Registering a child's name in Czechia is done at the matriční úřad (registry office) covering the place of birth. You can give one or two different names — Czech or foreign — and you need to settle on them within one month of the birth. If the registry office has doubts about whether a name exists or how it should be spelled, it will ask for confirmation from a znalec (expert) or the Ústav pro jazyk český (Institute of the Czech Language). Since 2022, a girl's surname may also be recorded without the -ová ending.
Below are the rules for choosing a first name and surname as they stand for 2026, under zákon č. 301/2000 Sb. (the Act on Registry Offices, Names and Surnames): how many names you can give, what the registry office won't accept, when a znalecký posudek (expert opinion) is required, how přechylování works, and the deadlines for sorting it all out. We cover the paperwork that follows the birth itself in a separate guide — having a baby in Czechia: the documents.
A child in Czechia can be given one or two first names, and the two names must not be identical. A hyphenated double name (e.g., Anna-Marie) counts as one name, not two. A child who is not a Czech citizen, and whose parents also don't hold Czech citizenship, may be given more names if the law of the relevant country allows it.
The main rule: the name must genuinely exist and be written with correct spelling, including diacritics (háčky and čárky). For how Czech letters with diacritics are pronounced and written, see our guide on the Czech alphabet and pronunciation.
The registry office will refuse a name if it is distorted, made up, has no established form, or doesn't match the child's sex. If the official has doubts about whether a name exists and how it should correctly be spelled, they can require documentary proof — more on that below.
You can give a foreign name. But if the registry office has doubts about whether the name exists or how it's correctly spelled, the parent must provide confirmation from an academic linguistic institution or a znalecký posudek (a court expert's opinion). In practice, this confirmation is issued by the Ústav pro jazyk český.
If you want to register the Czech form of a foreign name (for example, Jiří instead of George), no special permission is needed — a declaration (prohlášení) at the registry office is enough. This declaration is made once and is binding and irrevocable.
For foreign birth certificates and other documents, you'll most likely need a certified (sworn) translation; for translating names, translators can help.
If both parents share a surname, the child automatically takes it. If the parents have different surnames, they choose one of the two at registration — you cannot combine them. All children born to the same two parents must carry the same surname. If the parents can't agree, a court will decide the child's surname.
By default, a woman's surname in Czechia is formed with the ending -ová (přechylování). Since 1 January 2022, an amendment (§ 69 of the Act on Registry Offices) allows parents to request that a daughter's surname be recorded in the masculine (non-feminized) form — without -ová — with no reason required.
Choice of surname is closely tied to the parents' marriage — for how spouses settle on a shared surname, see our guide on registering a marriage in Czechia.
Parents usually state the child's name while still at the maternity hospital, in the souhlasné prohlášení rodičů o jménu dítěte (joint parental declaration on the child's name). Both parents must sign it; if one doesn't sign and the gap isn't filled after being formally requested to do so, the registry office will notify the court, and the court will decide the child's name.
The deadline is one month from birth (typically treated as 30 days): until a decision is made, the name appears in documents as "NEURČENO" (undetermined). It's far more practical to settle on a name in the first few days after birth so as not to hold up the rest of the paperwork.
| Situation | What to know |
|---|---|
| Number of names | 1 or 2 different names; a hyphenated name = one |
| Foreign name | allowed; if in doubt — znalec / ÚJČ confirmation or a foreign document |
| Diacritics | required, correctly spelled |
| Girl's surname | -ová by default; since 2022, no -ová possible on request |
| Deadline to choose a name | up to 1 month, otherwise the court decides |
A name or surname can also be changed after registration, through the matriční úřad. The administrative fee (správní poplatek) amounts for 2026 are (check the current sazebník správních poplatků / fee schedule):
| Reason for the change | Fee |
|---|---|
| Offensive, eccentric, ridiculous, or distorted surname | 200 CZK |
| Foreign-language surname or reverting to a previous surname | 300 CZK |
| All other reasons for changing a first name or surname | 3,000 CZK |
Only a single fee is charged when a parent and their minor children change to a shared surname at the same time, or when several children of the same parents change their surname together. The registry office issues a decision within 30 days (up to 60 days in complex cases). If the matter is disputed — for example, the other parent objects — lawyers can help.
Yes, up to two, and they must be different. A hyphenated name counts as one.
No. Since 2022, parents can request that a girl's surname be recorded in the masculine form without -ová, with no reason required.
Yes. Names are recorded with correct spelling, including háčky and čárky; the registry office won't accept made-up or distorted spellings.
No, only when the registry office has doubts about whether the name exists or how it's spelled. A foreign certificate or an extract from a name database is often enough.
Up to one month from birth. If the parents don't sign the declaration or can't agree, a court will decide the name.
From 200 CZK for a distorted or foreign-language surname up to 3,000 CZK in other cases; check the current sazebník správních poplatků for exact amounts.
Many Czech names have their own day — a svátek (name day). See our guide on name days in Czechia (svátek) for details.
This article is for reference only; rules and fee amounts may change — check with your local matriční úřad and official sources before submitting anything.
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