The other day, someone texted. I didn’t recognize her name and asked for more clarity. Then it clicked. I only knew her married name. She had divorced and reclaimed her birth name, she explained.

Now in her late 50s, she said, “I didn’t want his name. He insisted I take it and I submitted. I never changed my degrees, so had to keep functioning under the maiden professionally. It wasn’t my decision, and I didn’t feel empowered to refuse.”

Yikes. Down with the patriarchy. The imbalance goes way back. American women don’t have their own last names. Zany. I’ll explain: My last name is my father’s last name. My mother’s last name was her father’s last name. Then it was her husband’s last name. Crazy, right?

In 2025, there are compelling reasons to keep your name.

In the digital age, your na

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