Dornish last names

[BigBoss01]

According to dornish inheritance a woman can inherit before a man but if that woman marries then her children will have the name of the husband, not hers so why do we still have a Martell in Sunspear a Yronwood in Yronwood and so on?

[Aenarion]

Same reason that a Lannister would inherit Casterly Rock if all the Lannisters died except Genna's brood. The children would take the name of the house they were inheriting to help secure their holdings. 

 

Admittedly, this can only be done when the man is marrying up, and is probably only considered when the inheritance is fairly large. 

[Aedam Targaryen]

I always assumed that if, for example, Arianne married a noble from a lesser house, that noble would take her name so their children would be Martell's. Maybe if a second daughter married down she would change her name, but not the first daughter. That's the only way it seems to be possible to have those old names still around. 

[Daena the Defiant]

16 hours ago, BigBoss01 said:

According to dornish inheritance a woman can inherit before a man but if that woman marries then her children will have the name of the husband, not hers so why do we still have a Martell in Sunspear a Yronwood in Yronwood and so on?

If the heir is a female she is treated like a dynastic male and passes on her surname to the progeny. Problem solved.

[Daena the Defiant]

16 hours ago, Aenarion said:

Same reason that a Lannister would inherit Casterly Rock if all the Lannisters died except Genna's brood. The children would take the name of the house they were inheriting to help secure their holdings. 

 

Admittedly, this can only be done when the man is marrying up, and is probably only considered when the inheritance is fairly large. 

Well, for example we have seen House Stokeworth pass from ruling lady to her married daughter, who remained Lady Stokeworth even though she was married to Ser Balman Byrch.