1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁Spanish - spe aking ▁world ▁Sp ouses ▁keep ▁their ▁original ▁s urn ames . ▁Following ▁Spanish ▁naming ▁custom s , ▁a ▁person ' s ▁name ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁given ▁name ▁( simple ▁or ▁composite ) ▁followed ▁by ▁two ▁family ▁names ▁( s urn ames ), ▁the ▁father ' s ▁and ▁the ▁mother ' s . ▁Any ▁children ▁whom ▁a ▁couple ▁have ▁together , ▁take ▁both ▁first - s urn ames , ▁so ▁if ▁" J os é ▁Gó mez ▁He via " ▁and ▁" Mar ía ▁Re yes ▁García " ▁had ▁a ▁child ▁named ▁" And rés ", ▁the ▁resulting ▁name ▁would ▁be ▁" And rés ▁Gó mez ▁Re yes ". ▁In ▁Spain , ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁reform ▁in ▁the ▁law ▁allows ▁the ▁parents ▁to ▁choose ▁whether ▁the ▁father ' s ▁or ▁the ▁mother ' s ▁surname ▁goes ▁first , ▁although ▁this ▁order ▁must ▁be ▁the ▁same ▁for ▁all ▁their ▁children . ▁For ▁instance , ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁couple ▁in ▁the ▁example ▁above ▁could ▁be ▁settled ▁whether ▁" And rés ▁Gó mez ▁Re yes " ▁or ▁" And rés ▁Re yes ▁Gó mez ". ▁ ▁In ▁some ▁Spanish - American ▁countries ▁it ▁is ▁custom ary ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁uno fficial ly ▁add ▁the ▁husband ' s ▁first ▁surname ▁after ▁her ▁own , ▁for ▁social ▁purposes ▁such ▁as ▁inv itation ▁letters ▁or ▁event ▁announ c ements . ▁The ▁couple ▁above ▁may ▁introduce ▁themselves ▁as ▁José ▁Gó mez ▁He via ▁and