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The Register is NOT a certificate

A certificate is a certified copy of an entry in a register

Read the heading on any cert you may have in your possession

Present day birth certificates in England do infact have a section for child's surname.
See Prince George's.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23552087

Previously it was implied by the father's surname, or if that was not recorded, then child was generally known by mother's surname.

A child is not assigned a surname when its birth is registered.

Entry Number and GRO reference
Column 1 - Date And Place Of Birth
Column 2 - Forenames
Column 3 - Sex
Column 4 - Father's Name (left blank on the first entry)
Column 5 - Mother's Name
Column 6 - Father's Occupation (left blank)
Column 7 - Signature, Description and Residence of the Informant
Column 8 - Date of Registration
Column 9 - Signature of Registrar
Column 10 - Name Given After Initial Registration

http://www.dixons.clara.co.uk/Certificates/births.htm

In the first instance, the father wasn't present, nor was the mother married to him. consequently only the mothers surname was given on the certificate.
At the second registration, the father had his details added.

TBH, I'm not sure if a brand new certificate was issued, or if the original one was officially amended, both on the copy held by the child's parent(s) and the copy which stayed with the Registrar.

Which ever registration index details you were to use to order a copy, you would be sent the same one. There is only ONE certificate per child.

Thank you reggie
the only thing i can not get my head round is should both names be on one certificate mothers maiden name and fathers added name and should it show their
has been an amendment i know im a pain but i find it very interesting how they work
best regards jean ;-)

The father obviously decided to acknowledge his child.....hence the later amendment

There will be only ONE cert

The GRO website has the facts............you should always look at official sources

Register a birth
Parents must register their child's birth within 42 days (or 21 days in Scotland) - who can register, birth certificates

Adding a father's name to a birth certificate
Re-register your child’s birth to add the father's name to the birth record or certificate at the register office


Parents aren’t married
If you want the father’s name on the birth record, fill in an ‘Application for the re-registration of a child’s birth’ form and take it to the register office.

If one of you can’t be there, that person also needs to fill in a ‘Statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage’ form and send it to the General Register Office.

You can't register a birth twice

If the parents aren't married but the father attends the registration then his name is put on the birth cert.

Theoretically the child could use either name so the GRO record will show under both surnames but it will be the same GRO ref and the one cert.

If the father 3 weeks later went to add his name then it should be an addendum to the first cert .it won't be a new registration

THANKS FOR REPLY
TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST BIRTH CERTIFICATE WAS PUT IN MOTHERS
MAIDEN NAME AS THEY WEAR NOT MARRIED
THE SECOND ONE HAS THE FATHERS NAME ON IT WITCH WAS DONE 3 WEEKS
LATER THIS TOOK PLACE IN 1997 SO DOSE THAT MEAN THE FIRST ONE DOSE
NOT EXIST IT ALSO TOOK PLACE IN LIVERPOOL
I THOUGHT THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE THE RIGHT ONE AS THAT WAS THE NAME GIVEN AT BIRTH VERY CONFUSING
REGARDS JEAN :-S

It depends on the date of the birth. In earlier times if the parents of a child were not married then the birth would be registered in the mother's maiden name. If the father went to the register office with the mother and was prepared to acknowledge paternity then the birth could be registered in his name too. There would be two entries in the index. However only one certificate would be issued. If you want to order the certificate I would order it in the father's name - although I don't think it really matters.

Kath. x

From the GRO website (you have not said which country and when)

'The mother can choose to register the birth on her own if she isn’t married to the child’s father. The father’s details won’t be included on the birth certificate.

It might be possible to add the father’s details at a later date by completing an application for the re-registration of a child’s birth.

JUST LOOKING FOR BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND FOUND THAT THEIR ARE TWO
FOR THE SAME PERSON DOSE ANYONE KNOW WHY THIS IS ONE IN MOTHERS
MAIDEN NAME AND ONE WITH THE FARTHER ON WITCH IS THE RIGHT ONE CAN ANY ON HELP ME.
REGARDS JEAN :-(