Personally I think family names are the best, it gives the children a feeling of continuity and identity.
Exactly. I'd never given it much consideration beyond what I'll call instinct - I was named after my father, my brother was named for our 8th great-grandfather and our grandfather. When my first son was born 10 years ago my wife and I looked for a name in our families.
Ironically, considering the topic of this thread, it was a black man, Alice Walker's brother, who articulated to me the importance of using family names.
If children "have a name to live up to" they stand a better chance of being successful, he said.