I'm missing the logic on this one...

[junkyardblacksmith]

I just read that Marilyn vos Savant, supposedly the woman with the highest IQ in the world, opposes the tradition of children taking their father's surname, instead using her mother's maiden name.

I wonder if it ever occured to Ms. Savant that her mothers maiden name is her mothers fathers surname?

[oldnndway]

Hah ! Probably not.

[jim]

I thought Hitlerry was the smartest woman in the world. :o

Savant, is that pun?

jim

[fredusa]

Hey, jim, I know Hilary is promoted by the left wing as "the smartest woman in the world." Truth is, I think she is, instead, the most liberal woman in the world!
I love Marilyn vos savant and read her column quite religiously. Now, that having been said, isn't it proper in this country that the child takes on the mothers last name? So, if the mother takes on a spouse' name, that would become her last name, eh? If not, she'd carry the same from her mother--- which is, probably her fathers, etc.
Hey, how 'bout this---all women of childbearing age must use, as their current surname, a #? Then the children could use progressive numbers. So that Jeanne 3460782 could have children called Phillicia 3460783, Bendix 3460784, etc.? Gee, how could that cause some kind of controversy, eh? :D ;) And each child would not be confused via some time based "pecking order", but would be rminded of this pecking order by nothing more than his/her own last name! And, of course, government could keep it all straight for us, thus eliminating some OTHER problems for us, as gov't always does for us! ::)


Dang, I bit my tongue because it was so deeply embedded in my cheek!

[admin]

Not that I plan to encourage my kids or wife to change their surname, but it would actually make more sense for children to inherit their mother's surname for one simple reason -- while, until recently, paternity was difficult to impossible to prove, there was never any doubt who gave birth to the child.

Certainly, that system would cause problems for royalty since the first born child of the king was first in line for the throne. It had to be presumed that the child delivered by the queen was sired by the king, else the royal line would be called into question.

I've often wondered how many past kings and princes were bastards in both senses of the word.

I also occasionally wonder when I see a child who does not resemble either the birth mother or her husband. Naturally, I keep such musings to myself to avoid, at the least, a broken nose. ;)

ODS

[Morning_Owl]

In the old pagen religion the the children took the mother's name. For the reason admin pointed out.

while, until recently, paternity was difficult to impossible to prove, there was never any doubt who gave birth to the child.

Maybe a compromise ;) Girls take the mothers name and boys take the fathers. :D

[Suzy]

People have caused me enough grief because my name is legally Suzy blank blank, with my "maiden" name as my middle name and my husband's last name as my last name....I did this after my daddy died to honor him...my name is not hyphenated...I had it legally changed at the court house on my 40th birthday....

In an obit our newspaper had this week, I saw that a boy (now man) that I went to school with had changed his last name to his wife's last name when he married (the obit was for his dad and his family was listed in the survivors). He last name previously was "Wimpee" and I wonder if that had anything to do with him changing to his wife's last name or if it was something his wife wanted him to do...

So I don't guess there is an easy answer to any of this...For a long time I just used my first name and my "maiden" name but in this rural south that caused many people to conclude that my husband and I were "living in sin...." gee....So since the kids were having his last name I just added his name onto mine as well...

Men just generally don't understand what a hassle it is to have to change your name on your driver's license, Social Security card, and everything else PLUS then often your college diplomas and all that are in your previous name...it can sure get goofy!

[daphodil]

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet. Romeo & Juliet

I think nowadays, it just signals whether you are more traditional or if you are more 'feminist.' Our family dr. is a woman and she has her 'original' name and I asked how that worked for her. I asked if everyone thought she was divorced--she said, "No, they think I never got married." So, if anything, sharing names seems to signal to others what your 'situation' is. (Or, it used to)

I think it's interesting when divorced women go 'back' to their maiden names OR I've even seen them take a prior husbands name again that they had children with.

I have a SisterIL who did that and now has the exact same name as my dh's ex wife (who is now married to said SIL's former husband) This made the wedding announcements/invitations sort of funny to read when my nephew got married--his mom and stepmom now having the same names, first and last.

I think in Sweden they stopped doing the 'dotter' thing (for daughters) and everyone just became 'son.' Then there became too many Johnsons, Carlson, Andersons, etc. and they then switched to other names based on where you lived or something? I don't know.

I guess we all have to have names to get our mail and not our neighbors.

If all men are Kings of their own Castles, they, too might want to only raise their own heirs?

My dh has red hair and all his siblings have dark Indian hair; his mom has red hair, though, so I think he's legit.

I wonder about Jeb Bush myself ;)

[Archangel]

Get back to the basics. The reason the wife and child took the husband/father's name was to show it was his child. That way he and the family would provide for her and the child.

In societies were women ruler this was not done because no one carried who the father was.

With the divorces and missing fathers who is whom?
:P ::) :o Michael