History Main / NomDeMom

* Kurisu Makise from ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'' has a different last name from her father, [[spoiler:Dr. Nakabichi]] because of a falling out they had when she was younger and she [[TeenGenius disproved one of his theories]]. Later revealed in the first drama CD to be [[spoiler:an aversion, since Dr. Nakabachi is not his real name. It's actually Shouichi Makise.]] Like many examples on this page, this is done to hide their relationship until TheReveal.

* In ''VisualNovel/TheShell'', one of the missing girls that the main character is investigating, Nishizono Yui, took her mother's last name after her parents' divorce. Discovering her true surname, [[spoiler:Kusaka]], is what clues Reiji in solving the first dismemberment case.

* Similar to Yu-Gi-Oh example, Takeru Takaishi of ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' bears his mother Natsuko's surname since his parents divorced, while his older brother Yamato retained their father's surname Ishida.

* In the original Japanese version, of ''Anime/YuGiOh'', Katsuya Jounouchi's sister Shizuka does this, taking her mother's maiden name Kawai. [[SolomonDivorce Their parents are divorced and Shizuka lives with her mother.]] The 4Kids dub averts this by having Serenity still use Wheeler.

* ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': Miles Morales and his father Jefferson, like the aforementioned Shinji and Gendo Ikari, go by Rio's last name, rather than Jefferson's original last name, "Davis". Part of this is Jefferson trying to get away from his past as a thug. After crossing over to the 616-verse, Jefferson legally changes his last name to Morales to move past his "baggage" as a SHIELD agent as well as embarrassment over being a black man named "UsefulNotes/JeffersonDavis".

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' fic ''FanFic/TheFifthAct'', Cloud's surname turns out to be his mother's surname since she never got married. This becomes important when the time-traveling Cloud poses as his younger self's paternal uncle, his surname goes unnoticed until Genesis [[PullingTheThread pulls the thread]] and realizes that Cloud has the wrong surname for a supposed uncle.
* In ''Fanfic/ForgetMeNotDontLeaveMeBehind'', Yue Zhan is using his mother's maiden name instead of his father's last name, Lan. This is because the two left Cloud Recesses when he as very young, so he has no connections to his father's family.

* PlayedWith in ''Literature/TheHouseOfNight:'' Upon learning that she can change her name in the House of Night, Zoey uses her mom's maiden name, Redbird, because her ''grandmother'' is the only family member that she likes.[[note]]This series also leans pretty heavily on the {{Magical Native American}} trope, so it gives Zoey more cred there.[[/note]] Prior to this, she had her DisappearedDad's surname, while her mom and siblings all took her stepfather's.

* Jun Kurosu, of ''{{VideoGame/Persona 2}}'', uses his mother's maiden name in the former game of the duology, ''Innocent Sin'', after his parents' ''nasty'' divorce, and his father's death, although it's unclear when his name was changed, and whether it was his decision [[EvilMatriarch or his mother's]]. In the sequel game, ''Eternal Punishment'', which takes place in an alternate timeline, his parents are both alive and HappilyMarried, and so he retains his father's surname, Kashihara.

* In ''VisualNovel/KaraNoShoujo'', one of the missing girls that the main character is investigating, Nishizono Yui, took her mother's last name after her parents' divorce. Discovering her true surname, [[spoiler:Kusaka]], is what clues Reiji in solving the first dismemberment case.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice,'' WordOfGod says that [[DarkActionGirl Cheshire]]/Jade Nguyen uses the maiden name of her mother, [[spoiler:Huntress/Paula Nguyen Crock]], because of her issues with [[AbusiveParents her father]], [[spoiler:Sportsmaster/Lawrence Crock]]. {{Averted}} by her sister, [[spoiler:Artemis Crock]], despite having [[ArchnemesisDad similar issues]] with him.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', a SequelSeries to ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender,'' both of [[LittleMissBadass Toph Beifong]]'s daughters, [[DaChief Lin]] and [[ReformedCriminal Suyin]], use her last name. This makes sense, since it's a setting where most other characters have OnlyOneName and the Beifong family is prestigious. It's eventually implied that Toph never married since her two daughters have different fathers and neither father is ever mentioned except in the final season when Korra asks Toph about Lin's father and learns his name was Kanto and he was nice but it didn't work out.

