Children Receiving Mother's Name.

[screaming--pink.livejournal.com]

I remember reading somewhere that children traditionally were automatically given the surname of the mother.. stemming from Peasant/Noble times. Does this sound familiar to anybody? If I'm wrong, let me know, too. I just know I've heard something at some point or another that goes against traditional belief in society about a child having the father's last name.

ETA: I'm referring mostly to cases where the mother is unwed/kept her maiden name/has a different last name than the father.

Comments

[ewaeva.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, but what the fuck is he thinking??? He left you and will be living far away from his child. He has absolutely NO RIGHT to say ANYTHING about what your baby's name will be. And to ask you to give the baby his first name - that is just ridiculous.

Sorry. This made me mad. I agree with you. And you don't have to have historical reasons and arguments for giving the baby your last name. You're raising him, he's living with you, the father up and left, for crying out loud. You don't need any more reasons than that.

Having said that, yeah, it was normal for kids of unmarried mothers to have their mother's last name. Probably because the father often didn't acknowledge the child as his.

[screaming--pink.livejournal.com]

Oh, he'd have a better chance arguing with a brick wall when it comes to me giving this child his last name. ;]

I think the original story I heard sounded like that. Where Noblemen would sleep with Peasant women and when they ended up pregnant, they did not want a child "unworthy" of their status being affiliated with their last name. And, considering it was a time without paternity testing, it was quite easy for them to deny their spawn. But, there was little question as to which woman the baby popped out of - which is why the children would be given her name.