What % of children have different last name to mother?

[CharlotteBog]

I am wondering.
Does anyone have an idea?
This is for the UK.

12%

42%

Depends in what context you mean "children" ie my children will always be my children regardless of age... or do you mean say under 16s?

Ah right....children as in under 18s I suppose i.e. not adults.

Just going off threads on mumsnet, almost all children have their fathers name, sometimes this is also taken by the mother so the children have both parents name. But otherwise, it is different to the mother.

I guess I should have said it's a serious question, not a guessing game.
If someone has some sources that would be appreciated.

I can do some research myself, but I thought it might be something someone might know.

My children (both under 7) have my husband’s last name, not mine as I never changed it after marriage. I don’t know anyone else who doesn’t have the same last name as their kids though. Doesn’t seem too common.

MN is not representative of the UK at least I hope not!

How do you mean? Under-18s? Are you counting children who use both parents’ surnames as different or the same ? I’m Firstname MySurname, DH is Firstname HisSurname, DS is Firstname HisSurname MySurname. So he uses my name, but not only mine.

Well according to this poll by the Sun it’s 83%: https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/3004580/holiday-kids-surname-different-parents/

My kids have my dhs name. I opted to keep my name after we got married as in my cultural the lady does not usually change her name just because she is married. Therefore my kids have a different last name to me. It's not really a big deal.

Yes, Mn is pretty reactionary about women using their husbands’ surnames and giving their children their husbands’ surnames. About two thirds of the children in DS’s class use both parents’ surnames.

Yes, by children I mean not adults.
Your situation is an example of what I mean, yes. Your children have a different last name to you (their Mother).

Well, kind of in that his surname includes mine, but also includes his father’s, so he doesn’t exactly have either parents’ surname.

It’s never been an issue for travel, if that’s what’s worrying you.

OK - I can see this thread might get long. I need to get some work done, but will be back later.

I would've guessed 75% . All i could find was something from 2013 that said only 4% of women give children their surname when it's different to the father. Things might have changed since.

Your question isn't clear, if you want evidence based answers you need to define your criteria.
Lots of children have double barrelled names and parents have part of that name each, it's a bit different but not entirely so and doesn't favour one parent or the other. Some women take their husband's name so they have the same name as their children but it's not their original name. Some people split with girls having mother's surname and boys father's. Some women retain original surname and give that to children, father keeps his own. Are you looking at all couples, just married ones or unmarried?
FWIW DH and I both double barrelled on marriage and ds has the same surname as both of us

Nothing is worrying me, I said I was wondering.

Where I work in NHS i'd say it was about 50%

Your question isn't clear

I asked "What % of children have different last name to mother?"

How is that not clear?

I admit I could have been clearer that I mean under 18 as a child.
Different is quite clear. I don't mean a bit different. If it is not the same it is different.
Mother is quite clear I think.

I googled this and the most reliable data I found for the UK was a survey from BabyCentre: 18%.
My kids don't have my surname as I didn't change it (and their father's is a nicer sound). Never been a worry, really. Once got questioned flying into the UK but not aggressively.

Not sure where you'd find a completely %.

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220414-the-parents-creating-new-last-names-for-their-children
A reported 96% of heterosexual married couples in the US still give their child the father’s name, and in the UK – where Safari lives – around 90% of straight women still take their husband’s name when they marry, many of whom pass it onto their child.

This suggests it'a an minority as fewer marriages 51% of kids in UK are born out of wedlock in UK where many take Dad's name though some do not.Then you have double barreling of names and as we get to parents already having doubled barrel surnames - new surnames for the kids. On top of that during childhood more divorces and remarriages possibly changing mother's surname at some point in childhood to that her kids have.

It's complex and other than surveys not sure who'd hold that data.

I'm gonna get flamed but I changed my last name to exHs BEFORE I got married. Now we are divorcing and I'm considering going back to my unmarried/father's surname, or another name in the family. DD17 has her father's surname. It just never occurred to her dad or I to name her anything else. I say I'm a progressive sort, but I really am not in practice.

Mine 😝

My 4 do, if thats any help. Not matried, on principle. Would have done civil partnership if had been available. Would have double barelled names but both have long and clunky surnames so would have been ludicrous. DPs is nicer than mine so we went with his. No regrets tbh and it makes no practical difference.