What are your opinions on giving your child your last name instead of the fathers?

I agree with you. Why should the father have the honor of his child carrying his name if he can't even be bothered to raise him or her?

I'm with you...only if the [unmarried] father is present in the child's life and contributing emotionally and/or financially should he expect the child to bear his name. If he's split or not picked up the ball as a dad, he's nothing more than a sperm donor and does not deserve to have his name carried on by this child.

it is a personal choice and your own personal business... my wife and I were not married and I took the child to care for and gave her my last name...so sort of the same thing but, lease expected in our society and less accepted also I might add. the child's birth certificate says the mother's name...her given birth name..and my name and then the child's name as we agreed for it to have my last name. the child never has seen or met mom so it does not matter....the name the child has the child can own *(*

My reasoning for giving them his last name is this. It doesn't represent property ownership or heir status. It represents him claiming them, for all society to know, as his children. Because even with biological children (ours are) unless you do a DNA test there is always a tiny shadow of a doubt about paternity. Just being the mother is 100% certain so I don't care if they bear my family name. The kids having his name means to me that he knows they are his and wants the world to know too. It doesn't really mean anything else these days... it doesn't matter if your daughter has your last name. Nothing is given up, if it isn't meaningful to her father or you for her to have his name. There's no "should" about it - it's a family decision and nobody else's business how you make it.