You're focusing only on "Marie", whereas the greater emphasis should arguably be on "Skłodowska". AFAIK, in 19th century France, a woman's legal name did not c

You're focusing only on "Marie", whereas the greater emphasis should arguably be on "Skłodowska". AFAIK, in 19th century France, a woman's legal name did not change after she married. She adopted her husband's name as a matter of usage, however. FWIW, I, too, have heard that Marie Skłodowska-Curie wished to make prominent her maiden name, perhaps in the double barrelled form (which is the way I've seen it many times in other languages).