Why do American women take their husband's surname after marriage?

[Verbano1]

[seeyounexttuesday]

due to a long-standing cultural practice rooted in English common law, where a wife's legal identity was considered to be merged with her husband's upon marriage, a concept known as "coverture"; essentially, this practice signifies the woman becoming "one" with her husband, hence adopting his surname.

[Cormac995]

Old custom dating back a long time. Its still common now but less so but it's a holdover from when Christianity was the dominant religion in the US its kind of still is, it's the most popular religion but we have so much religious diversity hear they don't even make up 50% of the population.

[NatalieKeller95]

because it's the right thing to do, and helps avoid confusion with legal documents and taxes

[DishLady]

They don't all do it.

[OlderAndWiser]

Custom and tradition.

[Anonymous]

Because when a woman marries, she and her husband are creating a new family, and hey should share the same surname.

[Anonymous]

Because in tradition they became his property opposed to their father's

[dudeinohio]

That's the way it's always been.

[Anonymous]

Because of the patriarchal society.