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Procedure descriptions
Notify the registry office of the child's name after birth
You must inform the registry office of your child's name.
Responsible authority
for the certification: the registry office of the child's place of birth
Details
Prerequisite
You have the following naming options:
First names
If both parents have custody of the child, they can choose the child's first name together.
If only one parent has custody, they can choose the first name.
You can choose the first name yourself. Designations are not permitted,
- which by their nature are not first names, such as trade names, fantasy names, slurs or
- which are detrimental to the child's welfare.
Tip: First names contained in first name directories are unproblematic. These are available in bookshops or on the Internet.
Surname (birth name)
There are many options for determining your child's surname (also known as their birth name). You can find more information on determining your child's surname in the Federal Ministry of Justice's brochure on naming law.
Note: For children with foreign citizenship, naming is generally governed by the law of the country to which they belong. Detailed information can be obtained from the embassy or consulate of the country in question.
Procedure
Give the desired first names and the surname of the child to the birth centre. The birth centre will forward the information to the registry office when the birth is announced.
The registry office of the place of birth of your child is always responsible.
If you report a home birth to the registry office, inform the registry office directly of the desired first names and surname.
The registry office will issue the child's birth certificate.
Deadlines
If the name has not yet been decided at the time of birth, you must announce it within one month afterwards.
Required documents
Find out from the relevant registry office which documents you need to submit.
Costs
for the declaration of name and the first issue of a birth certificate: none
Miscellaneous
If the parents, who do not have a married name and who have joint parental custody, do not decide on the child's birth name within one month of the child's birth, the child shall be given a double name formed in alphabetical order from the names of both parents. If the name of one parent consists of several names, the alphabetically preceding name is used to form the double name. The names used are joined by a hyphen. If this results in a birth name for the child that at least one parent rejects by declaration to the registry office, the family court transfers the right to determine the child's birth name to one of the parents. If the right of determination has not been exercised by the end of the period set by the family court, the child retains the double name formed in alphabetical order from the names of both parents.
Legal basis
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB):
- § 1616 Geburtsname bei Eltern mit Ehenamen
- § 1617 Geburtsname bei Eltern ohne Ehenamen und gemeinsamer Sorge
- § 1617aGeburtsname bei Eltern ohne Ehenamen und Alleinsorge
- § 1617b Name bei nachträglicher gemeinsamer Sorge oder Scheinvaterschaft
- § 1617c Name bei Namensänderung der Eltern
- § 1617e Einbennenung, Rückbenennung
- § 1617f Geschlechtsangepasste Form des Geburtsnamens nach sorbischer Tradition und ausländischen Rechtsordnungen
- § 1617g Geburtsname nach friesischer Tradition
- § 1617h Geburtsname nach dänischer Tradition
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 16.05.2025