It seems like the tradition of women taking a man’s surname once they marry is on the way out – and as we’ve seen from Adam Peaty and Brooklyn Beckham it’s becoming a trend to double barrel surnames instead

Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay combined both names when they tied the knot(Image: WireImage)

For decades, it’s always been tradition that when a couple get married, the wife takes on the husbands name – so why are men going against the grain and taking the woman’s name too?

We’ve seen it recently with Adam Peaty and Brooklyn Beckham, who have both incorporated their new spouse’ name into their own, becoming with Adam marrying Holly Ramsay and becoming Ramsay Peaty and Brooklyn marrying Nicola Peltz, and becoming Peltz Beckham.

But are they becoming modern men and axing all types of tradition? Or are they making a stance against their families? Both men, very publicly, have been involved in bitter and toxic feuds with their families. Etiquette expert Jo Hayes has told Daily Mirror she belives this is a “defiant stance” to their families.

Adam Peaty decided to incorporate wife Holly Ramsay’s name (Image: INSTAGRAM)

Brooklyn and Adam have certainly been making headlines recently, and Jo suspects that this is one of the reasons why they both made the decision adopt their wives surnames, post-marriage.

“I suspect there are a number of, rather obvious, reasons for this decision,” she explained. “As Brooklyn Beckham has previously stated, he did it to ‘be different’, and because the names looked ‘really cool together’, but it’s also quite clear that both men made the choice as a defiant stance to distance themselves from their families of origin – to clearly establish a definitive new family unit with their spouse.”

However she said it’s important to note that they didn’t completely ditch their own surnames, and take on their wives, but instead adopted a new double-barrelled surnames, along with their wives. But while some people may view it as controversial, etiquette expert Jo said it’s not wrong.

Research from Guides For Brides found that the topic of whether or not to change your surname after marriage is increasingly becoming a subject of debate. They found that an increasing number of women are now choosing to stick with their own family name (16 per cent) rather than taking the more traditional route of switching to their new spouse’s name.

At the same time, more men are now more open to changing their last name to their partner’s after marriage (35 per cent) and with this trend rising, Jo added: “Many women choose not to take on their husband’s surname when they marry – not because they don’t like their new in-laws, but for a variety of other, often very reasonable, reasons.

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz have cut ties with Brooklyn’s family

“They have already established careers and a strong professional identity with their own surname, so changing their name, at least in professional circles, would potentially impact their professional ‘brand’.

“Or they simply have a strong attachment to their maiden name, and wish to keep it. Sometimes they take on their husband’s name ‘officially’ (eg. legally/on official paperwork etc.), but maintain their maiden name on a professional/day-to-day level. Or the wife moves her maiden name to a ‘middle name’, and takes on her husband’s surname.”

So when it comes to couples making the decision about their future name, Jo said she is “for anything that promotes optimal unity within a marriage. The stronger the union, the better, for all concerned – husband, wife and any/all children they are blessed with.”

But said family legacy is also important. “The ‘traditional’ means of wives taking on the husband’s name served this purpose – it creates a strong, clearly defined, family unit and identity – all members of the family, including children, having the same name. While also maintaining a clear family lineage and legacy.”

While establishing a double-barrelled surname together, as these couples have done, serves this purpose of creating a strong family unit and new ‘identity’. However, she notes that the ‘sustainability’ of this practice is limited.

“There’s only so many generations this could be practiced, without it getting out of hand,” Jo stated. “Whether or not the wife takes on the husband’s name (officially or not), I love the idea of all children in a family taking on the wife’s maiden name as their middle name (or, at least, one of their middle names … it honours the wife’s family/family legacy, and creates a beautiful link between both families).

“While still keeping things super simple and sustainable, by having one ‘official’ last name, to be passed down through the generations.”