Sarah Palin Becomes a Grandmother!!!
By LadyMarissa
@LadyMarissa (12148)
United States
December 29, 2008 7:31pm CST
Bristol Palin gave birth to a a 7-pound, 4-ounce bouncing baby boy yesterday. The baby was named Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston. I send my congratulations!!! Yet, I've always wondered why a woman gives her child the father's last name when he won't even marry her before his child is born??? I do believe I'd give him my last name & then, if the Dad cared enough to do the right thing, let him adopt to give the child his last name!!! OK, folks, what's your opinion???
4 people like this
14 responses
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
31 Dec 08
He wouldn't have to adopt his own child. Legally, he's still the baby's father, no matter whether the parents are married or not. His name will go on the birth certificate as the baby's father, even if the baby does not have his last name. They can legally change the baby's last name down the road, if they choose.
It's totally up to the mother whether she wants to give the baby the father's name or not. As a matter of fact, it is quite legal to give the baby any last name she chooses! She could name him Tripp Rumplestiltzken if she wanted! (Shhhh! Don't let THAT get around... there could be some pretty weirdly named kids if THIS ever got out!)
I'd do the same as you, I believe. I'd give the baby my last name. After all, up until that point, all the father did was enjoy himself! 
SHE'S done all the work!
SHE'S done all the work!@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
31 Dec 08
HALLELUJAH & AMEN!!! I had a friend in high school who got pregnant. He made plans with her to get married, but always came up with an excuse when the time came. The baby came & she gave him his dad's last name because they were getting ready to get married. Her son is now 40 & his dad still has NOT married his mom & never sees his son. He has married another woman & had 4 children with her. This child grew up with a lot of pain & does not want his dad's name. He feels as if his dad doesn't care for him. Yet he went through his young life explaining why he didn't have the same name as his Mom. When I got divorced, I made it a condition of the divorce that I got my maiden name back. I don't believe that a couple should get married just because there is a child on the way. I also don't believe in honoring a man who can't honor me!!! If indeed you can name a child what you want & then call him what you like, then I'd definitely give the child MY name until his father decided he loved us BOTH enough to marry me!!! If that never happens, then I made the right choice!!!
@tammytwo (4298)
• United States
30 Dec 08
Whether married or not, he is the father. No one knows exactly why they aren't married. I, myself was not married when I had my first child but 18 years later I am still with his father. He has his father's last name and has from the moment of his birth. I was the one with reservations about marriage due to family history. So, yes, I would give the child DAD's last name. He is still around, even after all the negative publicity.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
31 Dec 08
I do not understand why the women should give up their name when they marry or why the children should be know only by the father's name instead of their mother. It is almost like we are still saying that women and children are still the property of the father.
If I could have children I would want them to have my name and maybe his as well to acknowledge both parents not just the father. After all it takes both parents to produce the child and the woman does most of the work but the children never bear her name. It is out of date since women and children are no longer the property of the male.
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
31 Dec 08
I will tell you my son and his girlfriend are having their first baby and the baby will have our last name. I think the baby should have the fathers last name if he is in the picture.
Now my niece has a baby with a man she met when he was paroled from prison and gave birth when he was back to prison. The baby has her last name I think that the baby should have had her name because of the absentee father. By the way she met him when his she went up there to the prison with his old girlfriend. He has four children by four women and he does not pay a dime for any of them.
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
31 Dec 08
I have always had a problem with the whole idea of giving up my name. I would give the child my name and I see nothing wrong with that. My mother used to complain that she disappeared after she married and just became the wife of her husband. She lost her name and her identity. She hated it. Say she marries a Mr Smith then she just becomes Mrs Smith an appendage to him. It did not help that she also changed countries and she never got on with his family so she felt all alone in a foreign country, no money to go home and not happy. She became quite bitter.
I have never married but I do not like the idea of becoming someone's property even if it is in name only these days. I know that some people keep both names when marrying but you could just not marry and then you do not give up your legal right to your own identity.
@shihtzumama (290)
• United States
30 Dec 08
I think she gave the baby the dads last name because they are planning on getting married!! I had my son at a early age and gave him my last name because I didn't have intentions of staying with his father. I think that Bristol is planning and marrying the new babys dad!! Congrats to them!! Hopefully they can try to keep this special time as private as possible!!
Shihtzumama
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
30 Dec 08
When women use their surname it usually indicates the child is illegitimate. I really don't think fathers should have to take care of illegitimate children. When a child uses the father surname it indicate the child belongs to him. If the mother wants to use her surname then the child should belong to her and the father should have the right to walk away.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
30 Dec 08
a father never has the rightto walk away alto alot of them do. sorry person in my opinion that would walk away from their child, either mother or father.
@howard96h (11640)
• New York, New York
30 Dec 08
Congrats to Bristol. If her and the baby's father ever split up that is one man that will be paying child support having Grandma Sarah as Governor. 
@kellys3ps (3723)
• United States
30 Dec 08
Congratultions to the family! They might be waiting to get married because of a wedding - some women who get pregnant before marriage still want the wedding without a baby in the belly - they want to look slim in their wedding pictures.
@tyc415 (5706)
• United States
30 Dec 08
My youngest daughter was 21 when she had my grandson and was a single mom. I tried to get her to give him her last name but she just knew the guy was the one and only for her and they would live happily ever after and she give him his last name. This guy never did sign the birth certificate either and then one day he finally told her the only reason he wanted to see the baby was so he could see her and that was the last time he ever saw him after she told him off.
Well, my grandson goes by our last name and even in school he goes by our last name. His school records show his official last name but that is all.
My daughter to this day keeps telling me she wished she had listened to me and give him her/our last name.
@marcialoyd (1173)
• United States
30 Dec 08
You can list the father on the birth certificate but still give the child your last name. He wouldn't have to adopt the child. But I would always give my child their fathers last name. Thats just the way it should be.
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
30 Dec 08
I think she did it because they are planning on getting married. With my granddaughter, my daughter kept her last name for the baby because the creep took off to out west. She does not even want to fight for child support as she wants him to stay away at this point. We agree.
Personally, I would give the kid my name and if he married me, then I would change it. More work but why should he get the credit, yet?
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
30 Dec 08
Hi LadyMarissa,
Yes, I do agree with you, if the father didn't wnat to know, then it would be my last name, I have a neice who have two children by two different fathers and the boys are called by her last name. I have not seen or heard of her until chrstmas when she turned up at my sister's on boxing day and I was so shocked that her youngest son was nine years old and it was the fisrt time I have met him. It has been 20 years since I last saw my neice.
Tamara
