Married and maiden names

When a baby is born, they get a name that their parents choose for them. When a person grows up and gets married, they can choose to keep their own name or take their spouse's name.

Sometimes, people choose to keep their own name, which is called their "maiden name". Other times, people choose to take their spouse's name, which is called their "married name".

For example, let's say a woman named Sarah Smith gets married to a man named John Jones. Sarah can choose to keep her maiden name, Smith, or she can choose to take John's last name, Jones.

If Sarah decides to take John's name, she would now be called Sarah Jones instead of Sarah Smith. This is because when people get married, they can legally change their last name to their spouse's name if they want to.

It's important to remember that whether someone chooses to keep their maiden name or take their spouse's name, it's their own decision and they should feel comfortable with whatever they choose.