New Surname Law in France

Effective January 1, 2005, a new law took place in France that abolished the old requirement that babies take their father's surname. As of now, parents have a choice of giving their child the father's surname or the mother's maiden name.

The change was brought about largely because so many children in France are now being born out of wedlock, as many as 45%, according to the article linked above. Hence, the old law seemed out of place with the times.

On other hand, the change will also allow families protect the "family name". In aristocratic families that produced only female offspring, no longer will they have to worry about their name dying out, as mothers can now pass their surnames to their daughters.