A bride-to-be has set TikTok ablaze with her bold decision to buck tradition and keep her last name after marriage. Claudia, known as @partygirlclauds on the platform, is getting married this August, but one thing she won’t be changing? Her name.
In a now-viral video, Claudia broke down her reasoning with a no-nonsense approach. “I’m not changing my name,” she stated. “Women don’t even have their own last names to begin with—our names are either our father’s or our husband’s. And that just gets passed down to our kids.”
@weddinggirlclauds i’m not changing my last name when i get #married ♬ SILK Quiver – SILK
Her decision wasn’t made lightly. Claudia asked her fiancé one straightforward question: “Would you change your name for me?” His response? A firm “No, I love my name.” For Claudia, that was enough to settle the matter.
“I’m the last person in my family to carry my name,” she explained. “I’m not giving it up, especially for a name I don’t even like!” However, she and her fiancé have found middle ground for their future kids—they plan to hyphenate their last names so both are represented.
Claudia also urged other women to think twice before changing their names just because it’s “tradition.” Her video, a quick 48 seconds long, has racked up over 488,000 views and thousands of comments from users with strong opinions on both sides.
One comment humorously summed up her sentiment: “Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people.” Another praised her boldness, saying, “Say it louder for the people in the back!”
Interestingly, some users revealed their own unique takes on the issue. “My husband took my last name,” one shared, flipping the traditional script entirely.
But not everyone was sold on Claudia’s decision to hyphenate names for future kids. “As someone with a hyphenated last name, please don’t do that to your children,” one commenter warned. Others suggested picking the better-sounding name instead.
On the flip side, many people celebrated taking their partner’s name. “I left my name behind—I love everything about my husband, including his last name,” one wrote. Another quipped, “Only want to get married so I can change my last name… just kidding (kind of).”
Of course, not everyone agreed with Claudia’s choice. One user went as far as suggesting that refusing to change her name meant she didn’t “love” her fiancé enough. Thankfully, plenty of commenters jumped to her defense, shutting down the critique with passion.
So, what do you think? Is keeping your name a step toward independence, or does tradition still hold its charm? Share your thoughts—whether you’re team Claudia or team tradition, this debate isn’t cooling down anytime soon!
