Comments on: How Children Get Their Last Name

By: Ivan from Italy

Ivan from Italy — Fri, 21 May 2010 22:29:17 +0000

Hi Emiliano, thank’s for your answer! You solve my doubt.

By: Tania

Tania — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:34:27 +0000

Hi! In Romania all children get the last name of the father if fathers want to recognize their own children. If not, they get the last name of the mother.
The abandoned children without no name get the first name and the last name in hospital.

By: theben

theben — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:18:40 +0000

99.9% of polish children keep father’s last name.

By: Farahnaz

Farahnaz — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:13:41 +0000

Hi,
It beats me how could be grandchildren’s name (or grand grandchildren) when a couple marry and change their family names and their children grow up and they marry too, and change their family names.
For example:
Mother: Kate Smith
Father: John Green
Child: Emma Smith-Green

Child: Emma Smith-Green
Her husband (in the furure): Raymond Ono-Smith
Children: ?
And so on
I’m confused.

By: Talal

Talal — Wed, 19 May 2010 11:18:24 +0000

hello guys :
well, this is a very controversial and debatable issue in the middle east either, so .. that is why divorce is not such a good idea

By: leila

leila — Wed, 19 May 2010 09:15:46 +0000

In my country the people use their father’s last name, women don’t change their last name after they get married, if a woman divorces and have children and remarries, the children don’t change their name. But if they want to use stepfather’s insurance or other possibilities they have to change their name. in Iran last name of each person is he or she identity of their generation, I know that my last name is for my grandfather, maybe 5 or 6 or more generation before me, e.g. often we can understand on someone’s last name that who is originally from which city. For this reason Iranian people like to have son, because their son can pass their last name to future generation. But here are exceptions, some people change their name because it’s ugly and they ashamed when other people call them, and some of them when achieve high status in their job and education they want to change their name so they choose a favorite name.
Best wishes for you Mrs. Tse and Mr. McQuillan

By: emiliano

emiliano — Wed, 19 May 2010 09:05:22 +0000

Hi Ivan, we take only one from the father and one from the mother. So if a man have only daughters, as me, and my daughters have any children
it is for sure that my first second name (from my father) should be lost in my great-grandchildren. For this reason many men want to have sons instead, in order of not losing his first second name that comes from their fathers, grand fathers and so on.
By the way, yes, it is a complicated matter that I don´t care at the least, but many men do care by all means.

It´s interesting to see that every country has different rules or traditions about this matter.

By: faten

faten — Wed, 19 May 2010 03:45:05 +0000

In the Arab States of the familiar and known to the child consists of his name from his name and his father’s name and the name of the father and then his father’s father’s father, his father, and so on until the last parent. For example, if the name of the child David and his father’s name is John and the name of the father of his father, James, the name of the child as follows: David John James, and so this law is not one of which can be changed or falsified because it must be proved with documents that prove the case.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:50:04 +0000

hi, lucy thank you for your article, it gave me a clearer picture of American naming tradition. to the most extent, it’s much alike to the one in China.
could you explain the last sentence which is “so that’s what most people assume is the case.”? i am not quite understanding it.

By: emiliano

emiliano — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:02:31 +0000

Yes, I think you are right Juan Carlos, in Portugal the first second name is from the mother and after follows father´s second name.
For hundred of years also in Canarias Islands there was the same custom like in Portugal, but not now of course as it is the same in all
Spain.

Regards.