Married couples maintaining separate surnames face a higher likelihood of divorce than those sharing a name.
Spouses with different family names dissolve marriages at a 50% higher rate, according to the Institute for Family Studies.
Couples with different surnames remain married an average of eight to 10 years before divorcing.
In contrast, couples sharing a surname average 12 years of marriage before splitting up.
The findings analyze 2023 Pew Research Center data alongside Texas divorce records.
Highlighting how shared choices foster stability, study author Lyman Stone noted the team approach of common identity.
“Couples who hold more things in common — from names to money — are more likely to take a ‘team-first approach to marriage life’ that reinforces cooperation, trust, and a sense of a common future,” Stone wrote.
Pointing to hasty wedding choices, Stone noted impulsive marriages as a potential factor.
“Non-shared names may partly select for hasty, ill-considered weddings to begin with,” Stone noted.
Examining how legal procedures deter dissolution, the report observed that administrative burdens delay breakups.
“Bureaucratic hurdles shape divorce rates in powerful ways,” the study states.
“Changing a legal name is a huge hassle,” the text continues.
“It may be that the prospect of having to change back to a prior maiden name, to have one more set of papers to file, actually somewhat discourages couples with shared surnames from divorcing,” the report explains.
Nationwide, roughly 75% to 80% of married couples share a surname.
Older, conservative, and white women take a spouse’s surname at higher rates.
About 86% of women over 50 ditch maiden names, compared to 74% under 29.
Education corresponds with surname choices, as 85% of high school graduates take a spouse’s name compared to 76% of college graduates.