There are different requirements for registration purposes where the mother and father are not married to each other and where the mother has been party to a previous marriage. In this case we strongly advise you to contact your local civil registration office for further advice.

In the case of a mother who was not previously married the child may only take their fathers surname if the father’s details are to be recorded at the time of registration. The father must be present or have completed the relevant forms in advance.

The surname of a child to be entered in the register of births shall be the surname of the mother or father or a combination of both. It may be subject to Linguistic or cultural modification with the approval of the Superintendent Registrar.

The birth certificate will contain information about the child and the parents which is given at the time of registration, so it is important that this information is accurate and care should be taken by the qualified informant before signing the register, as it is difficult to amend details after the birth is registered.