Steve123

I'm currently doing a project on Canada for school.

I spoke to someone from Quebec, who told me that in Quebec the marriage laws states a female doesnt take on the husbands surname.

Is this true? As i beleive its the only place where this happens, so would make up a fialrly big part of my project.

Cheers if anyone could help me.

Steve

hot wasabi peas

Yes (99% sure anyway) - since 1981, women have been required to retain their own names (maiden names) after marriage. Women married previous to 1981 can continue to use their husband's name but I've yet to meet a woman from Quebec, who's able to use her husband's name, who's actually done so. From my experience, it has always been pretty customary for women in Quebec (and other French areas of Canada) to keep their own names after marriage - the 1981 code just made it a legal requirement in Quebec.

stepnek

We got married in Quebec and my wife kept her surname because that indeed is the law. It seemed like a good modern arrangement until we had our baby son. Then we weren't quite sure what to do because of who's surname to choose and we were reluctant to go the double-barrelled route with both surnames.

Purley

So what did you decide? I think if I had to do it all over again I would have both names. Seems a bit cumbersome but fair to me.

ksct97

no.. i disagree, ok for this generation to have a double-barrel surname, but the next... A-B-C-D?!! would just multiple out of decent control... unless you are both adament you want your child to have both names, stick to one!!! but as with everything, that's just an opinion

PS: and back to the original question, like others have posted, the 1981 law in quebec stops a woman taking her husbands surname, though as others have said no woman here would want to anyway!!!

Velouria

yeah i was thinking that! i got married in the uk and kept my own name.. simply because its mine, and im used to it. its who i am... but when we have kids, im happy for them to take their father's name.. not a big fan of double-barreled names.. but it is a personal choice!

Steve123

Many thanks for all the replies, you've been most helpful.

Steve

karenr

Well I have to say I happily took my husbands name , mainly because I liked his name so much more than mine and it bizarrely fits with my occupation . I am a physiotherapist and my maiden name was Wickett and my name is now
Revivo so there is always another arguement !!!
Karen

willmore

No way would I ever double my last name. I already have a given name, 4 middle names and my last name. I didn't have a problem at all with taking my husband's last name - hasn't hurt me personally or professionally at all.

Rhodes

I have to say that I think that the law is absolutely ridiculous. If it said that a woman could not be forced to take on her husband's name, that's one thing, but to forbid it is quite absurd. Why should people not choose to be called by whatever name they choose, unless it is for fraudulent pruposes, without the law interfering?

Makes my blood boil. (with a small dollop of )

Alberta_Rose

Is this really a "french" thing as opposed to french-canadian?

My cousin married a frenchman about 14 years ago, and made a double-barrelled surname which, as both had 3 syllables, was very unweildy!

I noticed in some recent correspondence that she appears to have dropped "her" bit now, not sure when this happened tho

Morw

ukjo

I seriously considered a double barrelled name but we decided that Sealey-Ujfalussy was a bit of a mouthful!!!lol. I am my maiden name in the Uk and my married in Canada as I know nobody back home will ever be able to spell my married name (my dads only just learnt after 3 years!!)

stepnek

Hi,

My wife was very firm in the opinion that we should use my name for the baby and I felt uncomfortable with that because there seemed to be no stronger reason for doing that than there was for using her name but that was what we went with in the end. However on my wife's behalf I still don't feel completely satisfied over it even though she appears to be.

Velouria

i agree. i think its silly to force anyone to change/not change their name upon marriage. its a personal decision. if you're happy changing your name, then you should have the right to do it, and similarly for the other side of the coin.

sandyback

Hi

Surely it is sexist to say that a woman can't take her husband's name upon marriage? Or are they saying that a man can't take his wife's name either? Or maybe, like alot of people in the UK, they just assume that this would never happen

When we got married (in the UK) my husband took my name, but the amount of trouble he had changing all his documents was ridiculous. With the exception of the passport office (who were great) everyone treated him as if he were a terrorist. He had to constantly explain himself, something which infuriated him, as it would not have happened if it had been me who changed my name. I could understand it if this were the 1960's, but this was in 2001!

Sandy.