Kaori Okuni, one of the women campaigning for change, said the ruling would lead to "suffering for those who plan to marry and those who are set to be born".
Most women in Japan end up taking their husband's surname, a practice set to continue after Wednesday's ruling.
But what do other countries do?
In most well-populated countries, women are free to change their surname on marrying, if they wish. Many go further than that, putting in place laws stating that women do not have to change their names.
France's law has been in place since the 18th century but, much like in Italy, there is some flexibility allowing wives to use their husband's surnames in an informal way. On all official paperwork, however, the maiden name must remain.
The laws are much tougher in Greece and Quebec. In Greece, you must petition a court for a name change, and in Quebec, even if they wanted to, a wife cannot take her husband's surname at any point.
In Iceland, women keep their maiden names after marriage. A surname is derived from a father's first name - so Bjork, Gudmund's daughter, becomes Bjork Gudmundsdottir - or, in certain circumstances, the mother's.
A similar pattern is also followed in Ethiopia and Eritrea, where there is no concept of surnames as known in many Western countries. At birth, people are given one name, that is then followed by the father's name then the grandfather's name.
Even after marrying, women retain their original three names.
Could the Avatar actress Zoe Saldana and her husband Marco Perego - now Marco Saldana - be trend setters?
The couple announced the move earlier this year, with Mrs Saldana calling her husband "a man who stood by change".
In one case from 2012, however, a Mississippi man needed the help of the American Civil Liberties Union to take his wife's surname, having initially been prevented from changing the name on his driving licence.
And in France, a change in the law now allows men to take their wife's surname - the first case was registered in Lyon in 2012, but only after seven attempts to do so were denied, despite the amendment.

The Newry firm had been run by its founder Lord Ballyedmond, until his death in a helicopter crash in March.
Mr Nagle is currently the chairman of the Dublin-based Sisk Group, one of the largest privately owned companies in Ireland.
Sisk is primarily a construction business but also has a significant manufacturing division.
Mr Nagle is an experienced corporate manager, having held senior roles at firms like Intel and Nortel.
He joined Sisk in 2005 as head of its non-construction trading activities and led the development of a strategy to diversify the business.
Sisk entered the healthcare sector and initially acquired a number of businesses in Ireland and the UK.
Norbrook chairman Sir Roy McNulty said Mr Nagle "brings a wide range of skills and experience which will be of great benefit to the team in Norbrook".

The investment follows "several months of negotiations", a company statement to the Saudi stock exchange said.
The prince, who is one of the world's richest men, owns stakes in many well-known companies, including News Corporation.
He also has investments in a number of media groups in the Arab world.
"Our investment in Twitter reaffirms our ability in identifying suitable opportunities to invest in promising, high-growth businesses with a global impact," Prince Alwaleed said.
Japan's Supreme Court has ruled that all married couples must have the same surname, despite concerns that the practice is discriminatory and archaic.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
The Northern Ireland pharmaceutical firm Norbrook has appointed Liam Nagle as its new chief executive.
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Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Holding Company has announced a $300m (Â£194m) investment in social media site Twitter.