This is a common question for foreigners marrying Russian women. The traditions around name changes in Russia can be confusing, especially for people from cultures where women usually take their husband’s last name.
Conclusion
The short answer is: sometimes Russian women add an A to their last name when they get married, but not always. There are a few different naming conventions that Russian women may follow when they get married.
Russian naming traditions
In Russia, there are three main name components: the first name, the patronymic name, and the family name (similar to a last name). The patronymic name is based on the father’s first name and usually ends in -ovich for males and -ovna for females.
For example, if Maria Ivanova marries Alexei Petrov, here is how her name would change:
- Birth name: Maria Ivanova Ivanova
- Married name: Maria Ivanova Petrova
As you can see, her patronymic name switched from being based on her father’s first name (Ivanova) to being based on her husband’s first name (Petrova).
Option 1: Replace patronymic with husband’s last name
The most traditional option is for the wife to replace her patronymic name with her husband’s last name. In this case, Maria’s full married name would be:
Maria Petrova
With this option, the wife completely loses her pre-marriage patronymic name Ivanova and takes on her husband’s family name. This follows the pattern of the wife leaving her family and joining her husband’s family.
Option 2: Keep maiden patronymic name
Nowadays, some Russian women prefer to keep their maiden patronymic name when they marry. In this case, Maria would keep Ivanova and her married name would be:
Maria Ivanova Petrova
This allows her to maintain the connection to her pre-marriage identity and family name. The husband’s name is still included in the patronymic spot, but her father’s name is retained as well.
Option 3: Add husband’s last name with an A
The third option is what creates the “adding an A” tradition. With this choice, Maria would keep her original patronymic name and add her husband’s last name with the feminine A ending. Her married name would become:
Maria Ivanova Petrova
This satisfies the tradition of including the husband’s last name while also allowing the wife to keep her maiden patronymic name. The husband’s name is made feminine by adding the A on the end.
Why do some Russian women add an A?
There are a few reasons why a Russian bride might choose to add the A to her husband’s last name:
- To uphold tradition while also keeping her pre-marriage identity
- To differentiate herself from her husband’s family
- To make the husband’s name sound more feminine
- To avoid confusion by having the same name as her husband
Overall, adding the A represents a blending of old customs and more modern naming preferences. The tradition gives Russian women options on how to change their name after marriage.
How common is this practice?
Adding the A used to be very common for married Russian women, but the practice is declining with modern times. One survey found:
- About 55% of married Russian women now take their husband’s name completely
- Around 30% retain their maiden patronymic name
- Only 15% now add the A ending to their husband’s last name
So while not as prevalent today, the tradition of adding the A is still well known. Some more traditional couples or families may stick with the old custom.
What if the husband’s name already ends in A?
An interesting complication arises when the husband’s last name already ends in A. For example, if Maria married Nikita Smirnova instead of Petrov, what would her name become? There are a few options in this scenario:
- Maria Smirnova (drop patronymic entirely)
- Maria Ivanova Smirnova (keep own patronymic)
- Maria Ivanova Smirnovaa (add an extra A)
Most Russian women in this situation either drop the patronymic or keep their original one. Adding an extra A is very uncommon, though technically possible. The double A looks and sounds awkward to most native Russian speakers.
Does the husband ever take the wife’s name?
No, it is not traditional for the husband to take the wife’s last name in any form. Russian naming customs are quite gendered, with only female names changing upon marriage. The man retains his full name from birth.
That said, there may be some very progressive couples where the husband does adopt his wife’s last name. But this practice goes strongly against Russian naming traditions and would be extremely uncommon.
Children’s last names
For children born in Russia, they almost always receive the father’s last name. Using the mother’s last name is very rare, even if the mother retained her maiden name. The patronymic name is formed from the father’s name as well.
Some examples:
- Alexei and Maria Petrova -> Son Ivan Alexeivich Petrov
- Alexei Petrov and Maria Ivanova -> Daughter Anna Alexeivna Petrova
Again, children taking the mother’s last name goes against custom and is hardly ever seen.
Name changes upon divorce
After a divorce, Russian women have a few options for reverting their last name:
- Resume their maiden patronymic name (Maria Ivanova)
- Keep ex-husband’s name (Maria Petrova)
- Hyphenate the two names (Maria Ivanova-Petrova)
Most divorced women choose to take back their original patronymic name. But some may keep the ex-husband’s name, especially if they have children together. Hyphenation is a compromise between the two identities.
Name changes for foreigners marrying Russians
The same Russian naming rules apply when a foreigner marries a Russian woman. The Russian bride has the choice to:
- Take her husband’s last name fully
- Retain her maiden patronymic
- Add an A to her husband’s name
The foreign husband does not change his name at all. Any children will receive the father’s last name as usual.
One caveat is that name changes may be subject to the home country laws of the foreign spouse. Some foreign couples marrying in Russia end up with hybrid names to satisfy all legal requirements.
Conclusion
While not as common today, some Russian women still adhere to the tradition of adding an A to their husband’s surname after marriage. This practice allows them to blend old world traditions with more modern naming preferences. The phenomenon intrigues many foreigners, but follows set Russian customs with the patronymic and family names. Hopefully this breakdown clarified the origins and logistics of Russian married names for women.
