J for some people not having children is a sore point and they are the ones that might mind being asked to give an account of themselves.
I suppose one could always respond to that one with something like "well I never quite worked out how babies really are made. I found all the explanations totally implausible. Would you like to try to explain it to me because no-one else has ever succeeded?"
Many people in business are woeful at small talk. Occasionally, attending a formal type dinner with DH I have sat between 2 gauche middle aged men who ask me nothing at all about myself for the whole evening. Which is just as klutzy as asking personal questions. (2 sides of the same lack of social skills coin)
So it becomes an evening of making an effort to keep the conversation flowing - hard work I reckon. My advice to DH when called upon (work duty) to go formal dinners where he may be the only sober one on the table is to ask them have they got any kids. If not, ask them have they been on holidays or got one planned. The kids question is useful because if they have, they are usually happy to talk about them.
My worst small talk experience was after DH came back from HK. A business associate from HK was over and staying in a centerparcs with his family and asked us to drive up to spend the afternoon with them. Bring your bather.
After a very long drive the afternoon was spent abandoned on the banks of those nasty over crowed leisure pools they have with the waves etc. With Mrs. F. While the chaps and the kiddies played in the water. Oh I forgot to mention they were rather wealthy and called Fook!
Mrs F had not bad English but of course it was horribly noisy. But her conversational gambits were along the lines of: where was the best place in Europe to buy reasonably priced Gucci?
My other nomination... - was also in a building with a leisure pool. My mate and I thought we would try a spa evening in Swansea Leisure centre - swim, sauna, steam , very reasonable price. Turns out the changing rooms are mixed and it is rather male dominated (eiugh! do i want to see hairy male bottoms through the shower curtains, no I do not!) But we've paid and we are there to enjoy each other's company.
Sitting in the steam room, us two, and a bunch of men with beer bellies. A voice comes out of the mist from the other side of the room "Oy love? Do you think I am overweight?"
Thus reversing the personal question problem at a single stroke.