Married Name; Explanation

You and your spouse can decide whether you want to adopt a shared last name as your married name, and if so, which one. You can make this decision at the time of your marriage or at any time later at the civil registry office in your place of residence. As a married name, you may choose one spouse’s birth name, the name currently used by one spouse, or a combined name made up of both spouses’ names. The maiden name is the last name listed on the birth certificate at the time of marriage. A previous married name that was not the maiden name of either spouse may also be chosen as a married name if it was previously reclaimed.

For 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 permitted.

The spouse whose name is not chosen as the married name may prefix or append their birth name or current name as a secondary name. This requires a declaration at the civil registry office in your place of residence. The spouse whose name was chosen as the married name may not use a secondary name.

Here’s another example: If Peter Meyer and Lisa Wagner, née Huber, choose “Huber” as their joint married name, Peter would also use that name. If Peter wishes to use his previous name in addition, he could go by “Meyer-Huber,” “Huber-Meyer,” “Meyer Huber,” or “Huber Meyer.” Lisa would be known as “Huber.”

If you choose “Wagner” as the joint married name, Peter could go by “Meyer-Wagner,” “Wagner-Meyer,” “Meyer Wagner,” or “Wagner Meyer.” Lisa would be known as “Wagner.”

If Peter’s birth name, “Meyer,” is chosen as the married name, Lisa could use a secondary name and either place her birth name “Huber” or her former last name “Wagner” before or after the married name. She could then choose one of the following options: “Meyer-Huber,” “Huber-Meyer,” “Meyer-Wagner,” “Wagner-Meyer,” “Meyer Huber,” “Huber Meyer,” “Meyer Wagner,” or “Wagner Meyer.”

Please note that when choosing a double surname or an additional surname, you must not create a triple surname. In that case, you may only use part of an existing double surname.

If you do not choose a shared last name, you will retain your current names. In this example, Peter Meyer and Lisa Wagner would therefore keep their current names, unless you decide later to choose a shared married name.

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

If you are already married, you have the option to choose a double surname as your married name retroactively, even if you have already chosen a married name. Please contact the civil registry office in your place of residence. They will be happy to provide you with assistance and advice.

Addition to the third paragraph: The declaration regarding the choice of a married name may be submitted either to the registry office where the couple resides or to the registry office responsible for maintaining the records.

The declaration regarding the use of a married name and the declaration regarding the use of an additional name, which are made at the time of marriage, are free of charge. If these declarations are not made at the time of marriage but only later, a fee of 30.00 EUR is charged for each.