In the news last week, actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay singer Chris Martin announced they were getting divorced.

Oh sorry, they didn’t actually put it like that, they used the phrase ‘consciously uncouple’.

As we gloss over that particular choice of words, I must admit that it’s made me think about marriage in this day and age and how, while very few celebrities like Gwyneth change their names when they get hitched, there’s still such a big debate about whether we civilians should.

Thousands of women across the world face this dilemma when they get married - it’s not a new debate. Do they go with tradition or keep their own personal and professional identity?

It does seem more and more women these days don’t actually want to take their husband’s surname, and there are quite a few examples of this in the Chronicle office. When Rhiannon Bevan got married last September, there was no question she’d take her husband’s surname.

She said: “It’s never crossed my mind, Bevan has also been my name. My sister and I are the last in our family with this name and I’m not ready to give it up.”

Digital editor Jo Henwood goes by her maiden name in her professional life but for everything else, she’s known by her married name.

It begs the question, is this an issue about ‘embracing feminism’ or simply reacting normally in a society where girls are just as proud of their names as men?

Twenty years ago when I was in primary school, I was in a class that had about four different ‘Rachel Thomases’ and ‘Louise Smiths’, so having a name like mine was a sense of constant embarrassment to me and I dreaded having to spell out my surname whenever we had a new teacher.

“Be proud of your Italian heritage,” said my dad, who not only gave me my difficult surname, but also lumbered me with the foreign first name of his late mother, which was even more unheard of around these parts. Yes, my name was ridiculously common in Italy, but to a young kid growing up in the Chester area, I couldn’t wait to be free of at least one part of it and, at the time, was desperate to grow up and get married so I could have a new name.

How glad I am that I now feel the opposite. I’m proud of both my names, and fiercely proud of my Italian roots, which my name is a big part of. When I do get married, I won’t be in as big a rush as I used to be to get rid of it, and while I may well change it eventually, at least for personal matters, I now realise that changing my name just to make it easier for other people is ridiculous.

There are also other things to consider – like tedious paperwork. I’ve heard some people say they just can’t be bothered with the rigmarole. Another one’s husband was the one to take his wife’s surname, because she had a nicer last name.

I’m personally of the opinion there is no right answer, and every woman should do what feels right for her. Not changing your name doesn’t mean you love your husband any less, so is it as important as it’s made out to be?

What’s your opinion on the name change issue? Tweet @ChesterChron or share your thoughts on the Chronicle Facebook page.