Couples Who Don't Share a Last Name Are More Likely to Divorce, Study Finds

Married couples who do not share the same last name are 50% more likely to divorce and tend to separate sooner than those who share a surname, according to an analysis from the Institute for Family Studies. These unions dissolve after an average of eight to 10 years, compared to couples with the same last name, who stay together for approximately 12 years before divorcing.

Lyman Stone, the author of the report, suggests that shared names reinforce a "team-first approach to marriage life," fostering cooperation, trust, and a shared future. He noted that couples who share more commonalities, including names, are often more likely to prioritize their partnership.

The analysis, which utilized 2023 Pew Research Center data and Texas divorce records, also explored potential contributing factors. Stone theorized that non-shared surnames might sometimes indicate hasty or ill-considered weddings, where couples are less likely to prioritize formalizing their union thoroughly. He also pointed out that for some women, the significant bureaucratic hurdles involved in changing a legal name back to a maiden name could act as a deterrent to divorce, thus potentially keeping shared-surname couples together longer.

Nationwide, approximately 75-80% of married couples share surnames. The report indicated demographic trends in name-sharing, with conservative, white, and older women being more likely to adopt their spouse's surname. For instance, about 86% of women over 50 changed their surname, compared to 74% of women under 29. Additionally, women with a high school diploma were more likely to take their spouse's name (85%) than college graduates (76%).

The specific divorce rates for couples with and without shared names were not explicitly detailed in the report. Representatives from Stone's team and the Institute for Family Studies were not immediately available for further comment.