Why does the woman have to take the man's last name when they get married?

A woman need to necessarily take on her husbands name after marriage. When a couple is married, each spouse is free to keep his or her own name, take the husband's or wife's name, or even use a totally different name. Some couples want to be known by a hyphenated combination of their last names, and a few even make up new names that combine elements of each. You can also pick a name that's entirely different from the names you have now, just because you like it better. However, one needs to be sure about a name before deciding on it as the current laws require a court petition for a name change.