(no subject)

[icedark_elf]

Questions for fic.

When people in Japan get married, what are the rules for the names. I know that sometimes the man will take the woman's name, and that the family registry is involved, but I wasn't sure about the way it worked. Say the woman was of a noble family and her husband was someone of a lower rank. Does she take his name, or is he expected to take hers on? What if he was the only son?

And the family registries. Can anyone who is willing be adopted into the family by having the family add their name to the family registry? Does it have to be the family head?

If anyone knows the answers, I would really appreciate it. It's really hard to find anything online about it.

Comments

[kaitou-marina.livejournal.com]

Generally, the husband only takes the wife's name if he's being "adopted" into the family. That is, if there is a family that is prominent and wants to continue their family name, but only has a daughter as an heir, not a son, they will get a fiance for her and that fiance will be adopted AS a son when he marries her. For example, if you're familiar with Revolutionary Girl Utena in any way, that's why Akio has a different name than Anthy, even though they literally are siblings. He's been "adopted" into the Ohtori family because he's engaged to the Ohtori daughter. Thus, he will carry on the name of the family as a male heir.

In situations other than this? Wife usually takes the husband's name.

That's what I know about it.