▁may ▁change ▁their ▁last ▁names ▁upon ▁marriage ▁as ▁well , ▁including ▁same - sex ▁cou ples . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁only ▁eight ▁states ▁have ▁an ▁official ▁name ▁change ▁for ▁a ▁man ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁marriage ▁process , ▁and ▁in ▁others ▁a ▁man ▁may ▁pet ition ▁a ▁court ▁or — where ▁not ▁prohib ited — use ▁the ▁common ▁law ▁method ▁( though ▁government ▁ag encies ▁sometimes ▁do ▁not ▁recognize ▁this ▁procedure ▁for ▁men ). ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁w ides p read ▁practice ▁of ▁women ▁changing ▁their ▁names ▁at ▁marriage , ▁they ▁encounter ▁little ▁difficulty ▁using ▁the ▁common ▁law ▁method ▁at ▁marriage ▁in ▁those ▁juris dict ions ▁that ▁permit ▁it . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁this ▁article , ▁birth ▁name , ▁family ▁name , ▁surname , ▁married ▁name ▁and ▁ma iden ▁name ▁refer ▁to ▁pat ril ine al ▁s urn ames ▁unless ▁explicitly ▁described ▁as ▁referring ▁to ▁mat ril ine al ▁s urn ames . ▁ ▁Canada ▁ ▁In ▁most ▁of ▁Canada , ▁either ▁partner ▁may ▁inform ally ▁assume ▁the ▁sp ouse ' s ▁surname ▁after ▁marriage , ▁so ▁long ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁fra ud . ▁The ▁same ▁is ▁true ▁for ▁people ▁in ▁common - law ▁relationships , ▁in ▁some ▁provinces . ▁This ▁is ▁not ▁considered ▁a ▁legal ▁name ▁change ▁in ▁most ▁provinces , ▁ex cluding ▁British ▁Columbia . ▁For ▁federal ▁purposes , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁Canadian ▁pass port , ▁Canad ians ▁may ▁also ▁assume ▁their ▁partner ' s ▁surname ▁if ▁they ▁are ▁in ▁a