Namegiving
A child must be named before it reaches the age of 6 months.
The following applies to children residing in Iceland:
Custodians notify about the naming of a child. In cases of joint custody, one custodian sends in a notification about the naming and the other must confirm the registration. If the naming is not confirmed, the registration is not considered satisfactory and will be rejected by Registers Iceland. If the child is baptised and its guardians have not notified Registers Iceland of its name, the relevant priest or head of religious organisation will send a notification of the naming/baptism to Registers Iceland.
The names that a child may be given are listed on the official list of names for persons. Foreign nationals may have a name that is not listed there. The Personal Names Committee decides on other names. If a child is to be given a name that is not listed on the official list of names for persons, an application must be sent to the Personal Names Committee.
If the parents are neither married nor in registered cohabitation when the child is born, the child is given a matronymic surname. The child’s paternity must have been declared in order for it to have a patronymic surname. A declaration of paternity is prepared at a district commissioner’s office (where a birth certificate from Registers Iceland must be submitted) or by filling out a form on the Registers Iceland website. A child’s paternity is also registered if its parents register their cohabitation or marry subsequent to the child’s birth. The child’s surname is then changed in accordance with notifications of baptism or naming.
Foreign nationals
Name registration for children residing abroad: Icelandic nationals residing abroad: see Children born abroad
Confirm namegiving
Confirmation formMy name in the registry
See your information on Ísland.is, including how your name is registered.
Go to Ísland.is