Puerto Rican Fiance.. Last name question

quirkygrl16 · July 2012

Some Puerto Ricans have two last names (their mother's maiden name,and their fathers)My fiance is one of them... I'm very confused as to if I would take BOTH of those last names, just one, or what??!! HELP!!!

HobokensFury · July 2012

Fist off not all Puerto Ricans have 2 last names. My husband just has one. As for what to change your name to I can't help you with that.

quirkygrl16 · July 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_puerto-rican-fiance-last-name-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:bdf40ea9-c66a-4809-8b98-8846109f5673Post:d7e9f83b-b55f-4e95-9d45-4ab975d84c19">Re: Puerto Rican Fiance.. Last name question</a>:
[QUOTE]Fist off not all Puerto Ricans have 2 last names. My husband just has one. As for what to change your name to I can't help you with that.
Posted by HobokenBride2012[/QUOTE]

I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you or anything. My fiance just said all of them did...

Summer2011Bride · July 2012

Have you asked him what is typically done in his culture in this instance? If you truly don't mind either way, then maybe go with what is common.

However, if you prefer to just take one, then I would assume you would take his father's name?

quirkygrl16 · July 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_puerto-rican-fiance-last-name-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:bdf40ea9-c66a-4809-8b98-8846109f5673Post:01ca4352-7438-47b4-9586-eaeba467c329">Re: Puerto Rican Fiance.. Last name question</a>:
[QUOTE]Have you asked him what is typically done in his culture in this instance? If you truly don't mind either way, then maybe go with what is common. However, if you prefer to just take one, then I would assume you would take his father's name?
Posted by Summer2011Bride[/QUOTE]

He said the wife just keeps her name.. I was just going to take his fathers name.. I hope it works out.

ElleB87 · July 2012

The woman normally takes their husbands fathers last name.

Yes, this is common in Latin American culture. If a Latina woman is marrying a Latino man her new last name would be MrsHerMothersMaidenName-HusbandsFathersLastName

quirkygrl16 · July 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_puerto-rican-fiance-last-name-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:bdf40ea9-c66a-4809-8b98-8846109f5673Post:5cb4cbdc-5868-4a12-9daf-906aaf25fe24">Re: Puerto Rican Fiance.. Last name question</a>:
[QUOTE]The woman normally takes their husbands fathers last name. Yes, this is common in Latin American culture. If a Latina woman is marrying a Latino man her new last name would be MrsHerMothersMaidenName-HusbandsFathersLastName
Posted by ElleB87[/QUOTE]

Okay so since I'm not Latine American, I'd just take his father's last name.. Thanks!

Lisa50 · July 2012

What do you want to do? This should be your decision, not anyone else's.

Take some time to think about it and do deeper research -- speak (not email, not blogs and boards, have actual conversations) with Puerto Rican women other than those in your husband's family. Traditions vary across Latin America. And, at the end of the day, here in the U.S., there is NO LAW which dictates a woman change her name. And, if you decide to change your name, you do not have to do it immediately upon marriage. There is a lot to think about and consider.

Good luck!

random4180 · July 2012

^^^You do realize that Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S. right? They don't have any laws regarding name changing as far as I know. Just saying, lol.

OP, my parents come from different backgrounds- my father is Puerto Rican and my mother Chinese. My father only has one last name, which my mother took. I personally decided to take my FI's last name, which is Italian, without hypennating it because that's my preference. It's fine to be culturally aware and appreciate his families traditions (for instance, in my family all the women take new names upon marrying) as long as YOU are okay with the choice. My mother is often spoken to in Spanish because people expect that it's her primary language. She doesn't regret her name change, of course, but that's just one tiny example of what changing a name can mean. As PP, you don't need to change it immediately and there's lots to consider...take all the time you need

quirkygrl16 · July 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_puerto-rican-fiance-last-name-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:bdf40ea9-c66a-4809-8b98-8846109f5673Post:6746607c-800b-430c-8dd2-d24ea57d1df8">Re: Puerto Rican Fiance.. Last name question</a>:
[QUOTE]^^^You do realize that Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S. right? They don't have any laws regarding name changing as far as I know. Just saying, lol. OP, my parents come from different backgrounds- my father is Puerto Rican and my mother Chinese. My father only has one last name, which my mother took. I personally decided to take my FI's last name, which is Italian, without hypennating it because that's my preference. It's fine to be culturally aware and appreciate his families traditions (for instance, in my family all the women take new names upon marrying) as long as YOU are okay with the choice. My mother is often spoken to in Spanish because people expect that it's her primary language. She doesn't regret her name change, of course, but that's just one tiny example of what changing a name can mean. As PP, you don't need to change it immediately and there's lots to consider...take all the time you need
Posted by random4180[/QUOTE]

Thank you. :) I want to change my name to his for sure, but I don't think we are going to finalize anything until we get back from our honeymoon.

michellesean · July 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_puerto-rican-fiance-last-name-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:bdf40ea9-c66a-4809-8b98-8846109f5673Post:d7e9f83b-b55f-4e95-9d45-4ab975d84c19">Re: Puerto Rican Fiance.. Last name question</a>:
[QUOTE]Fist off not all Puerto Ricans have 2 last names. My husband just has one. As for what to change your name to I can't help you with that.
Posted by HobokenBride2012[/QUOTE]

Geez, take it easy Hoboken, OP said that SOME Puerto Ricans have 2 last names NOT ALL. Bad Day?

HobokensFury · July 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_puerto-rican-fiance-last-name-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:bdf40ea9-c66a-4809-8b98-8846109f5673Post:4e22c16f-7ade-4bcf-8919-099a597370a9">Re: Puerto Rican Fiance.. Last name question</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Puerto Rican Fiance.. Last name question : Geez, take it easy Hoboken, OP said that SOME Puerto Ricans have 2 last names NOT ALL. Bad Day?
Posted by michellesean[/QUOTE]

Actually her OP said ALL until I said something and she changed it. And you can actually see it in her response. So don't come late to the party and get snarky.

mrsR12 · July 2012

I think at the end of the day, it's your decision which last name to take if he doesnt have a preference

prlove · July 2012

Okay, I'm Puerto Rican, have one last name, my father's. In PR tradition, like when I go to the doctor there sometimes, they automatically ask for my second last name which would be my mother's maiden name. So, to answer your question, it is up totally up to you. Puerto Rico IS commonwealth to the US so we abide by the same marriage laws and you can do what you want. My sister got married and kept her last name hyphenated with her husbands. That's what I will do. However, if you want to hyphenate, you take his father's last name and hyphenate it at the end of yours. Voila.

Hope that made some sense for you.

jamiemike121011 · July 2013

I think you are asking for what the custom is, rather than what your options are, so here is a little background that may help: The naming convention comes from the Spanish custom whereby a child is given the name of the mother and the father, but the husband and wife keep their own names. This is still the case there today. Now in PR and in most of Latin America, this has evolved to the wife keeps her father's last name and also adopts her new husband's father's name, traditionally with de (of) before it to denote the relationship (Maria Garcia de Perez, or Garcia of the/married to the family Perez), always the father's name because we are a patriarchal society in that regard. That's going back to my grandparent's generation, though, and really not very common today. Today, its just the two names. Functionally, however (and I think this is what prlove was explaining above), although you have both names legally, you don't use them socially, as it gets cumbersome (speaking from personal experience). It is very common throughout Latin America to use the first of the two names for introductions, etc, whereas your resume will have all 3-4 names proudly spelled out. Hope that helps give you some background. Best of luck!

Viczaesar · July 2013

Did you, by any chance, look at the date of the thread before digging it up and posting on it again, Jamie?

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