Can a child have 2 last names?

Some names lend themselves well to hyphenation while others don't. If you don't like hyphens but still want to use both names, your child can simply have two last names.
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What is it called when you have two last names?

A hyphenated last name is when you and your spouse combine both of your last names with a hyphen. This is also called a double surname. In many states, when you fill out your application for your marriage license, you'll be writing your intended married name on that application.
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Why do kids have two last names?

Traditionally, the first surname is paternal and comes from the father, while the second surname is maternal and comes from the mother. In recent years, some countries have allowed parents to alter the order of surnames for their children, but in historical records paternal surnames generally precede maternal names.
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What are the disadvantages of having two last names?

Hyphenated Names: The Top 3 Drawbacks of Taking Both Last Names
  • You're Legally Bound To Use Both. Whether you're signing a check or introducing yourself at a cocktail party, choosing a hyphenated last name legally binds you to use it at all times. ...
  • They're a Mouthful. ...
  • Kid Complications.
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Can a US citizen have two last names?

Answer: U.S. citizens are required to use their current legal names on their U.S. passports. Unless you can provide documentation that proves sole use of that one last name instead of two, you need to include both last names in your passport application.
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Can a baby have 2 last names?



Can a baby have two last names without a hyphen?

Having two legal last names allows your child to have both surnames but use them interchangeably. He/She will need to sign all legal documents with both names, but they can introduce him/herself with one last name, thus forgoing the mouthful that hyphenated last names can create.
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Can I use two names legally us?

Legally you should only have 1 legal name. HOWEVER you can have shortened or abbreviated names, nicknames and assumed names. Assumed names can be registered in county or state offices in the US.
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Can I have a second last name?

Second surname sometimes is optional. The second surname is often treated much like the middle name is treated in the U.S., that is it is formally part of your name but sometimes it is omitted.
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Can I hyphenate my child's last name?

Can I hyphenate my child's last name with my name? No, your child will need to go through a court-ordered name change in order to hyphenate. If you're expecting a child, you and your spouse must decide which last name you'd like the child to have.
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What are the benefits of hyphenating child's last name?

What are the pros and cons of hyphenated names? The biggest advantage of hyphenated last names is the absence of having to choose between two last names. It allows you to retain your identity while still legally adopting your partner's moniker.
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Why do Mexican kids have two last names?

The two surnames names are ancestral, with the father's family name followed by the mother's family name. In Colombia, for example, “Ernesto Escobar Vega” uses two surnames (“Escobar Vega ”) as his legal name, with “Escobar” coming from his father and “Vega” coming from his mother.
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Whose last name should the baby have?

The mother's surname when the child was born; The father's surname when the child was born; Both parents' names, recorded in any order, hyphenated or unhyphenated; or. Any surname to which either the mother or father has a familial connection.
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Can a girl keep two surnames?

A woman can choose if she wants to continue with the surname she has been living with throughout her life, replace her existing surname with that of her husband's or add her husband's surname to her existing one. It is completely her choice, and no law in India demands a woman to change her surname after marriage.
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How do you refer to a family with two last names?

When the parents and children in a household have several last names, you basically have two options.
  1. Options One: Formal - Put the parents on one line and give each new last name its own line. Mr. Lee and Ms. Smith. Jenny Johnson. Jackson Bowen.
  2. Option Two: Informal - Only use first names. Jack, Kim, Jenny, and Jackson.
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Can I add another name on my child's birth certificate?

Both parents must sign the said form in the presence of a Commissioner of Oaths. Applications for the insertion of a forename or surname, as the case may be, must be on a duly completed Form BI-795. Both parents must complete Form BI-1682 and submit it to any domestic Home Affairs office.
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Can you pick any last name for your child?

In California, as in many states, parents are free to give their child whatever last name they choose, including the mother's surname, father's surname or a completely different surname altogether. If an unmarried woman gives birth, she is free to make this decision by herself.
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Do babies take father's last name?

Children normally take the surname of their father unless their mother wishes them to have a different surname and the father agrees to this. Unmarried fathers do not have to register their children's birth and have no independent right to have their name entered on the birth certificate.
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What names can you not legally name your child in America?

These Baby Names Are Illegal In The US
  • King.
  • Queen.
  • Jesus Christ.
  • III.
  • Santa Claus.
  • Majesty.
  • Adolf Hitler.
  • Messiah.
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Can I name my kid Jesus?

United States. III, Jesus Christ, Adolf Hilter, Santa Claus and @ were all ruled illegal by courts in the U.S.
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What is a double barreled last name?

What is a double-barrelled surname? A double-barrelled surname is created by combining the surnames of a married couple by either using a hyphen or by simply adding the second name onto the husband's or wife's existing surname.
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When a woman has two last names how do you address them?

Hyphenated Last Name

In the case of a wife who has chosen to hyphenate her last name, then she should be addressed using Ms. (Mrs. is also acceptable) + her first name + maiden name + married name: Mr. David Crosby and Ms. Lynn Carter-Crosby.
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How do you refer to a woman with two last names?

If she's Geneva Besmer-Silverstone, you should use the last two names at all times. If she has a career, and Besmer is her family (maiden) name and Silverstone her surname, at social events she might go by "Geneva Silverstone," dropping her maiden name.
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What surname do you give a baby if not married?

Parents can give their child whatever name or surname they want! Although it's traditional to give a child the father's surname, or, less commonly, the mother's surname, the child's surname could be a combination of both (for example) — or something completely different.
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Can a baby have a different last name than parents?

If parents agree, they can also choose an entirely different surname for their child that is not the same as the parents'.
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Why should a baby get the father's last name?

"[Giving the man's last name to the child] can be a way of having a sense of two parents," she explains. "It's also a way of trusting in the marriage -- saying, 'This is someone I can count on. ' It's about enjoying the good parts of being part of a family, of feeling somehow that this man is making a commitment."
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