More names, more freedom: what will change from May 2025!

From May 1, 2025, families in Germany will finally be able to decide more confidently about their surnames. The major reform of naming law will bring a whole host of new freedoms for married couples, children and patchwork families. What was previously strictly regulated is now becoming flexible and family-friendly. We explain what is changing - and why not everyone likes it.

Double name deluxe: more than just a compromise

Until now, people who got married often had to choose between their own or their partner's name - or bear a somewhat unwieldy double name that only applied to the person who did not take the joint married name. From May 2025, this will be a thing of the past: couples can now choose a real double name together, either with a hyphen or without. And the best thing is that their children can also bear this new double name as their birth name.

The order of the names is up to you - the main thing is to stick to a maximum of two names. It is still taboo to have more than two surnames in a row. By the way: Unmarried parents can also give their offspring a double name.

Minority rights finally included in naming rights

Another milestone: the cultural characteristics of national minorities such as Sorbs, Danes and Frisians are now officially recognized in naming law. Until now, it has often been difficult for these groups to get their typical linguistic name forms accepted by the German bureaucracy. Now their backs are being strengthened.

Taher Saleh from the Green Party puts it in a nutshell: "The new name law is also an anti-discrimination law. Everyone has the right to be addressed by their own name." A clear statement in the direction of more diversity and respect.

Good news for children of divorce and patchwork families

The reform also considers the youngest children and families in new constellations. Children of divorced parents can more easily take on the surname of one of their parents if they so wish. Stepchildren who previously took the name of a stepparent will be given the opportunity to use their original birth name again after a separation.

A real step forward: with the reform, the federal government wants to "do justice to the diverse realities of citizens' lives" - and this is urgently needed.

Recht 24/7 says:

Finally a law that fits people's lives - and not the other way around! After decades of rigid rules, the legislator is finally showing itself to be modern and courageous. Sure, traditionalists will grumble. But let's be honest: in a world full of patchwork families, international marriages and diverse life models, we also need a flexible naming law. It's just a shame that we had to wait so long for it.