Name giving
A child must be given a name before the age of six months. The Personal Names Register includes all Icelandic names that have been approved. A special act of law applies to the giving of names.
A child may be given a name in the following manner:
by being christened in the national church or in a registered religious association.
by notification of the giving of a name to Registers Iceland which provides forms for this purpose.
by notification to a church minister or to the head of a registered religious association of the giving of a name.
A child may only be named by those who have custody of the child.
If a child is to be given a name that is not listed on the National Register of Persons, an application must be submitted to the Personal Names Committee for approval of the name.
A fee must be paid for a ruling concerning a new name that is not listed.
The ruling of the Personal Names Committee cannot be overturned by another government body.
Rules for names
Rules for Icelandic personal names provide that names must:
be able to have a genitive ending or have been adopted through custom in the Icelandic language,
must be adaptable to the structure of the Icelandic language and spelling conventions and
does not cause the bearer embarrassment.
No person can have more than three personal names.
Change in name
All notifications regarding changes in names and requests for actual changes in names are processed by the National Registry. If an application regarding an actual change in name is approved, a licence is issued by the Minister of the Interior.
Links of interest
Service provider
Registers Iceland