Are New Brides Still Taking Their Husband’s Last Name?

The institution of marriage has changed a lot over the years, but one tradition seems to be mostly intact — women taking their husbands’ names. In a new Pew Research poll of opposite-sex married couples, 79% of women use their husband’s surname. That number is a little lower for women under age 50, at 73%. Overall, 14% of brides kept their own last name, and just 5% hyphenated both names.