Back in the medieval ages when a woman was married to a man, they were basically considered property for my understanding and treated like an extension of the man’s person and family. So it was customary for women to take the man’s last name since they were being joined to his family. But now here in the 21st century women are fully independent and last names don’t really seem to mean much of anything. I mean what is Smith or McGregor or any last name really mean anymore? Especially in the digital age, lots of people have digital usernames like SarahSmith1727373. So the last name clearly doesn’t mean much anymore… Which leads me to wonder, why do the majority of women still take the man’s last name? Especially when some of them have a horrible last name? I have seen some butt ass ugly last names recently, like Fink, Weimer, Slotsky/Slotsky, Hiscock (no joke this is a last name), Hardman… And then you hear the woman’s name and it’s like something way more reasonable and less stupid sounding like Kingman, or Harrison, Walls, etc.
This conversation is so white and western culture centric. Many cultures have different norms. Centering on this as the normal/accepted route is strange given how international our societies have become.
True, for instance in Québec, Canada, it is illegal for a woman to take her husband name.
To all the people here arguing that it’s easier to have a family name, especially with children: It’s also possible that the husband takes the wife’s name. But from anecdotal evidence in my acquaintance, most men are very opposed to this idea. So if the woman wants a family name she has to change her name or have endless fights about it. That’s why most women I know did it.
Having one name is easier for social reasons. Going with the man’s name is easier for social reasons.
It all comes down to social pressure to keep the status quo. I even offered to take my wife’s last name and she declined and took mine instead.
Having one name (at least in common, using hyphenation) is easier for legal reasons too. If you have kids, and one parent doesn’t share a last name with them, you’ll have headaches at school, maybe crossing a border, unless you brought some extra legal documents with, etc.
In Sweden, a couple can choos to have a new last name not related to either.
You can choose another last name when you get married in the US too, but people just don’t choose to for the most part. The marriage license name change is a shortcut to a regular name change that can be made through the courts.
Because everyone knows who the mother is through birth and following months/years if they’re lucky, and the only connection a father has with his children is a last name.
It’s quite reasonable that mums want the same surname as their children so …
The trouble with that is that between twenty and thirty percent of children, depending on source, call the wrong person ‘dad’.
No child calls the ‘wrong’ person dad. Dad is an earned title between a parent and child. Ejaculating doesn’t make you a dad, just a sperm donor.
Same goes for Mom by the way unless you think adopted parents are also illegitimate.
Way to miss the point lol
Most of these “dad” are victims of paternity fraud. A serious crime that gets zero attention
Dude, I get that infidelity sucks but you have to be a real fucking asshole to think that makes the dads into “dads”.
You’re seriously wondering why women would want to take Hardcock? Buddy, I hate to be the one one to have to tell you this, I even hate to even type it, but women LOVE Hardcock. It’s a fun name. It’s fun to say. What woman wouldn’t want Hardcock coming out of their mouth? Plus you get to attend the family gatherings on holidays and family reunions. Just a woman, surrounded by Hardcocks. Hardcocks as far as the eye can see!
…why is everybody giggling?
It helps with legal documents and proof of ownership of equity if both last names are the same. Taking the man’s last name is just an archaic tradition but I do agree that having both last names the same is useful.
I will say though that people who hyphenate both their last name’s are fucking psychopaths. Just choose one. Don’t make other people have to remember 2 last names.
