What's in a Name?

With friends getting married left and right, a lot of girls are now talking about whether they should change their last names after they get married. But, to be honest, I never understood why women have to change their last names. It's such a big hassle to change all the legal documents, and why is the woman the one who needs to change her identity? God said man and woman become one after marriage, but He didn't say woman should drop her identity.

A lot of people are surprised to find that I'm not going to change my name. Some even asked if I'm not changing it JUST in case... But, that's just ridiculous. If I had expected to get divorced, then I wouldn't have gotten married with him. My pastor has once said kids may get confused if mom and dad have different last names, but if my kid's stupid enough to confused by that, then I have bigger things to deal with (like my kid is mentally challenged).

No matter how you slice it, I just don't get what the big deal is. Maybe it's just an ego thing. Some men just want to use this as a way to exert their dominance. If the real purpose of this whole name-changing business is for the new couple to become one symbolically, then why not have both the man and woman drop their original last names and come up with a new one? After all, it is a new family.

Interesting Wikipedia article on Chinese last names:

Chinese surnames were originally matrilineally passed, although by the time of the Shang Dynasty,they had become patrilineal. [1] The Chinese character for "surname" (姓) still contains a female radical, suggesting its matrilineal etymology. Archaelogical data supports the theory that during the Neolithic period, Chinese matrilineal clans evolved into a patrilineal property-owning families by passing through a patrilineal clan transitional phase. Evidence include elaborate and highly adorned burials for young women in early Neolithic Yangshao culture cemeteries, and increasing elaboration of male burials toward the late Neolithic period. [2] Relatively isolated ethnic minorities such as the Mosuo clan of the Naxi tribe in southern China are still highly matriarchal today.