"We got married and combined our surnames to make up a new one - it reflects our love of beer"

A couple combined their surnames after getting married to create a new made up last name - to capture their love of beer.

Jessica, 30 - whose maiden name is Shryock - “assumed” she would change her name when she married and wanted to have the same name as her future children.

But when she married Zev - who grew up with the surname Steinberg - they decided to go for a new blended name.

He never thought he’d change his name but was on board with Jessica’s idea.

They decided to mash together their surnames to become Mr and Mrs Steinrock - inspired by their love of beer.

A stein is a traditional beer glass most commonly seen in Germany.

Jessica, an intimacy coordinator, from Champaign, Illinois, US, said: “I grew up assuming I would have to change my name.

“My parents divorced but my mum kept my dad’s name.

“Even when she remarried my stepdad, she hyphenated with my biological dad’s name.

“When we were 18 she changed it to just his, but it made me think that if we have kids – I want to have the same last name as them.

“I was searching through the internet and I saw the idea to combine names.

“I thought that’s interesting and made a huge list of potentials.

“I think Steinrock was the only one Zev liked."

She added: “We said it a bunch.

“It really started to feel like ours.

“It felt like an authentic mash up.

“The word Stein means stone – so essentially our surname is ‘rock rock’.

“It means a beer stein too and we love beer.

“We got married at a brewery.”

Zev, a professor of acting at the University of Illinois, said: “I never assumed I’d change my name.

“At first it was really hard for me.

“But then the idea of combining names to make a new one reflects what we are trying to do.

“I love our name now.”

Jessica and Zev met in November 2015 while Jessica was studying for her masters at the University of Illinois where Zev was lecturing.

The pair tied the knot in 2018 and decided to combine their names to create a new surname.

She said it felt “strange” to “lose” her name and didn’t like the idea of hyphenating.

Jessica said: “It’s a personal decision.

“I made a huge list of potentials – looking at anagrams.

“The idea really started to grow on me.”

Jessica came up with Steinrock – and the pair settled for the name after saying it over and over.

The couple said some of their family and friends were resistant to their choice of surname at first but have since got used to it.

Jessica said: “My grandpa said ‘nah, I don’t like it’ and then just moved on.

“People see things you should and shouldn’t do.

“Just because that’s the way things have always been done it doesn’t mean that’s the only way to do it.”