Honest question: why does Trina go by Robinson instead of Taggert?

[HappyPineapple]

Was it ever established why she goes by Portia's last name instead of her dad's? Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of smashing old-fashioned patriarchal traditions, but normally on a soap when kids take their moms' last names, there is some drama there (like when Ned switched from Ashton to Quartermaine). Yet Trina seems to have a lovely, healthy relationship with her dad...? Was it because he was undercover or something and they meant to protect her?

[eileenregina]

Probably because she became Taggert's daughter after her character was on for awhile. I am sure they were not originally supposed to be father/daughter.

[OLTL'69]

VOTE I was going to say that . SHe wasn't Taggart's daughter when we first met her. It hadn't been written yet. OF Course A daughter can go by her mom's last name etc etc

[Bkes Mom]

Thats my guess also.

[Wanda Wolek]

Just my guess, but since Taggert was an undercover cop working against mobsters, he and Portia decided to use Robinson for their child's name to protect her from mobster blowback.

[franron]

...while the Momma thinks that it's just fine that Trina runs with the step-daughter of the biggest Mobster on the Eastern Seaboard, goes over and hangs at the house, with guards all around, always lurking in the background when they go places.

[Wanda Wolek]

I didn't say it had to be logical. Besides, the decision might have been made 19 years ago, long before Trina became friends with Joss.

[VixensVamp]

There are women (not all ) that go back to their maiden names after divorce, and some do change their offspring's last name to the mother's, which is what I'm thinking Portia did.

[dancingqueen12]

VixensVamp you are right. It does happen, especially in ugly divorces. ?. (Not that you need my validation - sorry, I didn’t mean it that way ☺️)

[RitaMarshall]

CarnyQueen Thanks for the clarification. I think you're right that the writers get confused because I somehow recall them using Webber for Aiden too. And their legal or biological parentage is very different than their day-to-day lives. Elizabeth is a single mom to 3 kids whose fathers have been essentially not in their lives for most of their lives. On a purely practical level, all 4 should be using her name and this would be completely normal. Was she even married to Lucky during any of their births?

Am I remembering it wrong that they all decided not to put Jason's name on Jake's birth certificate to protect him from Jason's enemies so that he wouldn't be a target?

[VixensVamp]

dancingqueen12 No worries. I do agree that after ugly divorces, women would change their last names back to their maiden names.

RitaMarshall Re:Jake I think it was to cover up Jason being the dad so that Lucky wouldn't go back to popping pills.

[soapfan6]

Thats am interesting question but not uncommon. I have a few friends who go by their mothers name although their father was in their life. Im going to assume it was a judgement call by both parents due to Taggart profession.. although someone else made a good point with Trina hanging with a mob boss step daughter lol

[LadyScorpio2]

Probably because she became Taggert's daughter after her character was on for awhile. I am sure they were not originally supposed to be father/daughter.

That's exactly what I was going to say. I'm sure that they didn't initially plan on Trina being Taggert's daughter but came up with that plan down the road. I don't believe that it has been explained as to why she uses her mother's last name instead of her father's.

[OLTL'69]

Agree and NOW they can come up with one of the other reasons that are stated above. And there are some good reasons given. Many times on these boards we get calls for everyone to go by the bio dad's name no matter what. Since they were married it would be much more common to use the dad's name even if the mom kept hers(and as a professional that would not be rare) Maybe because they must have broken up around that time

[DayRose]

I agree with others that think it was for Tina's safety since Taggert worked under cover.

[parker joe]

Because they didn't know whose daughter she was when they cast Joss' friend back in the day. And family members rarely share the same name on this show. Hence Harrison Chase and Finn Hamiliton. Or Nina Reeves Clay Cassadine and Nathan West.

[xoregonian]

It's funny, Nina is still listed as "Nina Clay" when they run the credits at the end when I watch GH on hulu.

[CyndyG]

Finn goes by his mother's maiden name. (finn)

[Amazee_Dayzee]

I thought it was because Trina was born out of wedlock and Portia and Taggert married MUCH later. As in that Portia and Taggert conceived her, Taggert went undercover for a few years and then married Portia when Trina was 3 or 4.

[parker joe]

Nope. When Curtis found out Portia was married, he walked away from their affair.

[CarnyQueen]

Probably because she became Taggert's daughter after her character was on for awhile. I am sure they were not originally supposed to be father/daughter.

It's this. Trina was Joss's friend (sometimes not seen very often) long before she acquired an onscreen mom and long before they decided to make her Taggert's (and possibly Curtis's) daughter.

[lisav]

The original Trina was an Asian actress so yes, they never intended for her to be Taggerts daughter.

My nephew has his Mom, my sisters name, even though she was always with her sons father. How she worked that one out I'll never know. They weren't married.

And then I have a friend who's daughters all have children, none of them married, some not even in relationships with the fathers and they give all the kids the fathers names. Go figure

[JaeBianca]

My mom had a contentious divorce from her 1st husband and married my dad when my sister was 3.5 years old. They gave her my dad's name, even though he hadn't legally adopted her. I think all of her documents, besides her birth certificate had my dad's last name, and it wasn't until she was about 20 when she chose to make it legal. Sometimes parents do that to maintain their privacy and avoid confusion (not that it always works). Portia might have started having Trina go by her maiden name for similar reasons.

The truth is that if one goes by a certain name long enough, it becomes a legal alias that sticks more than one's real name. Especially, if one gets their SSN using that name. My legal first name is "J." but my parents spelled it out as "Jae" when I started school and filling out my SSN application. Even though my passport and driver's license say "J", and I officially changed the name on my SS card to "J." I can only use the made up name when I fill out my taxes/deal with the Treasury or Federal Student Loan Depts, for whatever reason. So, my credit report has this long list of legal aliases comprised of various iterations of my birth and given names.