▁any ▁name ▁change ▁requires ▁a ▁formal ▁procedure ▁including ▁an ▁official ▁application ▁to ▁the ▁civil ▁acts ▁registr ar . ▁As ▁the ▁same ▁registr ar ▁also ▁records ▁mar ri ages , ▁for ▁the ▁convenience ▁sake ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁done ▁during ▁the ▁marriage ▁proceed ings , ▁as ▁govern ed ▁by ▁the ▁Federal ▁Law ▁# 1 4 3 - F Z ▁" On ▁Civil ▁State ▁Act s ", ▁and ▁the ▁couple ' s ▁marriage ▁certificate ▁has ▁an ▁option ▁of ▁having ▁one ▁common ▁family ▁name , ▁or ▁both ▁sp ouses ▁going ▁by ▁their ▁original ▁surname . ▁However , ▁the ▁law ▁is ▁entirely ▁gender ▁neutral , ▁and ▁the ▁couple ▁may ▁adopt ▁either ▁of ▁their ▁s urn ames ▁( a ▁husband ▁adopt ing ▁his ▁wife ' s ▁family ▁name ▁is ▁an ▁un common ▁but ▁by ▁no ▁means ▁un he ard - of ▁practice , ▁which ▁is ▁generally ▁accepted ▁and ▁car ries ▁little ▁to ▁no ▁social ▁st igma ), ▁or ▁even ▁a ▁completely ▁different ▁one . ▁The ▁law ▁also ▁recogn izes ▁the ▁couple ' s ▁right ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁combined ▁family ▁name , ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁either ▁of ▁the ▁sp ouses ▁to ▁rec laim ▁their ▁original ▁surname ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁the ▁marriage ▁is ▁dissol ved . ▁ ▁Asian ▁countries ▁ ▁China ▁Trad itionally , ▁a ▁married ▁woman ▁keeps ▁her ▁name ▁un changed , ▁without ▁adopt ing ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁surname . ▁A ▁child ▁would ▁inherit ▁the ▁father ' s ▁surname . ▁This ▁is ▁still ▁the ▁norm ▁in ▁main land ▁China , ▁though ▁the ▁marriage ▁law ▁explicitly ▁states ▁that ▁a ▁child