A lawyer stirred up a firestorm online after suggesting babies should get their mother’s last name instead of their father’s. She didn’t just say it in passing either, she posted it on social media for the world to see.
Dr. Charlotte Proudman took to X and said: “A message to pregnant women — please give the baby your surname. You carried a baby for 9 months, gave birth, and will be responsible for that child for the rest of your life.” The tweet has racked up over 5.7 million views.
She followed up with another strong opinion and said: “When you’re registering the baby ask yourself: why is the father’s surname more important than yours?”
That’s the one that really set people off.
Even though it’s common in the West for kids to take their dad’s last name, Proudman clearly wants moms to question that whole system. She’s not saying it softly either.
Reactions came in fast, and it didn’t take long for people to start arguing in the replies. Some folks didn’t hold back, and things got pretty heated.
One person shot back: “Your surname is literally your dad’s…” And another one said: “Counter-argument: why is the baby’s maternal grandfather’s surname more important than the baby’s father’s?”
Someone else added their own twist on it, writing: “Either you give your child the last name of your father or the last name of his father…. but either way, the last name will come from a male relative. This is not the win against the patriarchy you think it is.”
Another person just said they were “proud” to carry their father’s name and seemed to think their kid would follow suit. A few others didn’t even want to debate, they just shared what worked for them.
One man gave what sounded like some bitter advice to other guys. He said: “Kings, If she gives your child her father’s name, the child automatically becomes her father’s responsibility. Don’t stress it or spend a dime on a child who isn’t carrying your surname.”
Not everyone disagreed with the lawyer though. One person said: “100% – this should be the default.”
Another added: “Did exactly this”, which Proudman saw and praised. Then she tweeted: “To all the women saying, ‘I wish I’d done that’, please share this message with other women.”
Someone else said: “I wish my mum had given me her maiden name. I hate my surname and [its] association to my father.”
Others didn’t want to pick a side and just said people should do what feels right. One user wrote: “Or everyone can just do whatever they want and we don’t have to make it a thing.”
While this whole thing keeps going online, it’s worth pointing out that not every culture does it this way. Some places, including certain religions like Islam, already handle names based on gender.
