The recent appearance of Brooklyn and Nicola Peltz Beckham at Paris Fashion Week in September 2024 has reignited a conversation far beyond the front row. The couple's shared double-barrelled surname has become a focal point for a wider societal debate about identity, tradition, and equality within marriage.
A Trend or a Timeless Tradition?
In a recent article, Polly Hudson celebrated this move as an important trend, suggesting that men like Brooklyn Peltz Beckham are setting a new standard by adopting a combined surname after marriage. The piece posed the question of whether more men would follow this example, viewing it as a progressive step towards partnership equality.
However, this celebration has prompted readers to voice a spectrum of opinions, challenging the very foundations of how couples approach their names after tying the knot.
Readers Weigh In: From 1975 to 1969
One correspondent, Cherry Weston from Wolverhampton, expressed a sense of weary disbelief. Having kept her maiden name upon her first marriage in 1975, she stated she would have been "amazed – and dismayed" to learn that, nearly fifty years later, the default assumption for women to take their husband's name still largely persists. Her pointed question cuts to the chase: "what’s wrong with everyone keeping their own names?"
Another reader, Richard Butler from Bristol, was quick to note that Brooklyn Peltz Beckham is not the pioneer of this practice. He highlighted the earlier, famous instance of John Winston Lennon becoming John Winston Ono Lennon in 1969 after his marriage to Yoko Ono.
The Practicalities and The Patriarchy
The discussion also turned to the bureaucratic hurdles involved. Toby Morse from Bristol shared an experience from thirty years ago, revealing a clear double standard. While his wife's name change was straightforward, various institutions demanded he produce a deed poll. He found that simply "suggesting that they should apply the same process as for a married woman" meant that a marriage certificate suddenly sufficed.
Meanwhile, Sarah Stewart from West Horsley, Surrey, offered a more philosophical critique. She cautioned against viewing combined surnames as an outright feminist victory, reminding us that even so-called "maiden" names are patrilineal in origin, tracing back through a father's line. The act, therefore, may not be the radical break from tradition it first appears.
The collective response makes it clear that the conversation around marital surnames is layered, touching on personal identity, administrative inequality, and deep-seated historical conventions. While figures like Brooklyn Peltz Beckham bring the topic into the modern spotlight, the debate itself has been evolving for generations.
