In April 2024, the government factions SPD, Greens and FDP voted for a reform of the right to name. This stipulates that both spouses can also wear a double name as a marriage name from May 1, 2025. Ms. Mustermann and Mr. Lehmann are likely to call themselves both Mustermann (-) Lehmann or Lehmann (-) Mustermann. So far, only one spouse has been allowed to carry it into a composed double name.
Even married couples should also have the unique opportunity to change their name into a double name.
However, there is a restriction: Even after the name reform, a last name may consist of a maximum of two family names. If one or both spouses are already wearing a double name, he or she has to choose one of the two names to put it together into a new double name.
An example: married Ms. Mustermann-Lehmann and Mr. Schmidt-Wagner, a new surname, for example, Mustermann-Wagner, but not Mustermann-Lehmann-Wagner.
Children can wear both surnames
If spouses want to keep their individual surnames, this is of course still possible, but the couple's common children should also be able to carry a double name through the name reform. So get Ms. Mustermann and Mr. Lehmann, but both want to keep their name exclusively, the children together can still bear the name Mustermann (-) Lehmann or Lehmann (-) Mustermann. That should work with, but also without a hyphen. The parents decide on this.
And even if parents are not married, the child should be allowed to wear a double name as a last name.
Name change in the event of majority
If parents have delighted their offspring with a double name, but the child does not like this, it has the opportunity to choose one of the two surnames from the age of majority.
The same applies in the other: If one child only bears the name of a parent, it should be once possible with the age of majority to accept a double name.
How many first names can a child have?
While the number of names in a family name is limited to a maximum of two, this does not apply to first names in Germany. It is not clear or even legally regulated. In theory, your offspring in the style of the British Royals, for example, are called William Arthur Philip Louis (Prince William). Or you call your daughter Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine, after the princess of Sweden. Four, five, six or even 12 first names - The Sky is the limit when it comes to the number of first names. So, at least theoretically.
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Recommendations for registry offices
In fact, there are recommendations for registry offices. In the end, they decide whether a name is 'allowed' or not. And this recommendation is currently on five first names. However, because it is only a recommendation, it is not binding, which is why we also have children in Germany who have six or seven names.
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Important for parents:If you want to give your child an above -average number of first names, you should have a conclusive argument for your registry civil servant, why your son or daughter should get so many first names. The last word is the office.
Many first names thanks to the hyphen
Anyone who suspects that they are considering too many first names for their child can also trick the five-preliminary name recommendation a little. Strictly speaking, a double name connected by a hyphen counts as a first name. Marie-Louise, Gian-Luca, Ann-Kathrin or Jan-Erik all sound like two first names, but are only considered one.
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So you could easily give your child ten first names as long as you sort them in five groups of two.
What do many first names do with the child?
With all the (pre-) freedom of naming, the parents (soon) enjoy, one should not forget what two handful of first names make with a child. It is questionable that it really bears this multitude with joys. So you save a lot of nerves when you leave it with two or three first names. In the end, of course, she decides as a parents. And at the latest from the age of majority, your child.
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