Sharon Faqua, wife of Nollywood actor Shawn Faqua, has hit back at critics who shame married women for choosing to take their husbands’ surnames.
Sharon questioned why she should feel embarrassed about identifying as Mrs. Faqua, insisting that the decision was hers to make and should not be subjected to public judgment.
“Why should I be ashamed to say my name is Mrs. Faqua? It’s my business, not yours,” she said.
Her comments have reignited the conversation around women changing their surnames after marriage, particularly amid growing debates about identity, feminism and traditional expectations surrounding marriage.
For Sharon, taking her husband’s surname is not something she considers a loss of identity or a decision that requires justification.
She argued that women should be allowed to make their own choices about how they want to be addressed after marriage, whether that means retaining their maiden names or adopting their husbands’ surnames.
Her position comes amid wider conversations about the meaning attached to a woman’s surname after marriage, with some women viewing the change as a symbol of family unity and commitment, while others prefer to retain the names they built their personal and professional identities around.
Sharon, who married Shawn in a traditional wedding ceremony in October 2025, has previously spoken openly about her relationship with the actor and described their marriage as a source of healing from emotional baggage from her previous marriage.
She previously explained that she had carried unresolved issues from her previous marriage when she met Shawn, adding that she believed two people could be good individuals but still not be compatible as life partners.
Her latest comments, however, focus on a different aspect of marriage — the freedom to decide how one wants to be identified within and outside the relationship.
The debate over married women’s surnames has persisted for years, with arguments ranging from tradition and family identity to personal autonomy and professional recognition.
But Sharon’s message is that neither choice should be used as a measure of a woman’s worth, independence or commitment to her marriage.
For her, being called Mrs. Faqua is a choice she is comfortable with and one she believes belongs to her alone.
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