What should you name your child?
Learn about the rules for naming and about the options for choosing names.
It is up to you, or the person with custody of the child, to decide the child’s name.
All children must have a first name and a surname no later than six months after birth. A name must consist of a first and last name and may contain one or more middle names.
There are rules for which first names, middle names and surnames you can take
First name
Your child must have at least one first name, but may have several first names.
You can choose first names from the list of approved first names on the Agency of Family Law’s website.
A child who is legally a boy cannot be given a name that is only approved as a girl's name. Similarly, a child who is legally a girl cannot be given a name that is only approved as a boy's name. Some names are approved for both sexes. If the name you want is not on the list, you can apply to have the name approved. You can also apply to have a name approved for a different gender than the one it is currently approved for.
It is not possible to approve a newly created first name as a unisex name; first names can only be approved as either male or female names. However, over time, some names may gain approval for use by both genders if they meet the necessary criteria. For example, if a person legally identified as male applies to adopt an approved female name, the name may also be approved as a male name if the Agency of Family Law determines it is commonly used as a male name in Denmark or abroad. In such cases, the name becomes recognised as a unisex name.
Middle name
A middle name is a name that comes after the first name(s) and before the last name. It often resembles a surname, and your child can have multiple middle names. Including a middle name is optional.
You can also take an approved first name as your middle name. Such a middle name does not have to be gender correct. Regardless of your child's legal gender, the child can therefore get a middle name from both gender lists.
Last name
Every child must have a surname. A surname is the last name in their line of names and typically reflects their family lineage. Your child can only have one surname - however, two surnames may be joined with a hyphen.
A child may be given a surname with a family connection— specifically, a name that is or has been used as a surname by one of the child’s legal parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or great-great-grandparents.
Can the child take a social parent's middle and surname?
If a child is to receive a middle or surname from a parent who is not a legal parent or not registered in the CPR system, the social parent must either married to or living in a marriage-like relationship with one of the legal parents.
If one of the legal parents is or has been married to the social parent, the child can take the social parent's middle and last name, if the social parent agrees.
If one of the legal parents is cohabiting with the social parent, the child may take the middle or last name of the social parent. This requires the cohabiting couple to declare that they are in a marriage-like relationship and either have lived together for at least two years or share joint children under the age of 18 who already have, or will take, the same surname.
See more about names...
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