Interesting thread.

When we married, back in 1973, my wife kept her maiden name as her legal name and it is still her legal name. We don't have children, but other couples with the same name game as we have have had kids, and they are given either a hyphenated surname or the surname of one of the parents (in one case, the parental surnames were alternated). Surnames can also be created. As long as you are consistent, the law in the US doesn't care what you call yourself (well, there ARE limits...). In fact, the laws vary from state to state, or did, with only two state (Hawaii and another) requiring the woman to take the husband's surnmae (and I think that that's changed now).