(1) The given name of each person shall be chosen by his parents and shall be notified in writing to the official for the civil registration at compiling the birth certificate.

(2) If both the parents have not reached agreement about the name the official shall enter in the birth certificate only one of the names proposed by the parents.

(3) If the parents do not point out a name the official shall define the name he considers most appropriate in the case.

(4) If the name chosen for the child is ridiculing, disgracing, publicly unacceptable or incompatible with the national pride of the Bulgarian people the official shall have the right to refuse the entering in the birth certificate applying the provisions of para 2 and 3.

The father name of each person shall be formed from the given name of the father and shall be entered with the suffix -ov or -ev and end according to the sex of the child except when the given name of the father does not permit these suffixes or they contradict with the family, the ethnic or the religious tradition of the person.

(1) The family name of each person shall be the family name of the father with the suffix -ov or -ev and end according to the sex of the child except when the family, the ethnic or the religious tradition of the person impose otherwise.

(2) Each person at marriage shall be able to take the family name or to add to his family name the family name or the father name of the other spouse.

(3) The children of one and the same parents shall be entered with same family names.

(4) When a person is known by the public with a penname he shall be able with a decision of the court to add the penname to his name.

(1) The change of the given, the father or the family name shall be admitted by the court on the basis of a written application by the interested, when it is ridiculing, disgracing or publicly unacceptable as well as in the cases when important circumstances impose this.

(2) A person of Bulgarian origin acquired or restored his Bulgarian citizenship shall be able to change his father or family name with suffix -ov or -ev and finishing according to the sex as well as to make Bulgarian his given name by the order of the fast procedures under the Civil Procedure Code. These procedures shall be exempt from state fees.

(3) By the order of para 2 the Bulgarian citizens which names have been forcedly changed shall also be able to restore their former names.

(4) By the same order the Bulgarian citizens born after the names of their parent or parents have been forcedly changed shall also be able to change their names.

(5) In the same way with an application by both of the parents or the guardians shall be possible to be restored or changed the names of underaged if the names of their parent or parents have been forcedly changed. At disagreement between the parents the issue shall be resolved by the court after hearing of the underaged.

(6) The officials for the civil registration shall be obliged at an application by the heirs of a deceased person to issue certificate for identity of the forcedly changed names with the previous or the restored.

Source: Unofficial translation