The US, as in the federal government, has no laws about this at all. The laws are set by the states. All 50 states have their own laws about how and when you can change your name through marriage. Just like all 50 states have their own laws on who can get a marriage license, what age you can marry, how closely related you can be, what you must do, show, or pay to get it, and many other things. So it really makes no sense to say "you can do it in the US". Because in some states it would be true and others it wouldn't.
I can tell you in the State of Hawaii where I did most of my services, it is not legal. There are specific guidelines you must follow when choosing the name. This is true for many other states, but the specific guidelines will differ. Also, as you say some states have no guidelines and you can do what you want. But there is no universal standard for the entire US.
If it interests you, in Hawaii you can change both your middle and last name. Your middle name can be changed to any combination of middle and last names that the bride and/or groom have ever legally had in their lives, and same for the last name. Using this rule, a lot of couples who wanted to share a last name, but the person taking a name didn't want to lose their name or hyphenate would change their middle name to their current last name.
Do you think women should have to take their husband's last name?
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Where is it not legal to change your name to what you want? It's legal in the US.
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Legion
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Well, you can tell people your last name is whatever, but when the papers come, whatever won't be on them.
The US, as in the federal government, has no laws about this at all. The laws are set by the states. All 50 states have their own laws about how and when you can change your name through marriage. Just like all 50 states have their own laws on who can get a marriage license, what age you can marry, how closely related you can be, what you must do, show, or pay to get it, and many other things. So it really makes no sense to say "you can do it in the US". Because in some states it would be true and others it wouldn't.
I can tell you in the State of Hawaii where I did most of my services, it is not legal. There are specific guidelines you must follow when choosing the name. This is true for many other states, but the specific guidelines will differ. Also, as you say some states have no guidelines and you can do what you want. But there is no universal standard for the entire US.
If it interests you, in Hawaii you can change both your middle and last name. Your middle name can be changed to any combination of middle and last names that the bride and/or groom have ever legally had in their lives, and same for the last name. Using this rule, a lot of couples who wanted to share a last name, but the person taking a name didn't want to lose their name or hyphenate would change their middle name to their current last name.
What he probably means is it wouldn't be covered under the marriage license.
You'd (both) have to pay a fee and petition the court in order to change your names to anything outside of what is permissible through marriage.