* Inverted in the ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/44178163/chapters/111090244 Stone Streak]]''. Juleka Couffaine and her brother Luka grew up with their mother Anarka's last name given she was their only guardian for much of their lives. Though after getting close to her father [[spoiler:Jagged Stone]], she and her wife Marinette take his last name when they got married prior to the start of the story.

* Jin Kazama of ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' uses his mother Jun's surname. Given his ugly relationship with his father and grandfather, that isn't surprising. Ditto for Lars Alexandersson.

* In ancient Greece, illegitimate children did not go by a traditional patronym, either going by "called son/daughter of (father's name)" or simply used a matronym.

* Creator/AlexandreDumas and his father Thomas-Alexandre Dumas chose to use the surname "Dumas" instead of the "Pailleterie" they were born with. Dumas was the surname of Alexandre's paternal grandmother and Thomas-Alexandre's mother, Marie-Cessette Dumas, while Pailleterie was the surname of Alexandre's paternal grandfather and Thomas-Alexandre's father Marquis Alexandre Antoine Davy de La Pailleterie who enslaved her.

* Creator/AlexandreDumas and his father Thomas-Alexandre Dumas chose to use the surname "Dumas" instead of the "Pailleterie" they were born with. Dumas was the surname of Alexandre's paternal grandmother and Thomas-Alexandre's mother, Marie-Cessette Dumas, while Pailleterie was the surname of Alexandre's paternal grandfather and Thomas-Alexandre's father Alexandre Antoine Davy de La Pailleterie who enslaved her.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': Alfredo Linguini inherited his mother's surname, as his father is absent from his life. [[spoiler:He is actually Auguste Gusteau's illegitimate son.]]

* ''Film/AntMan1'' sees Hank and Janet Pym's daughter Hope go by her mother's maiden name "Van Dyne" due to her having a strained relationship with Hank.

** As does Beau [=McGraw=] from ''[[VisualNovel/LawsOfAttractionPixelberry Laws of Attraction]]'', as Gabe reveals in Book 1, Chapter 15 reveals that Beau's aunt Sadie is his mother's sister.

** As does Beau McGraw from ''[[VisualNovel/LawsOfAttractionPixelberry Laws of Attraction]]'', as Gabe reveals in Book 1, Chapter 15 reveals that Beau's aunt Sadie is his mother's sister.

** As does Beau McGraw from ''[[LawsOfAttractionPixelberry Laws of Attraction]]'', as Gabe reveals in Book 1, Chapter 15 reveals that Beau's aunt Sadie is his mother's sister.

* In the final chapter of ''VisualNovel/ItLivesWithin'', [[spoiler: Lincoln]] legally takes his mother's maiden name after finding out just how much of a bastard his father truly is, [[DisownedParent not wanting to be associated with him in any way]].

** Syrin (Theresa Cassidy) went by her mother's surname when she was younger. The extent this went to varies depending on the era and the writer, with even what exactly her mother's last name was being rather fluid. (It was either Rourke or O'Rourke.) Thus Syrin's sometimes referred to as Theresa Maeve Rourke-Cassidy, Theresa Rourke-Cassidy, Theresa O'Rourke, Theresa Maeve Cassidy, etc. Matters aren't likely helped in that she's used her mother's name as a pseudonym.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'': Just like in the comics, Miles Morales has his mother's surname rather than his father's. Taken even further in [[WesternAnimation/SpiderManAcrossTheSpiderVerse the sequel]] as by that time Miles' father Jefferson now goes by "Jefferson Morales" rather than "Jefferson Davis", again like in the comics.