Vicky Allan writes that the tradition of women adopting their husbands name on marriage dates back to medieval times (Our husbands don't own us so why should wives change our names, Comment, February 12).

She quotes Spain as a country that does not have this tradition

Is she unaware that until recent times women in Scotland used their own name after marriage?

In Scots law women are still referred to in legal terms as, for example, Jean Scott or Cameron": their own and their husbands name

All older gravestones are inscribed as, for example: "Jean Scott relic[widow] of John Cameron" showing that a woman retained her own name throughout her life.

Willie Douglas

Glasgow