My most treasured possession is a usually innate attribute taken for granted: my name. My last name possesses no infamy, genealogical interest, or exotic origins. It's an English name--I think. The last name, sometimes referred to as the family name, implies belonging to a group of loved ones. It indicates patrilineal descent, as traditional in Western cultures. However, the surname can be handed down from either parent—though usually from the father--and even from biologically unrelated guardians. Most assume a...

Less pressure to...