TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of the Interior recently published statistics showing that 5.6% of babies born from January to July have taken their mother's surname, a historic high.
During the first seven months of this year, 76,919 babies were born. Of these, 72,564 took their father's surname, accounting for 94.34%, and 4,310 adopted their mother's surname.
Taitung County had the highest rate of children taking their mother's surnames, reaching 16.85%. According to Article 1059 of the Civil Code, parents can choose their child's surname before registering their birth. If they cannot agree, a draw is conducted at the Household Registration Office.
Since 2018, the ratio of babies taking their father's surname has dropped from 94.99% to 94.34%. At the same time, those adopting their mother's surname increased from 4.95% to 5.6%.
Despite Taiwan still being predominantly a patrilineal society, the proportion of children taking their mother's surname is gradually increasing.