In contemporary society, the convention of children inheriting their fathers' last names seems increasingly arbitrary. A recent tweet by London lawyer Dr. Charlotte Proudman challenging this norm has sparked significant discussion on X (formerly Twitter).
On August 9, Dr. Proudman posted: “A message to pregnant women — please give your baby your surname. You carried the baby for nine months, gave birth, and will be responsible for that child for the rest of your life. When registering the baby, ask yourself: why is the father’s surname considered more important than yours?”
The tweet quickly went viral, amassing 5.3 million views and over 34,000 likes.
Responses varied widely, with some defending the tradition of passing on the father's name, while others questioned its relevance in the modern world. Some argued that using the father's surname might incentivize greater paternal involvement, but others felt this standard was insufficiently high for men.
Given the substantial shifts in societal norms since the tradition began, many wonder if these historical reasons still hold value in 2023. Opinions are divided between those advocating for maintaining traditional practices and those pushing for a change to better reflect contemporary values.
Dr. Proudman’s tweet highlights an important consideration: just because a practice has been long-standing doesn’t necessarily make it right. The discussion underscores that no tradition should be considered too sacred to reassess in light of evolving perspectives.