# Legality Of Naming Your Child With A Different Last Name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076 "2011-11-06T18:00:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/41 "2011-11-09T13:00:44Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > And what happens when a Japanese couple living in Europe have a daughter and try to name her “Yuri”, which is a perfectly normal name for a girl in Japanese but is also a Slavic boy’s name (e.g. Yuri Gagarin)… Yuri isn’t a German name. I don’t know the law if they keep their Japanese nationality and only live there temporary vs. they have moved there to stay and maybe have dual or German citizenship. However, the usual solution is “pick more” - take the first name as normal German female name, and the second Yuri. You can choose four or more first names, and there is no legal first name you’re required to always use, so if the parents pick several names, the child can choose which one she likes best. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/42 "2011-11-09T13:02:29Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:34, topic:602076”] I don’t know about the other countries under discussion, but when “society” wants to know what I’ve done, it uses my Social Security Number\*, not my name. There are too darned many people with the same name in this overcrowded world of ours. [/QUOTE] So your SSN is issued at birth? For people born 50 years ago? For people who later came into this country? All your school records and certificates are by SSN? Your doctor keeps your records by SSN? When you register at amazon, you use SSN? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/43 "2011-11-09T18:04:42Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > So your SSN is issued at birth? For people born 50 years ago? For people who later came into this country? > > All your school records and certificates are by SSN? Your doctor keeps your records by SSN? When you register at amazon, you use SSN? No, it was not issued at birth 50 years ago, but you are required to have one before you can get a job. All financial records, tax records, and hospital records are by SSN. As far as shopping goes, no you do not give your SSN to Amazon or any other store _unless they are sending you money_. To put eBooks up for sale on Amazon, I did have to give them my SSN. > [@constanze](#): > > And what country are you thinking off? Because German naming laws don’t forbid you from changing your name. Let’s see, **constanze** , just using this thread as my cite, I have: > [@Fish\_Cheer](#): > > Not in Germany, you can’t. Kid’s got to have either the mother’s or the father’s last name. > [@grama](#): > > You can’t in Chile either, here we use 2 ‘last names’, your father’s and your mother’s (in that order). > _[snip]_ > And if you want to change your last names, you can only do it to make it match those of your parents ( for example: you want to use your stepfather’s lastname, or you were adopted, etc…) > [@maggenpye](#): > > In New Zealand it has to be the parent’s name - and even then I couldn’t give the kid her father’s surname without his signed permission as we weren’t married. > [@ctnguy](#): > > Since we’re talking about various countries’ practices: in South Africa a child born to married parents can be given either parent’s surname or a double-barreled surname joining both. If the parents aren’t married, then the child must be given the mother’s surname unless the father acknowledges paternity and signs the notification of birth. > [@mnemosyne](#): > > In Québec (note this is province-specific; I don’t know the case for the rest of Canada) a child can have either a single or double (hyphenated) surname that must be derived from the parents’ surnames. > _[snip]_ > In an interesting aside, your birth name is your name for life in Québec, even if you get married. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/44 "2011-11-09T21:52:59Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:43, topic:602076”] Let’s see, **constanze** , just using this thread as my cite, I have: [/QUOTE] I think you’re missing something. I can only speak for Quebec, but here at least, you _can_ change your name, although to do it officially, you have to submit an application and pay a fee. What you don’t get is a free name change to your husband’s if you’re a woman who gets married. You could still change it if you so want, but you have to go the whole name change process. (Or you can just use your husband’s name as a social custom, without it becoming your official name. But I think that’s becoming very uncommon.) I assume similar things are true in the other countries on your list. And remember that restrictions on what parents can name their child aren’t necessarily the same as restrictions on what you can change your own name to. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/45 "2011-11-09T21:57:43Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > I think you’re missing something. I have never researched laws regarding name changes in various countries around the world. All I did was notice posts in this thread saying that in Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, and Québec, you are limited to using your mother’s last name, your father’s last name, your adopted parents’ last name, or some hyphenated combination thereof. Many of the posts in this thread mention governmentally-imposed limits on first names as well. In response, I said I can’t understand why a country would limit an adult citizen’s ability to pick a name that he or she liked. I don’t think I’m missing anything. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/46 "2011-11-09T22:06:15Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > . . .Because the lawmakers realized that children with unusual names will be made fun off during their vulnerable childhood years. . . . So, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say here that in Germany, it’s uncommon for children to have classmates named Lemonjello and Oranjello, unlike in the US. (Or so it’s often claimed.)😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/47 "2011-11-09T22:15:39Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:45, topic:602076”] I have never researched laws regarding name changes in various countries around the world. All I did was notice posts in this thread saying that in Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, and Québec, you are limited to using your mother’s last name, your father’s last name, your adopted parents’ last name, or some hyphenated combination thereof. [/QUOTE] What those posts said was that these were the last names your parents were limited to when first naming you. They didn’t say anything about not being allowed to change your name yourself later. