Last names first entered the limelight across many cultures thousands of years ago, and through the ages, they have developed to encompass most of the world and follow many different conventions. The evolution of last names as we get into the current age is fascinating, but as we look forward, what needs to happen to keep last names and adjust them to fit the U.S.’s ever-changing society. While last names tell us great amounts about the past, they are quickly becoming outdated and could soon be obsolete in their current form if we continue to ignore their conventions.

In the U.S., a quick glance at a last name can tell you a lot about a person. Because of our cultural diversity, along with last names often adhering to the roots of a group of people, it could be the first indication we have of where a person’s ancestors trace back to. While knowing a person’s roots is valuable, it’s dangerous to think just a last name offers the full story. Other than cultural roots, we use last names as a sign of identification, as they tend to be more varied than first names in the U.S. While this is helpful, many cultures that contain a lot less surname variety still manage identification without any problems. In essence, last names in our society have devolved into more of an interesting quirk than something modern and useful.

The largest reason behind last name conventions being obsolete in the U.S. is their inherently sexist nature. The traditional ideal of the wife choosing to adopt the last name of the husband and then naming the kids after the husband’s surname as well is something that wouldn’t be tolerated if it was brought up today. It’s sexist by design, assuming that the male is the dominant person and better name in the household as well as the most important person in the family group. Ideas like that just don’t fly in the U.S today, with good reason, so why do we still follow it with last names? Not to mention that this surname “tradition” doesn’t leave room for same-sex marriage, which defies all of the “traditional” conventions in the first place.

To further that point, what use does the last name have as a cultural marker if it only represents one side of the family? Does U.S. society only care about the ancestors of one-half of the couple? 

Solving an issue like this is something that needs to be tackled by a multitude of educated experts with greater minds than the one I have, and they should get to work. Changing the conventions of something that’s been entrenched in the U.S. since its founding is going to require some true ingenuity and an ability to engage the masses, but I feel that it’s necessary. Equality with last names is something that’s going to be spoken a lot about over the next few years — let’s be at the forefront.

Last names are a large part of U.S. society, but not without some glaring issues that need to be addressed. If we want to carry the tradition into the future, the concept is going to need some modernization. Our society is quickly changing for the better due to our emphasis on empathy and the acceptance of all types of people, let’s make sure last names can keep up.

Note: This piece was also published on 2/17 at theaggie.org and is available in both places with permission. Enjoy!