Notification of a child's name
Please submit notification of your child’s names and mother tongue within three months after the child’s birth. Please note that only one mother tongue can be entered into the Population Information System.
You can give your child between one and four forenames. You cannot give your child a forename or a combination of forenames that is likely to give offence or cause harm or that is inappropriate as a forename.
The child’s forename must correspond to the established name practice. Girls must be given girls’ names and boys must be given boys’ names. Both girls and boys can be given gender-neutral names. The forename may not closely resemble a surname.
You may use the Name Service to find out how common forenames are.
If you and the other parent of the child have a common surname or a common compound surname, it will also become the surname of your common child.
If the child only has one parent when the details of the child are submitted, the child may only receive the surname of this parent. A child cannot be given the surname of a person whose parenthood has not been confirmed. After the parenthood has been confirmed, the child’s surname can be changed into the other parent’s surname or compound surname. The change application can be submitted to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency free of charge. The application for changing a child’s surname must be made by the child’s custodian or, if the child is in joint custody, by the custodians together.
If the parents have different surnames and they have joint custody of a common child, the child born later will receive the surname that his or her sibling already has. When parents who are having their first common child have different surnames, they can choose the child’s surname from the following options:
- surname or compound surname of one of the parents
- one name in the compound surname of one of the parents
- a new compound surname based on the parents’ surnames.
The lawfulness of the name notified will be investigated after you have submitted the form to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or after the parish has referred the question of lawfulness of the names to our agency. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency does not give an opinion on the names before the form has been returned.
After the child’s names have been entered into the Population Information System, the child’s Kela card will be sent to you by mail and the information stored in the system will become available to different authorities.
Do as follows
Notification of a child´s personal details form and instructions are automatically sent by post to the child´s mother after the child is born. You will receive the form within 2–4 weeks after the child´s birth. Read the instructions carefully before reporting your child's information.
You may report the child’s name and mother tongue to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency on the online form. You will need online banking IDs or a mobile certificate to use the online form. The notification is confirmed by guardian or both guardians if the child has two guardians.
Can't attend to your matter online?
If you cannot submit a notification of your child's personal details using an online form, you can submit the form 'Reporting your child's data' to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency: PO Box 1003, 00531 Helsinki, Finland
Need help?
Telephone service: 0295 536 220
Service hours:
- Mon–Fri 9–15
Processing time
-
3–4 weeks.
The lawfulness of the name notified will be investigated after you have submitted the form to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or after the parish has referred the question of lawfulness of the names to our agency. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency does not give an opinion on the names before the form has been returned.
After the child’s names have been entered into the Population Information System, the child’s Kela card will be sent to you by mail and the information stored in the system will become available to different authorities.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. If the child only has one parent when the details of the child are submitted, the child may only receive the surname of this parent. A child cannot be given the surname of a person whose parenthood has not been confirmed.
After the parenthood has been confirmed, the child’s surname can be changed into the other parent’s surname or compound surname. The change application can be submitted to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency free of charge. The application for changing the surname must be made by the child’s custodian or, if the child is in joint custody, by the custodians together.