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Hi Zaragoza,

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you are absolutely right! This way to call a woman "Mrs. PETER Smith" sounds extremely old fashioned and unfair (at least to someone living in Northern Europe). I remember that I was very surprised when I first heard about it (I guess it was in an American movie...).

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Here (I can only speak for Scandinavia and Germany) the married couple can decide which surname they would like to keep.

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Maria Nilsson and Per Jansson can be
1) Maria & Åke Nilsson
2) Maria & Åke Jansson
3) Maria Nilsson & Åke Jansson
after their marriage. But you won't ever call Maria "fru Åke Nilsson", that would sound as crazy as "herr Maria Jansson".

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There's even the possibility of double names (which I don't like at all by the way)

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Maria Schmidt and Paul Müller can be
1) Maria Müller-Schmidt & Paul Müller
2) Maria Schmidt & Paul Schmidt-Müller

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Once, in Germany, I heard someone call a lady "Frau Dr. Wegner" even though it was not her title but her husband's. But that's very old fashioned and not common nowadays.

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Are there any other traditions or customs in other countries? Would be interesting!

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Regards, Satu