Birth Certificate and Other Important Forms for New Baby

Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee,

We just had our first baby boy, and we are very happy! We named him after me: John Smith, Jr. Is this the proper way to name him, and how do we state that on the birth certificate?

Signed,

Trying to figure this out

Dear Trying to figure this out,

Congratulations on your new baby! A son will have Jr. after his name if his first, middle, and last names are all exactly the same as the father's.

For example, if your middle name is David, then your son would have the names John David Smith, Jr. But, if his middle name will be different from yours, then he will not be a Jr.

New parents need to fill out a birth certificate filing form. There will be a section on the form just after the last name section, called "Suffix" where you can indicate Jr.

On another section of the birth certificate filing form you can request a social security number for your new child by simply checking the "yes" box. It is often easier to get your child's social security number automatically instead of having to fill out a separate request form later on.

In addition, you will need to register your baby's birth in order that your baby can obtain an official birth certificate. The hospital, physician, or midwife who attended to your wife normally fills out the form with the information that you provide.

Later, you will want to order a copy of your son's birth certificate from the state or county vital records office. Always keep birth certificates in a safe place because this important document will be used many times in his life (i.e. to enroll in school, obtain a passport, apply for a driver's license).