Does baby HAVE to have fathers last name (not married)?

Question

Ive seen this ? asked a couple of times but they were cases where the father abandoned or didnt sign the birth cert.

My childs father is my boyfriend. we are on wonderful terms. he will be at the birth. im sure he will sign the birth certificate. I dont need to get married yet and i want my child to have MY last name for the time being. will there be a problem? or must the baby have his last name if he signs the birth cert?

other reasons : my family has 1 boy (in the miltary scary!) and his family has 4

my mate hates his father and so do i. he has even considered changing his last name to his mothers but decided it would be too much trouble at this point in his life. i dont want my child to carry on a legacy that disgusts me.

My boyfriend is still deciding on the subject but regarless of what he thinks, i want my child to have my last name. need info

Answer 1

No you don't have to give your baby your boyfriends last name. Believe it or not you can actually put whatever last name you want there, I go by my legal last name but for the longest time went by my step-dad's last name even though it wasn't legal. but I could have put either name on the birth certificate. I did however put my fiancee's name on the birth certificate because we are getting married very soon so I didn't think it would matter plus I didn't want to have to go through all of the trouble of having to get it changed and what not so I just made it his last name. Good luck to you and Congrats on the baby

Answer 2

Legally, you can give the baby any first and last name you choose. The names of the mother and father will still be on the birth certificate. Once that's done, the only three ways the name can be legally changed will be 1) through filing a legal name-change with the court; 2) if the child goes through adoption, and it's desired to change his/her name at that time; 3) in the even of marriage or divorce, the parties involved can change their names. This includes the father, mother, and children.(Yes, guys and gals both- you can change your own name to whatever you'd like for no extra cost at this time!) When the child is grown and marries or later divorces, this rule again applies. There is no law that says the newborn child must be given the last name of one parent or the other. This is customary but not required, just as it's customary to baptise or otherwise take the baby into the parents' religion, but not legally required.

Answer 3

You can absolutely put the father's name as the baby's last name. I do not know if they have changed the law (and I am "dating" myself here) but 24 years ago I was not yet married to my son's father so he needed to have the birth certificate notorized but other than that, there was no big deal. Maybe these days you don't even need a special notary signature. If you do not get married, no, I do not think you could just change the name back. You may want to have the same last name for the father and baby for child support issues, too. That's just an opinion, though.

Answer 4

You can give the child either last name. It doesnt matter. Just because the father signs the birth certificate doesnt mean the child has to take that name.
When a father signs the birth certificate he acknowledges thatheis the father.
My children have my last name not their fathers. And we are still together and plan on more kids. I just didnt like his last name, mine sounds nicer.

Answer 5

Well, depending upon your state of residence, it might be a moot point.

In Wisconsin, no matter if the father is on the birth certificate or not, the child will have the mother's last name until it is legally changed by filing the proper paperwork.

Check with your doctor - they should know the procedure. Otherwise, call your clerk of courts office - they will be able to tell you all of the particulars.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I would suggest keeping the baby's last name the same as your own until you get married, at which point you and your baby can take your husband's last name. If you happen to marry your boyfriend, then he should take whatever steps are necessary regarding his name before then.

One thing your boyfriend should remember is that his last name is not just his father's last name, it's his own name, too. Just because he shares it with his father doesn't make it any less his own. Maybe you can look at it that way, too. You'd be taking your boyfriend's last name, not his father's last name.

Answer 7

The baby has whatever last name you put on the papers after you deliver regardless of whether the father signs the birth certificate or not!

Answer 8

The baby can have the mother's last name. In some places, the baby has to have the father's name only if they're married.

Answer 9

You can give the baby any last name you like. Getting to a bigger point though... My half sister has a 2 yr old baby. When the baby was born, she was given our last name. When my half sister married the baby's father, they changed the baby's last name to his. My half sister told me that she had a limited time (i don't remember how long but it was apparently less than 2 yrs) to change the baby's last name without having to go to court and pay a huge fee.

So, where ever you live, you need to find out how long you have to change the baby's last name if ya'll get married later and want to change it. I mean, you might not want to have to get a lawyer, go to court, and pay a fee to change it later.

Answer 10

only u can decide on what name u put on the birth certificate if you want yours then put yours its the mothers right to name the baby any name she wants. your not married so it don't matter what the boyfriend says. having, naming, and keeping a baby is all of the mothers rights