Family names: Mom's or Dad's?

I recently came across this article about a couple who gave their daughter the wife's last name rather than the husband's. It's definitely a bold statement for feminism and against patriarchy. But then the old-fashioned part of me thought, "What's wrong with tradition?"

There's something romantic about taking on the name of your new spouse. As girls, I think more than a few of us used to fantasize about being Mrs. Johnson or Mrs. Smith—we all wrote out the possibilities with our crush's name back in grade school, right?

Until reading this I've never seriously considered passing my own name along. I have thought about hyphenating my name with my future husband's or just keeping mine, but it never occurred to me that I could choose my child's last name.

The writer addresses quite a few things I've never considered: preserving a family name, preserving patriarchal lineage, a child's perspective growing up with a differently structured name than his or her peers.

What do you think? Would you ever consider giving your children your a last name other than your husband's?

(Image via Cara Loren)