Married name; declaration

You and your spouse can decide whether and which joint surname you would like to have as your married name. You can make this decision at the time of the marriage or at any time later at the registry office in your place of residence. You can choose the birth name of one spouse, the current name of one spouse or a double name made up of the names of both spouses as your married name. The maiden name is the surname recorded in the birth entry at the time of the marriage. A previous married name that was not the birth name of one of the spouses can also be chosen as the married name if it was previously adopted again.

An example: If you, Lisa Wagner, née Huber, marry Peter Meyer, you and your partner can choose the following names as your married name: "Meyer", "Huber", "Wagner", "Wagner-Meyer", "Meyer-Wagner", "Huber-Meyer", "Meyer-Huber", "Wagner Meyer", "Meyer Wagner", "Huber Meyer" or "Meyer Huber". However, a compound name such as "Hubermeyer" is not possible.

The spouse whose name is not chosen as the married name can prefix or append their maiden name or the name they currently use as a companion name. This requires a declaration at the registry office in your place of residence. The spouse whose name has been chosen as the married name cannot have a companion name.

Another example: If Peter Meyer and Lisa Wagner, née Huber, choose the joint married name "Huber", Peter would also use this name. If Peter would also like to use his previous name, he could call himself "Meyer-Huber", "Huber-Meyer", "Meyer Huber" or "Huber Meyer". Lisa would be called "Huber".

If you choose "Wagner" as your married name, Peter could call himself "Meyer-Wagner", "Wagner-Meyer", "Meyer Wagner" or "Wagner Meyer". Lisa would be called "Wagner".

If Peter's birth name, i.e. "Meyer", is chosen as the married name, Lisa could have a companion name and either prefix or append her birth name "Huber" or her former surname "Wagner" to the married name. She could then choose one of the following variants: "Meyer-Huber", "Huber-Meyer", "Meyer-Wagner", "Wagner-Meyer", "Meyer Huber", "Huber Meyer", "Meyer Wagner" or "Wagner Meyer".

Please note that if you choose a double name or a companion name, you may not create a triple name. You can then only use part of an existing double name.

If you do not decide on a joint surname, you will keep your current names. In this example, Peter Meyer and Lisa Wagner would remain, unless you later decide to choose a joint married name.

For further information, please contact the registry office where you registered your marriage.

If you are already married, you have the option of subsequently choosing a double name as your married name, even if you have already decided on a married name. Please contact the registry office in your place of residence. They will be happy to provide you with support and advice.