Brooks Laich Says He Was Shocked When Wife Julianne Hough Didn't Take His Last Name

“I don’t find it disrespectful,” Brooks, 36, told his cohost Gavin DeGraw of his wife's decision. “I’m obviously open to it, but at the start, yeah, it was a little jarring for me.”

While the retired professional hockey player always thought his bride would take his name, Julianne, 31, didn't feel the same way.

“When we first met and got engaged and stuff, we had this conversation and I was like, ‘I want you to take my last name.' It was important to me," Brooks said. He explained that they never "resolved the issue" before walking down the aisle in July 2017.

“To me right now, it’s not that big of an issue,” he added and said that they would most likely revisit the conversation once they start having children.

“I will say I didn’t think that initially — I figured it would be an issue — but I’m surprised for myself now that it’s not an issue,” he continued. “But, it will be interesting to see when we have kids. When we have children, I would want them to have my last name, our last name.”

“I’m actually kind of surprised that it hasn’t become an issue in our relationship because I do, as a man, I take pride in the last name and being, having that last name as the family name and especially when we have kids, I think that will amplify,” Brooks said.

"I think it’ll always be an ongoing discussion but I’m not going to make my wife change her last name if she doesn’t feel comfortable, but I don’t think that creates a division within our relationship," he explained.

“To be fully honest, I would like my wife to have my last name, whether it’s now or sometime in the near future or far future,” he admitted before revealing that he refers to their home as the "Laich household."

What do you think of Julianne keeping her maiden name after marriage? Let us know in the comments below.