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/48 "2011-11-09T22:49:25Z")
You can change your name legally here in Québec, but there are no freebies with marriage, though I admit my statement that a name was “for life” was misleading. All the relevant information is available on the link I posted earlier as it’s all the same [government](http://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/en/change-name.html#who)office- you have to have a good reason to want to change your name, but that includes “You have been using for at least five years a name other than the one that appears on your birth certificate”, which is a pretty low standard to meet. Basically, the laws prevent you from naming yourself of your kids “kl33nêx”; they allow you to use names of foreign origin, though they might ask you to confirm that the name isn’t entirely nonsensical and made up. Seriously, there are all kinds of interesting and unique names here; just not completely crazy ones. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/49 "2011-11-09T23:48:45Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > What those posts said was that these were the last names your parents were limited to when first naming you. They didn’t say anything about not being allowed to change your name yourself later. Please read posts before responding to them. Specifically, in this case, note the material I quoted from post #10 (by **grama** ) and post #21 (by **mnemosyne** ), which very specifically address changing your name later. I’m not making this stuff up – I’m merely quoting what other people said and stating that I don’t consider it reasonable for a government to do that. **mnemosyne** recanted his statement about an hour ago. Even if **grama** were to do the same, I still wouldn’t consider it reasonable for a government to limit your choices of last name to your parents’ names. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/50 "2011-11-10T00:35:22Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > I recall a news item about 10 years ago where the parents in France were not allowed to call their child “Cerise” (Cherry). France apparently has a law against unusual names too. (Napoleonic code again?) They refused to allow that name on the birth certificate. The funny thing was that across the channel, the Prime Minister’s wife was Cherry. You mean Cherie Blair? :dubious: Don’t think we’ve had a PM’s wife called Cherry. I know a few people in England who’ve changed their names- it’s not very hard- including one who changed her name to her boyfriend’s, instead of marriage (a friend’s Mum, and now the friend is planning to do the same thing, weirdly), and one who’s new name includes a number ‘3’ in the middle of it, which is always fun in airports. Here, you can choose any name for a baby at birth (barring a few classed as offensive etc.)- it doesn’t have to have any connection with either parent’s name. When my Mum was born - her parents were forced by the church to reverse her planned first and middle names, as her initials would have been ‘JEW’, and they refused to christen a baby that… ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/51 "2011-11-10T07:41:21Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:45, topic:602076”] I have never researched laws regarding name changes in various countries around the world. All I did was notice posts in this thread saying that in Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, South Africa, and Québec, you are limited to using your mother’s last name, your father’s last name, your adopted parents’ last name, or some hyphenated combination thereof. Many of the posts in this thread mention governmentally-imposed limits on first names as well. In response, I said I can’t understand why a country would limit an adult citizen’s ability to pick a name that he or she liked. I don’t think I’m missing anything. [/QUOTE] Because you switched the discussion from “what name can parents pick to give their child at birth?” to “Adults should be allowed to change their name to anything they like”. All cites were in answer to question 1, not 2. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/52 "2011-11-10T08:28:23Z")
In Spain you can, it’s how we got hyphenated lastnames in the 19th century. Laws regarding names have changed since then but they’re actually more flexible now. It’s unusual, specially now that people at the register do expect parents to be able to read, write and spell\*, but if you tell the registrar that yes, you want to name your kid something that’s neither parent’s lastname you can. - my grandfather and his closest relatives had different lastnames because c.1910 the registrars didn’t bother ask “how do you spell that?” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/53 "2011-11-10T22:32:16Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Because you switched the discussion from “what name can parents pick to give their child at birth?” to “Adults should be allowed to change their name to anything they like”. > > All cites were in answer to question 1, not 2. I did not “switch the discussion.” I commented on what others had already said. As I told **Hypnagogic Jerk** , _read_ my stuff before arguing with it. I was specifically and directly addressing things that **grama** and **mnemosyne** said about adults changing their name. I explained this all to **Hypnagogic Jerk** in post #49. Give it a look. If you disagree with me, fine, but don’t tell me I don’t have a right to hold that opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/54 "2011-11-11T20:03:35Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:53, topic:602076”] I did not “switch the discussion.” [/quote] Yes, you did. Post #31: [quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:31, topic:602076”] I do _not_ understand a country that won’t allow a legal adult to change their name. [/quote] Post #40: > [@constanze](#): > > And what country are you thinking off? Because German naming laws don’t forbid you from changing your name. Post #43: [quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:43, topic:602076”] Let’s see, constanze, just using this thread as my cite, I have: [/quote] > [@Fish\_Cheer](#): > > Not in Germany, you can’t. Kid’s got to have either the mother’s or the father’s last name. I obviously wasn’t commenting on the possibility of changing your name as an adult, because that sidetrack was only introduced by **grama** in post [#10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14434662&postcount=10). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/55 "2011-11-11T20:59:57Z")
I don’t understand what you’re getting at, **Fish Cheer**. How was my comment “switching the discussion” any more than anyone else’s? The discussion of changing your name came up in post #2, for goodness’ sake. I was just commenting on it, after several other people mentioned name changes. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/56 "2011-11-11T21:00:18Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:53, topic:602076”] If you disagree with me, fine, but don’t tell me I don’t have a right to hold that opinion. [/QUOTE] Where did I say anything like that? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076/57 "2011-11-11T21:46:19Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Where did I say anything like that? 😕 I stated my opinion on a matter being discussed in the thread and you’ve been complaining about it for two days. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-naming-your-child-with-a-different-last-name/602076.md?page=2)