THE SURNAME PROJECT

I have worked on a research project about the surnames that we choose to keep, change or mix in new ways, when we establish (or dissolve) a family.

 

Just four decades ago, Danish women still automatically got their husband’s surname when getting married. Today, 25% of surname changes in Denmark are done by men, just like it has become common for couples to combine their middle and last names in new ways, to choose a new last name together, and it has become possible for unmarried and same-sex couples to share a last name. So, what do these new ways of using last names mean for building family identity? And which functions do last names serve in families today?

​

The project has been carried out at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Copenhagen and was supported by the Carlsberg Foundation.