> I've often thought that children really should carry their mother's names, > since there is seldom doubt about that! ;-) Some cultures pass the family name and wealth down through the female line. With the Jews the religion goes through the female line....if the mother isn't Jewish then the children aren't considered Jews. That comes from centuries of raping and pillaging as armies went back and forth through the Holy Land. Rape victims weren't considered at fault the way they sometimes are now. Speaking of armies....there was a neat article in the paper the other day about a DNA study where they are looking for descendants of Genghis Khan. I'm not sure how many sons he had by his wives and concubines but he and his boys made sure they spread their seed in every country they conquered. They are everywhere! I know.....this is way off topic.