when i ask people why the man shouldn't take the woman's last name, the answer is always "i don't know... tradition?" most people default to tradition, despite there being no good reason for it except for "carrying on the family name"... why this is important, i don't know, since hardly anyone keeps a working family tree or looks up distant relatives. i carry my mom's maiden name. she didn't change her name when she was married, and i took her name because my parents agreed it was easier for people to spell/pronounce than my dad's last name. my dad didn't change his name to hers, though.