Married couples are increasingly looking into 'meshing' their surnames after tying the knot.
Researchers said newlyweds wanting to combine their two surnames to create one new one had increased seven-fold in the past two years.
It is seen as a trendier way to keep both partners happier rather than using double-barrelled surnames.
Around 80% of women still stick to the traditional route of taking their spouse’s surname.
But according to NameSwitch, an online name-changing service, ‘meshing’ is becoming increasingly popular.
TV star Dawn Porter is one of the most high-profile celebrities to have ‘meshed’ her surname after tying the knot.
The presenter and author took the ‘O’ from her husband Chris O’Dowd’s surname to become Dawn O’Porter.
Laura Wardwood, 28, said she decided to blend her maiden name of Moorwood and her husband Tom’s surname of Ward.
She told the Sunday Telegraph: “I resented the idea of having to take Tom’s name.
“Tom didn’t want to take my name, to give it would have been a loss of identity. It’s something that we can do together.
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“We’re kind of starting our own clan, and luckily for us, it worked quite well.
“I didn’t want to be in the position where if we were to get divorced and we did have kids, and suddenly there’s a crisis of identity of, ‘Oh, that name doesn’t belong to me any more.’”
Cécile Mazuet, managing director of NameSwitch, said: “Perhaps the underlying reason is one of equality.
“Couples are more open-minded or daring to go against tradition and do things their way.
“They are also more informed that there are choices out there and varying different combinations to embark on their new team name.”
