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.

  • deadcatbounce@reddthat.com
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    5 days ago

    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’.

    • Hacksaw@lemmy.ca
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      5 days ago

      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.