Whose surname should the baby follow?

Whose surname should the baby follow?
Mar 5, 2010 02:09
BBQQ Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: offline	Having a baby is a happy thing for a couple. Usually, their parents have already chosen a name for their baby before he/she comes into the world. Traditionally, Chinese kids follow their dads’ surname. But this tradition might have been changed. And some couples even argue on this issue. Some even divorce for this matter. Case 1 Wang Ming and his wife had a beautiful baby girl. However, they were not very happy since they have disputes on their baby girl’s surname. His wife insists that her baby girl should follow her surname and she will be taken care of by her mom only. While he says that it is a tradition that kids always have their dad’s surname. Several months later, his wife informed him that she had already decided to divorce him. Case 2 Mrs. Deng got married one year ago. Now she is pregnant. She requires that her baby will follow her surname. If her husband doesn’t accept it, she will abort baby. Well, her husband refused her requisition. Then she goes to the hospital to abort her baby. As a result, her husband divorced her. If you are a dad in a Chinese family, will you compromise and let your kid follow your wife’s surname?

Mar 5, 2010 02:09

BBQQ
Points:
Join Date: Feb 7, 2007
Status: offline

Having a baby is a happy thing for a couple. Usually, their parents have already chosen a name for their baby before he/she comes into the world. Traditionally, Chinese kids follow their dads’ surname. But this tradition might have been changed. And some couples even argue on this issue. Some even divorce for this matter.

Case 1
Wang Ming and his wife had a beautiful baby girl. However, they were not very happy since they have disputes on their baby girl’s surname. His wife insists that her baby girl should follow her surname and she will be taken care of by her mom only. While he says that it is a tradition that kids always have their dad’s surname. Several months later, his wife informed him that she had already decided to divorce him.

Case 2
Mrs. Deng got married one year ago. Now she is pregnant. She requires that her baby will follow her surname. If her husband doesn’t accept it, she will abort baby. Well, her husband refused her requisition. Then she goes to the hospital to abort her baby. As a result, her husband divorced her.

If you are a dad in a Chinese family, will you compromise and let your kid follow your wife’s surname?

Mar 5, 2010 02:43	#1
KATRINA Points: Join Date: Nov 29, 2004 Status: Offline	Why do they compromise and let their baby have their surnames together? When I was in college, one of my classmates had a such a special name. It is a tradition that kids often follow their dad's surname. But some changes have already occured. Chinese women hold up half the sky now.

Mar 8, 2010 07:01

GAFFER
Points:
Join Date: May 22, 2008
Status: Offline

In the UK and USA and probably most western countries, tradition demands that the child always takes the husbands name (but not necesarily the fathers if he is not married to the mother). Also, unlike China, the wife usually takes her husbands family name too. However, in cases where the couple do not wish to lose the wifes family name, they can use both. So the family name might become Smith-Johnson (Mary Smith-Johnson). Isn't this compromise possible in China?

Mar 11, 2010 03:47	#3
JIMMYB Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	Well, I have an idea. For boys and girls, you just need to find a GF/GF who shares the same surname with you. Then you won't be bothered by such a question.

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