Changing a  Child's Last Name

There is no law that says a child must carry the name of his father.   Some children have hyphenated names so as to carry both their mother's and father's names.  Children of divorce usually keep the name of their father, assuming that is the name that they have been using, even if the mother has legal custody.  Children born out of wedlock often carry the name of their mother.  

Generally, a child's last name cannot be changed without the father being notified so he can appear in court to challenge the change if he so desires.  If the father is nowhere to be found, the judge will require the mother to publish her request in a newspaper before a court hearing.  Once this occurs, the judge will most likely grant the request for the child's name change.

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