By Abel Johngold Orheruata, MNIPR
Acclaimed Nigerian writer and feminist icon, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has stirred a fresh wave of cultural introspection with her candid remarks on why she continues to bear her father’s surname after marriage.
Speaking in a recent statement that has gone viral, Adichie said her decision not to adopt her husband’s surname is rooted in both personal affection and cultural consciousness.
“I didn’t change my surname to my husband’s surname because I love my surname, and all my documents bear my father’s surname. I don’t have the strength to run around to change it,” she said.
But beyond convenience, Adichie delved into the deeper cultural underpinnings of her choice, challenging widespread notions that equate a woman’s surname change with cultural propriety—especially within the Igbo ethnic group.
“People often tell me that I am abusing Igbo culture by still bearing my father’s surname. I laugh when I hear people say this. But the fact is that those women who bear their husband’s surname are the ones abusing Igbo culture,” she remarked.
Adichie explained that in pre-colonial Igbo society, women retained their father’s names, a tradition that was later eroded by British colonial influence. “Everything changed when the British colonized us. We then abandoned our own culture and followed British culture,” she noted.
Historically, she said, a woman’s identity remained tied to her paternal lineage, even after marriage. “Just like the Urhobos in Niger Delta, in pre-colonial Igbo society, if a married woman died, her corpse would be returned to her father’s home to be buried there. In pre-colonial Igbo culture, women belonged to their father’s place; their husbands just borrowed them for both to live together and have children.”
Her remarks have sparked spirited debate across social media and among cultural commentators, with some hailing her as a voice of truth, while others question the relevance of such views in today’s evolving marital traditions.
Adding to the conversation, some observers have pointed out that even within Islamic practice, women are traditionally encouraged to retain their father’s name after marriage, emphasizing that the shift in naming customs is not rooted in religion or indigenous culture, but largely in colonial legacy.
While reactions remain mixed, Chimamanda Adichie’s bold stance continues to reignite important conversations on identity, cultural authenticity, and the pressures women face in reconciling personal choices with societal expectations.
