I recently came across two article that bring up some interesting points:

1) From Oprah.com via CNN.com, this article’s author rants a bit about how few women actually decide to keep their name after marriage…It lists a statistic at 80%!! I must admit, this seems quite high to me.  Although, even going to a liberal, all-women’s college, many of my fellow alums have changed their names.  I guess it seems easier to go along with it.  Not that I am judging, but I think it has to do more with children.  The next question would be, who do the kids get named after?

2) This article is a bit older, from USAToday.com in March ‘07, but it also brings up some great points to consider.  As my research on my family tree clearly notes, last names do sometimes pass from the mother– for instance, in Iceland, the daughter of Clara would be Clarasdottir (yes, I completely made that name up!).  But my point is that this whole naming thing is truly a cultural phenomenon.  The larger issue that this piece brings to light is how biased the legal system is, with women being able to seamlessly switch, but men having to go through a laborious name-change process.

I guess in the end the debate continues.  But I think one should do what is best for oneself!