Indiana No rules for first names in Indiana! But if the mother is not married at birth, the baby can only receive its mother`s surname, unless there is an affidavit proving paternity. In these cases, it is systematically assumed that the best interests of the subordinate standard are the standard of review in cases where name changes are requested. The question then arises as to how that provision is to be applied under certain factual conditions. Among the factors that may be included in the analysis by these professionals and by the court are questions such as: 1) How old is the child and to what extent has his identity been established with a given name? In general, the younger the child, the less identity is established and the less traumatic a name change can be. A name change made before school starts can be less traumatic than after school starts, when the child`s name is more established with others. (However, a caveat about this factor is warranted. The court should not allow a party to take advantage of this factor by delaying the decision on the name issue and then arguing that the child is too old to allow the name change). A father has the right to change the name of his child if he can prove that he is the legal father. A legal father simply refers to the custodial father to make decisions about the child. (b) If the mother and father, whose names appear on the birth certificate, do not agree on the child`s surname and both parents have custody of the child, the surname chosen by the father and the surname chosen by the mother shall be entered on the birth certificate separated by a hyphen, the names chosen are listed in alphabetical order.
If the parents do not agree on the choice of a first name, it cannot be entered on the certificate until a joint agreement has been submitted to the Ministry mentioning the first name agreed upon and notarized by both parents, or until a first name is chosen by a court. Florida If parents can`t agree on a name, neither can be listed on the birth certificate until both parents sign an agreement or a court chooses a name. In Azzara v. Waller, 495 So. 2d 277 (Fla. 2d DCA 1986), the court upheld the decision of the trial court to reject an application for a change of name if the minutes contained contradictory statements by experienced psychologists about what would be in the best interests of the child. In this case, a psychologist suggested that a name change would be in the best interests of the child because all children should have the same last name as the family they live with, as they believe that children with a different name feel guilty or feel that something is wrong with them. The other psychologist suggested that such a name change would not be in the best interests of the child, as such a change would result in the alienation of his biological father and eliminate his current freedom to use two different names in two different households. In Levine v. Best, 595 So. 2d 278 (Fla.3d DCA 1992), the Court of Appeal held that the trial court had not abused its discretion by refusing to change the child`s surname if everyone, especially his doctors, knew him by his current surname.
In Girten, the father`s wish and fear that the mother`s surname would allow the mother to have greater influence over the child “fell far short of providing the required evidence of the best interests of the child”. Girten, 698 So. 2d to 888. Many states require at least two names on a birth certificate — a last name and a given name chosen by a parent. If the parents are married at the time of the birth of their child, some states require that the child be given the father`s surname. My sister probably has worse. Her first and middle names together form a single hyphenated name (our great-aunt`s first name), which is old-fashioned and hates. I`m pretty sure she hides the existence of her middle name whenever she can. Tennessee`s law is silent on first names, but there are complex rules for surnames. In the United States, parents have some freedom when it comes to naming their children. However, the right to choose a child`s name is subject to certain restrictions.
Most of them were introduced either for practical reasons or to protect the child. Take laid-back California, which isn`t so casual when it comes to baby names. In fact, the state does not even allow accents and other diacritics in names like José. This restriction arose in 1986 when Proposition 63 established English as the official language of California. Names can only contain “all 26 alphabetic characters of the English language with appropriate punctuation, if necessary.” And guess where the little X Æ A-12 was born? That`s right: the Golden State. According to constitutional lawyer Carlton F.W. Larson (writing in the George Washington Law Review), baby naming is “a barely mapped legal universe, full of strange flaws, uneven legal provisions, and uneven and inconsistent jurisprudence.” In the absence of a list of specific factors to be considered in deciding whether a name change is in the best interests of the child, the question arises as to how to properly submit a case to the trial court to support or reject a name change. Washington The only guideline is length – 30 characters for first names; 50 for the middle and the last.
This common name is my middle name, although absolutely no one calls me that. The only time it appears are government forms, and my annoyed mother “reminds me” that I have a middle name every time she hears me say that my initials are BS (literally my initials and first name). I would like to see a re-enactment of an actual court case where a judge had to choose a name. Only letters found on the standard English keyboard can be used in baby names in Massachusetts. So sorry, no æ, ë or ñ. For the father`s surname to be the child`s surname, he must be legally recognized as the father. In any case, if you are planning to have a baby, you should check the laws in your area before getting too attached to a name. Of course, even if your favorite name doesn`t make the mark, nicknames are a completely different field, with no restrictions. Anyone who has ever had an epithet like Stinky or Pickle Pop might wish there were stricter laws. The only reported decision that did not uphold a court`s refusal to change a surname is revealing. In Daniel v.
Moats, 718 So. 2d 949 (fla. 5th DCA 1998), the court dealt with a situation where a child bore the mother`s maiden name while the mother was now married. As a result, the child`s surname was different from that of both parents. The trial court refused to change the child`s surname without explaining why this finding was in the best interests of the child.