Is it okay for children to take their father's surname or their mother's surname?

Children can take their father's surname or their mother's surname. Perhaps in our traditional concept, children must take their father's surname, but in real life, many children take their mother's surname.

Is there a law about children's surnames?

There are relevant provisions in the Marriage Law on whether children must take their parents' surnames. Article 22 of the Marriage Law states that children can take their father's surname or their mother's surname.

1. Minors can take the surname of either parent, which is recognized by law, because men and women are equal in law.

2. Who does the child want to be named after? Parents need to agree together. If one of the parents changes the child's name without the consent of the other, which leads to disputes, the court will order the child to restore the original surname.

3. Whose parents and surnames the child goes with will not be affected by the divorce of parents or the death of one parent.

After parents divorce or remarry, if the parent raising the child wants to change the child's surname, it needs the consent of the other parent. If one of the spouses dies and wants to change the child's surname, it is also necessary to obtain the consent of the immediate family members of the deceased.

Children have the right to choose their surnames when they grow up. Can children not take their parents' surnames? Under normal circumstances, children can't take surnames other than their parents, let alone give them surnames out of thin air.

However, in the following three cases, children can not take their parents' surname:

1. Use the surname of blood relatives of other immediate elders, such as grandma's surname.

2. Use the last name of the caregiver. For example, after a child is adopted, it can be changed to the surname of the adoptive parents.

3. There are other legitimate reasons that do not violate public order and good customs. For example, there are some ethnic minorities and some customs and habits of taking names.