An oddball question

[juleska]

In the world of Westeros, all the ladies who marry a lord take on the lord's name for their own. Thus Catelyn Tully is called Lady Stark by all who meet her. The lone exception seems to be Cersei, whom *everyone* calls Cersei Lannister. It's not that this is particularly surprising or unfitting with her character's nature or the family's pride, I only find it strange because it's never explained. Not a single character even refers to her once as Cersei Baratheon.

Why? It seems like within the context of the story that should've been explained.

It only occurred to me recently because my 2nd wedding anniversary is approaching, and I haven't changed my name to my husbands because we live abroad and getting the thing done is difficult and very expensive. But I have a trip to the US coming up and we're contemplating whether or not to do it while there.

 

[HareBrain]

I'm not sure of the technicalities, but kings don't have surnames as such (certainly not in the English Medieval period on which ASOIAF is based). Anne Boleyn was still called that after marrying Henry VIII, for example. Eleanor of Aquitaine didn't become Eleanor Plantagenet on marrying Henry II.

I'm even more vague about the nobility. Is Catelyn called Catelyn Stark, or is she Catelyn Tully, Lady Stark? It's confusing because surnames weren't used exactly are they are now, and most people didn't have one.

 

[juleska]

That's true, I hadn't considered that she may still be called Catelyn Tully even as she's known as Lady Stark. I'll keep an eye out for more examples.

 

[The Imp]

In the world of Westeros, all the ladies who marry a lord take on the lord's name for their own. Thus Catelyn Tully is called Lady Stark by all who meet her. The lone exception seems to be Cersei, whom *everyone* calls Cersei Lannister. It's not that this is particularly surprising or unfitting with her character's nature or the family's pride, I only find it strange because it's never explained. Not a single character even refers to her once as Cersei Baratheon.

Why? It seems like within the context of the story that should've been explained.

It only occurred to me recently because my 2nd wedding anniversary is approaching, and I haven't changed my name to my husbands because we live abroad and getting the thing done is difficult and very expensive. But I have a trip to the US coming up and we're contemplating whether or not to do it while there.

Really good point jules, and I can't come up with an answer other than to pseculate that GRRM decided that it was important to always have the fact that Cersei was/is a Lannister first and foremost in people's minds. Even the most casual of readers couldn't mistake her lineage when she is always referred to as Lannister, while they could if she was referred to as Cersei Baratheon.

BTW, I've been married for 22 years now, and my wife still has her maiden name. I wouldn't have it any other way

 

[juleska]

Well I'm in the midst of a reread of ASOS and just concluded Catelyn's chapter at the wedding....the last thing it says is "Catelyn Stark ___________" (spoiler free for anybody who hasn't gotten that far yet). So the narrative definitely refers to her as Catelyn Stark. Cersei is the only standout here I can see.

Again, it's not unfitting for her character, just surprises me that it's never explained in the context of the story.

And Imp, thank you for your insight. My husband swears he doesn't care what I call myself and actually argued against me changing my name when we first married. The topic's only come up because we live abroad and a friend of ours (American married to a non-American) recently passed away, leaving his widow and their young son with a whole host of problems, not the least of which is proving they are married to help settle the estate back in the US.

 

[The Imp]

Well I'm in the midst of a reread of ASOS and just concluded Catelyn's chapter at the wedding....the last thing it says is "Catelyn Stark ___________" (spoiler free for anybody who hasn't gotten that far yet). So the narrative definitely refers to her as Catelyn Stark. Cersei is the only standout here I can see.

Again, it's not unfitting for her character, just surprises me that it's never explained in the context of the story.

And Imp, thank you for your insight. My husband swears he doesn't care what I call myself and actually argued against me changing my name when we first married. The topic's only come up because we live abroad and a friend of ours (American married to a non-American) recently passed away, leaving his widow and their young son with a whole host of problems, not the least of which is proving they are married to help settle the estate back in the US.

The problems that you may encounter from having different last names are not to be ignored. you COULD always do the double last name thing (Juleska Smith Jones)

 

[HareBrain]

According to this

Women were not required to take their husbands names—sometimes they chose to, but more often they kept their maiden names or received new names unrelated to their husbands’. Not until the 17th century in France were women required to take their husbands’ names.

So there's plenty of historic precedent for Cersei not to take the Baratheon name, and one can certainly see why she might choose not to.