SHOULD MEN TAKE THEIR WIFE’S LAST NAME?
DAILY DILEMMA: Should Men Take Their Wifes ?
Houston radio host Madd Hatta has never shied away from sparking tough conversations. On his Madd Hatta Show (2–7 p.m. on Majic 102.1), the “Daily Dilemma” this week zoomed in on a headline out of South Africa that’s challenging old-school thinking: men there can now legally take their wife’s last name.
The ruling came down from the country’s Constitutional Court in September, which struck down the apartheid-era Births and Deaths Registration Act for being discriminatory. Until now, only women could change their names at marriage. Two men pushed back—one asking to hyphenate his last name with his wife’s, another wanting to take her surname outright. The court agreed, giving Parliament two years to amend the law.
On air, Hatta asked the question straight up: “Fellas, could you drop your last name for hers?” The phone lines lit up. Some callers praised the ruling as equality in action, others clung tightly to the idea that the family name must stay with the man.
The debate spilled over to Hatta’s Instagram page, @TheRealMaddHatta, where he ran a poll on the same question. The results showed just how divided people are: 52% voted yes, saying it shouldn’t matter who changes their name if the love is real. 48% said no, insisting tradition still matters.
In the comments, followers didn’t hold back. One user wrote: “If he loves you, a last name shouldn’t matter — it’s all about respect and partner-ship.” Another fired back: “You don’t just drop your name like it’s nothing. That’s heritage, lineage.” Others struck a middle ground, arguing it’s not about erasing culture but about giving people the choice to define their own marriage.
By the end of the show, it was clear this wasn’t just about South Africa. Hatta’s listeners saw their own values in the debate—identity, gender roles, and who gets to call the shots in a relationship.
As one caller put it best: “It’s not about the name on paper. It’s about the power it represents.”
Check out the responses and read comments from the poll below.
DAILY DILEMMA: Should Men Take Their Wifes ? was originally published on myhoustonmajic.com
