▁under ▁cover t ure ▁laws . ▁Assuming ▁the ▁husband ' s ▁surname ▁remains ▁common ▁practice ▁today ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁( although ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁law ▁that ▁states ▁the ▁name ▁must ▁be ▁changed ) ▁and ▁in ▁other ▁countries ▁such ▁as ▁Australia , ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁Pakistan , ▁Gib ral tar , ▁F alk land ▁Islands , ▁Ireland , ▁India , ▁Philippines , ▁the ▁English - spe aking ▁provinces ▁of ▁Canada ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁communities ▁in ▁India , ▁sp ouses ▁and ▁children ▁take ▁the ▁father ' s ▁first ▁name ▁or ▁proper ▁name . ▁ ▁O ften ▁there ▁are ▁interesting ▁variations ▁of ▁name ▁ad option , ▁including ▁family ▁name ▁ad option . ▁In ▁Massachusetts , ▁for ▁instance , ▁a ▁Harvard ▁study ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁found ▁that ▁about ▁ 8 7 % ▁of ▁college - ed uc ated ▁women ▁take ▁their ▁hus b ands ' ▁name ▁on ▁marriage , ▁down ▁from ▁a ▁peak ▁before ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁of ▁over ▁ 9 0 %, ▁but ▁up ▁from ▁about ▁ 8 0 % ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁The ▁same ▁study ▁found ▁women ▁with ▁a ▁college ▁degree ▁were ▁" two ▁to ▁four ▁times ▁( dep ending ▁on ▁age ) ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁retain ▁their ▁surname " ▁than ▁those ▁without ▁a ▁college ▁degree . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁low lands ▁of ▁Scotland ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁married ▁women ▁did ▁not ▁change ▁their ▁s urn ames , ▁but ▁today ▁it ▁is ▁common ▁practice ▁to ▁do