US EditionMore Germans set to get double-barrelled surnames after law change
- The law change effective Thursday allows both marriage partners in Germany to adopt double-barrelled surnames instead of just one partner.
- This update followed the previous restriction that only one partner could use a double-barrelled surname and aims to address surname conventions more inclusively.
- The legislation also permits children to receive double surnames even if parents opt out, and imposes a prohibition on triple-barrelled surnames to prevent long name chains.
- Additionally, minorities like Sorbians and Frisians can now maintain surname traditions, such as adding endings or deriving names from parents’ first names, which was not allowed before.
- These changes suggest that double surnames will become more common in Germany and allow cultural naming practices to be preserved officially.
15 Articles
15 Articles
New name right - double names now also possible for children - even with unmarried couples
Today, May 1st, changes in the right to name come into force. With the reform, the traffic lights government wanted to give more freedom in the choice of last name and thus take into account "the multifaceted reality of life".
What changes with the name right
With the choice of marriage and family names, there are now new freedoms. The name right offers couples and children more possibilities in the future. In some places this could cause space problems. What is allowed now - and what is not?
More Germans set to get double-barrelled surnames after law change
Double surnames are likely to become more common in Germany following a change in the legislation allowing both marriage partners to go double-barrelled, whereas only one was allowed to do so in the past, reported dpa. But triple-barrelled is still prohibited "to avoid name chains," meaning a name like Max Mustermann-Müller-Meier is not allowed. Even if parents decide against a double surname, their children can still be given one under the chan…
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