adopt a hyphenated name consisting of both surnames; this can cause a further dilemma a generation later, when Jane Smith-Luyten marries John Brown-Clarke. Alternatively, some women choose to drop their middle names and shift their old surnames to the middle, then tack their husbands' surnames on the end. This practice is virtually unknown in the United Kingdom, however. A hyphen ( - ) is a punctuation mark. ... Many peoples names include one or more middle names, placed between the first given name and the last name. ... A family name, or surname, is that part of a persons name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. ... A family name, or surname, is that part of a persons name that indicates to what family he or she belongs. ...

In many English-speaking countries, it was for a long time the usual practice for a woman to change her name upon marriage unless she was engaged in some profession under her own name, although that was never the law except in a couple of states in the U.S. The American suffragist and abolitionist Lucy Stone (1818–1893), wife of Henry Brown Blackwell, made a national issue of the practice as part of her efforts for women's rights in the U.S., and women who choose not to use their husbands' surnames have been called "Lucy Stoners" ever since. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Lucy Stone (August 13, 1818 – October 18, 1893) was an American suffragette, the wife of abolitionist Henry Brown Blackwell (1825-1909) (the brother of Elizabeth Blackwell) and the mother of Alice Stone Blackwell, another prominent suffragette, journalist and human rights defender. ... 1818 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Laws respecting married names vary. In areas whose legal systems derive from the English common law—such as the USA, much of Canada, and the UK—a name change usually does not require legal action, because a person can choose to be known by any name (except with intent to defraud); this is why authors, actors, and step-children, as well as married women, can adopt new names without taking any legal action. In many jurisdictions whose legal systems derive from the civil law—such as France, Spain, the province of Quebec, and the state of Louisiana—however, the default position is for a woman's "legal name" to remain the same throughout life: Citizens there who wish to change their names legally must usually apply to do so via a formal procedure. This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ... Name change is a basic legal act that is recognized in practically all legal systems to allow an individual the opportunity to adopt a name other than the name given by birth, marriage, or adoption. ... Civil law is a legal system derived from Roman law and commonly used in Europe. ... During the 1960s, a terrorist group known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices. ... State nickname: Pelican State Other U.S. States Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans Governor Kathleen Blanco Official languages None; English and French de facto Area 134,382 km² (31st)  - Land 112,927 km²  - Water 21,455 km² (16%) Population (2000)  - Population 4,468,976 (22nd)  - Density 39. ...

Legally and commonly, Chinese and Korean women do not, as a tradition, discard their maiden names after marriage. In modern day, some overseas Chinese women, join their husbands' surname, so Miss Huang who married Mr. Li may become Mrs. Li Huang. This double surname practice is not found in China and Korea. Overseas Chinese (華僑 in pinyin: huáqiáo, or 華胞 huábāo, or 僑胞 qiáobāo) are ethnic Chinese who live outside of Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. ...

Celebrity women who took their husbands' surnames

Jamie-Lynn Discala, Kathie Lee Gifford, Gloria Estefan, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Kathleen Parker, Michelle Malkin, Victoria Beckham, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. Kathie Lee Gifford (born Kathryn Lee Epstein on August 16, 1953 in Paris, France) is an American singer and actress most famous for her stint on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin. ... Gloria, Live & Re-wrapped Tour Promo Poster Gloria Estefan (birth name Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo, born September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba), is a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, who began her career as lead vocalist for the then exclusively Spanish-language band, Miami Sound Machine, in 1977... Elisabeth Hasselbeck Elisabeth Hasselbeck, best known by her maiden name of Elizabeth Filarski (born May 28, 1977) is an American who worked as a footwear designer and was in the final four in the television program Survivor: The Australian Outback. ... Kathleen Parker is an award-winning, Camden, South Carolina-based syndicated columnist whose columns frequently focus on family and sex roles, from a conservative point of view. ... Michelle Malkin Michelle Malkin (born October 20, 1970 in Philadelphia) is an American journalist, author, and political commentator. ... Victoria Beckham with David Beckham Victoria Caroline Beckham (born Victoria Adams, April 17th 1974) is a British singer, originally in the girl band the Spice Girls, where she was known as Posh Spice. ... Martie Erwin, also known as Martie Seidel and Martie Maguire, (born October 12, 1969) is a country music songwriter, recording artist and musician, born and residing in Dallas. ... Emily Erwin, also known as Emily Robison, (born August 16, 1972) is a country songwriter, recording artist and musician, born and currently residing in Dallas, Texas. ...

See also

• Given name