Spanish children can take their mothers' surnames first from end of June

In Spain, women do not change their surnames when they marry, and children automatically have two surnames – that of their father followed by that of their mother.

Since the millennium, Spanish law has allowed babies to be registered with their mothers' surnames first, followed by their fathers', although only if both parents agreed – in the event of dispute, preference was always given to the father's name being the child's first surname.

This has proven awkward for single mothers, especially where the father does not wish to have contact with the child, or with all-female couples where the father is a donor who has agreed not to interfere with the child's upbringing.

From June 30, however, the father's surname will not automatically become the child's first surname, and the parent or parents will be required to confirm the order of names in writing.

Although in most cases, the mother and father are in agreement when children were given their mothers' surnames first, occasional disputes meant a greater workload for notaries and registrars, leading to delays and a backlog which had a negative impact on the wider public, leaving them having to queue for long hours to get into the registry or wait weeks for appointments.

The preference will no longer be for the father's name first from the end of next month, in a bid to 'promote equality between sexes'.