Can you register a baby with your mothers maiden name, even if it's not, and never has been, your own surname? A friend is insisting her daughter registers the baby in HER surname, not the daughters (who is the mother) whether or not she names the father on the certificate? Isn't it the mothers' surname that the baby is born with?  I didn't think you could but I can't seem to find anywhere to verify this one way or the other.

I believe you can name the baby anything you like. Surely the mother should put her foot down and name her baby as she wishes
Aileen

I can't see that she can insist :) When the daughter registers the birth she could go by herself to do it. The registrar will ask her what her name/surname is and this will be the surname of the baby (I would imagine). How old is the daughter ?? Could she compromise and put the maiden name down as one of the middle names ??

The daughter is old enough (19) to do it herself but her mother doesn't want her daughters surname (ex husband) to be carried on - which I suppose seeing as they haven't seen him for 17 years I can understand. But I was under the impression that the surname of any baby HAS to be of one of the PARENTS? not grandparent who is known by her own maiden name. The daughter, nice girl, doesn't mind either way.

In my husbands family there are many who have a surname used as a second or third Christian name it is not always the surname of the Mother it can be any family name - in my family my grandma was christened Agatha Arrow Ellis the Arrow being a family surname.

It does help in tracing the family as something like that creates a link

Yes I think you can I looked at if I needed to change my name by deed pole to revert to my maiden name for legal matters and was advised no but things may have changed since I enquired back in 2000.

Ah wait a tick just reread it and no she can't unless she changes her surname by sides pole as she will never have been known by her mothers maiden name.

> but her mother doesn't want her daughters surname (ex husband) to be carried on

'sigh' :( How sad - the genes are being passed on whatever :) :) If the daughter is 'happily' using her father's surname what is the problem ?? It is often confusing enough for children where they don't have the same surname as their mother/brothers and sisters (where mother has remarried etc) It sounds as though your friend is a bit of a control freak. It just isn't up to her to make the decision :( The daughter should tell her mother to mind her own business (I'm too polite to phrase it any other way :) )

Can't she register the baby with its father's surname if she chooses not to use her own surname? I'd imagine it has to be one of the parents' names.

Yes Daisy it is  :( and yes she should but she  wont.
Thanks lucy

no JG, he wants nothing to do with them :(

> I'd imagine it has to be one of the parents' names

The father can only be on the birth certificate if either  - the parents are married or the father goes with the mother to register the birth or he signs a declaration to say that he is the father

> Isn't it the mothers' surname that the baby is born with?

No. I wasn't married when I had my children. I had both my children registered with their fathers surname (we planned on getting married in the future, so thought it would be less confusing for the boys to already have their dads name, then it just left me with the name-change when we married).

I don't know the legalities of it all, but from a common sense point of view, what mother would want their child to have a different surname to themselves? Unless as with Daisy about to marry or with a long term partner, or divorced and reverting to a maiden name. Nothing wrong in a child having it's fathers name.

But this isn't the babies father's name.........who would go in purposely to have a different name? How confusing at the school gates, parents evening and all of life's little events, the child will be confused never mind everyone else, to me it would be as though the child were not mine.

It's just a bad idea whichever way you look at it, unless the daughter changes her name as well.  If she doesn't do that then quite frankly I would tell my mother to but out, who wants a child to have a different name to them, just plain silly as far as I'm concerned.

Good luck to anyone doing family history research on this family in years to come, they will never find the family tree line ........

I've voiced this to her, but the mother isn't budging. I think the daughter just wants to keep her mum happy. I've suggested she changes her surname by deed poll before hand so at least they can have the same name, but again I don't think this is going to happen. :(

Is there anywhere, in black and white, which states the surname has to be the same as one of the parents?? I know she will find out for sure in 6 months time but I think she should be aware sooner rather than later.

Just pondering as it may well be possible, as what happens when a baby is adopted? Isn't the birth mother and father (possibly) still on the birth certificate, but the new surname of the adoptive parents is used for the babies name when it is registered?  Any adoptee's on here to confirm?

A birth certificate is just a record of bloodline, indicating parenthood, not necessarily a continuation of a surname. I guess as long as proof of the parent with the paperwork we get from the hospital is there any name could I guess be used? (Not sure, just pondering)

But Missie, whether it is possible or not I would just try to explain to your friend that it is the wrong thing to do (IMO) as it is her child not her mothers and therefore should have her name, she may well regret it in years to come. :-(

The Citizens' Advice Bureau page says "The mother of the child can give the child any first names and surname she chooses. She may give the child the father's surname if she wants and she does not need the father's consent to do this."

It would certainly be less confusing in the future if mother and child have the same surname.

>  but the mother isn't budging

! It's just nothing to do with her :( I feel very sorry for this baby :( It's just facing a life of denial of it's heritage :( Shame on her :(

> She may give the child the father's surname if she wants

Ah - OK :) So a child doesn't automatically have it's mother's surname then.

I just feel so sorry for this child :( What a start in life :( No father, no grandfather - no male influence allowed :( How is that going to influence it as it grows up ? :( :(

Daisy, I guess as the daughter is only 19 years old there is plenty of time for her to meet someone else and have that male influence. Hopefully she will have someone come into her life at a later stage to be a good father figure to her child.

However, I agree with what you are saying, the grandmother to be is not doing her daughter any favours, she dislikes the daughters father so much she does not want the surname to continue and she is not even contemplating the baby having its biological fathers name, I do wonder how hard the grandmother has tried to perhaps get the daughter and her ex together to be there for the baby, she may have a warped sense of men, (?? perhaps I shouldn't speculate) to want her surname for the baby makes me feel this is the issue though, it's extremely odd whatever the reason.

Anyone can change their own name by just using the name they have decided to use without deed poll any more.

If I want to be called Marilyn Monroe, I can do so by advising everyone that I want to be known by that name. 

I didn't take my last husband's name when I got married.  Nobody said I couldn't do that.

And if I was a person who didn't know who had made me pregnant (it does happen,)  I could leave the father's name blank on the birth certificate. 

When you are divorced and wish to use your maiden name again, why do you need to change it by deed poll? It was originally your name so you are still known by it. My aunt still uses my 1st married name (been married and divorced twice) abd a few other people still know me by that name. I didn't go back to my maiden name as my youngest daughter was only 2 when I left her dad, but I could have. All I would need to do is to tell everyone I had reverted.

Well I've just phoned and apparently you can choose any surname of any close relative on the birth certificate. The lady was ever so nice when I told her I'd lost my bet :D