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Why Do We Need Last Name/family Name In Today's World?

Discussion in 'Married Life' started by SeekingMind, Sep 21, 2016.

  1. SeekingMind

    SeekingMind Silver IL'ite

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    Back then, people very rarely moved out of their place of birth and even if they did the whole family moved together. They lived in a joint family system and all the members of the family had only one occupation/livelihood. Having one common family name/last name/surname for the all the members to be identified with the rest of the members was relevant in those days.
    In today's world when we live in nuclear families, and occupations are different, do we still need to have a last name? Also, majority of us prefer to be called by our first name.
    When it comes to legal matters, science has advanced to a level where if needed, with a simple blood test we can know the parents of the child. From any angle I see, I don't see the necessity to have a last name attached to someone's first name. Am I missing some areas where we really need it? Or, can we simply do away with it?
    Can't wait to hear from all of you.
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2016
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  2. guesshoo

    guesshoo IL Hall of Fame

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    Simply because of convention, I suppose. Plus the computer systems having been built to identify people based on their last names, I wonder if it's going away anytime soon!

    We lost our village name from our names because no one has loved there for generations. Now it's just the dad's (or husband's) first name which becomes the last name. I prefer to use just my first name too as much as I can. However most people ask for my long last name as that's what they need to register or search for me. Sigh!
     
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  3. KashmirFlower

    KashmirFlower IL Hall of Fame

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    so correct @SeekingMind , I too wish we are just identified for what we are, instead of what clan/village/caste/dad or H (why not mothers name if we want to associated with ). Actually last names tells everything mostly, in northers and western parts even some southern parts of India last name is caste name agarawal/gupta etc.
    People insist on what is your last name?
    I like what Irrfan khan said, about why he got rid of "khan".
     
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  4. viki123

    viki123 Silver IL'ite

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    @SeekingMind
    I had the same question coming up in my mind so many time. I read somewhere regarding it and summarizing it below.

    Last name indicates the 'Y' chromosome of our DNA. All women are XX and men are YY. When X from women Y from men meat is a boy and X from women and X from Men is girl.
    Having the lastname from dad, means we carry out tree name and going forward we are not allowed to marry some with same last-name to avoid marriage winth-in same gene and unwanted mutation for coming generations. In our culture cousins are allowed to marry from only if they are from specific type only (one is mother brother or mothers brothers son). Only these cased 'Y' branch never inter-mix.

    I think in north India they follow gothra in this way, but i might be wrong.
     
  5. SeekingMind

    SeekingMind Silver IL'ite

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    Great point!! Back then, they didn't have scientific tests to find out so thats why they just followed the tradition of carrying the last name to identify gene pool. In today's world how much would it cost to perform some tests to see if the gene pool is matching and then avoid that. Can we consider that as an opition and Is it very expensive?



    Recently,a Gujurathi acquaintance of mine said they marry someone only with the same last name. I was surprised to hear that. Is that really true?
     
  6. KashmirFlower

    KashmirFlower IL Hall of Fame

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    Their last name might be their caste names like gupta/agarawal etc, not necessarily father names like in TN, KA states
     
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  7. SeekingMind

    SeekingMind Silver IL'ite

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    We were just talking of last names and I asked her what her maiden last name was and she said desai. I was surprised and asked how come you married a desai then? She said we marry someone with same last name. Probably, then thats the caste name as you say.
     
  8. KashmirFlower

    KashmirFlower IL Hall of Fame

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    according to Wiki, it is a surname , meaning as landlords. So it is telling caste/social status.
    Desai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
     
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  9. viki123

    viki123 Silver IL'ite

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    @SeekingMind
    Different states have different naming conventions. For us we have first name (given name), Last Name (Family Name) and Middle Name (Cast, not all will have this and is optional).
    In our community, we marry some one with same middle name (cast) but different Last Name.

    I think for north India, they are more specific Gothram than last name.
     
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  10. SGBV

    SGBV IL Hall of Fame

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    Dad's or husband's first name is not your surname. Your surname is the family name right?
     

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