Forum:Do article names change when female characters get married?

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I was wondering should women who have married have the page moved to their married name or kept as maiden. Gwen Cooper was moverd to Gwen Williams but other pages have not had this done?--Skittles the hog 15:17, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Why was Gwen Cooper moved to Gwen Williams? We don't have any onscreen confirmation that she took Rhys' last name. In fact, Journey's End and the credits to Exit Wounds would seem to argue that she didn't. Sorry, but that move is gettin' undone. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 05:37, 16 July 2008 (UTC)

As to your more general point, it's situational. Let's face it, though: Doctor Who is not really a show about marriage. Gwen's probably the first character in the Whoniverse where it's even a (slight) issue. The only real confirmed marriages we have are Leela, Peri, Vicki and (possibly) Jo and Susan. Nyssa I suppose has a kind of marriage, if the events of Circular Time are to be trusted. But of these only Jo and Susan married human men for whom the custom applies. And really all of these marriages are the end of the story with these people. Gwen's the only one who's gotten married and then continued on as a regular character. Martha's on the cusp of marriage, so it'll be interesting to see what happens if her wedding is depicted. But for the moment, there's just not an instance of a traditional "married name" out there. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 05:48, 16 July 2008 (UTC)

it shouldn't have been moved since she isn't refered to by that name pages should only be moved if refered to not because they got married Dark Lord Xander 06:19, 16 July 2008 (UTC)

She refers to herself as Gwen Williams in Something Borrowed.--Skittles the hog 21:25, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Not really. She says that nothing's going to stop her from becoming Mrs. Gwen Williams. She isn't at the time married, and it's a colloquial way of talking about one's future married state. Doesn't mean that, post nuptials, she legally assumed the name Williams. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 21:40, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

I think she would do if she intends to do so, theres no evidence she changed her mind.--Skittles the hog 18:04, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

But she wasn't being serious when she said it. She was just speaking colloquially. And there's every evidence she's called "Gwen Cooper", cause that's what Jack says her name is in Journey's End. Those who want to call her Williams are seeing JE as dis-continuity, but really it establishes a fact not otherwise stated in Torchwood. It tells us that she didn't take Rhys' name. There's nothing outrageously weird about this. It's continuity not discontinuity. It's not that RTD has "forgotten" the wedding; he's just saying something about the character that no Torchwood writer has done. And in the process he's neatly explaining why her character's name hasn't changed in the end credits. She's never been referred to as Gwen Williams, in- or out-of-universe,, following her wedding. CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 09:14, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

Ok I suggestleaving it as Cooper for now but changing it if any evidence otherwise id supplied.--Skittles the hog 11:01, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

All told, this is indeed the only example of a married character. It's quite common for a woman to use one name at home and one at work. It's possible this is the case here. I'd suggest leaving the listing as Gwen Cooper, referencing the married name in the entry, and setting up a redirect page. She was Gwen Cooper far longer than she was Williams, and that's how most people know her. EDIT - I just added Williams to the AKA line in her info box - seems a good solutionVbartilucci 15:57, 8 August 2008 (UTC)VBartilucci

Thing is, though, she's not "also known as" Williams. She is never referred to as Williams after the wedding. Sure, that all could change. But so far there is only one name she's known by: Gwen Elizabeth Cooper. A redirect page in this case is actually inappropriate, but was unavoidable since someone had moved it to Gwen Williams and it needed to be moved back to Cooper. Personally, I think the redirect page should be deleted until and unless there is some evidence that, after the wedding, she really is called "Williams". CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 08:20, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

I think the redirect page should be left so people who want to use that name can still find the article and as a deterance for people to create and move it as it already exists as a redirect while if it did not it would be more likely that someone would re-create it Dark Lord Xander 00:51, 10 August 2008 (UTC)