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 change to the law, which went into effect on Thursday.
If parents do not decide on a family name after the birth of a child, the child is automatically given a double name. And the family name determined for the first child will apply to a married couple's subsequent joint children.
A further change will allow minorities with the tradition of adding endings to female surnames to maintain their tradition. This has not been permitted in official documents in the past. This change applies particularly to the Sorbian minority in eastern Germany.
Frisians, a minority in the west, will also be allowed to derive surnames from parents' first names, such as Jansen from Jan and Peters from Peter.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
