One of the members of my mom's family had his surname legally changed from that of his father to that of his mother back in the early Twentieth Century. This was fortunate for me because he was the one who became obsessed with his family history and spent a great deal of his time researching and contacting family members all over the world...and that's how I know as much as I do about my Scottish and French antecedents.

So it can be a good thing...

Best

AA