Can a baby be registered with the mother's last name? or is it mandatory that it

Question:

Can a baby be registered with the mother's last name? or is it mandatory that it be the father's?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: In the US and Canada, as well as many European countries, there is no mandate one way or another...today. 100 years ago the rules were different. But if you're contemplating it for your own child, there's usually only a rule that the surname must be that of either of the parents or a combination of the 2. You can't make up a new surname for your baby...but that's about the extent of it.