Change of name after marriage or divorce
Have you got married and would like to choose a joint surname or give it up again after the marriage has ended?
Course description
German law offers various options for organising the surname in a marriage. If you kept your surname when you got married, you can subsequently decide on a joint surname (married name) without being bound by a time limit. This declaration cannot be revoked during the marriage.
This also has an effect on the surname of joint children. Depending on the nationality of the spouses, the law of other countries can also be chosen. The registry office will advise you, notarise your name declaration and issue a marriage certificate or a certificate confirming your name.
From 1 May 2025, a new naming law will apply with more options than before. If you are married and want to keep your married name, you do not have to do anything. If you want to change your married name, please use our contact form.
The new law also takes into account the traditions of the Frisian, Danish and Sorbian minorities in Germany. If a surname originates from a country or culture in which a variation according to gender is common, this can also be taken into account. Please enquire at your registry office if this applies to you.
After the wedding, the couple can choose one of their surnames as their married name or family name. They can also have a double name. A companion name can be added to a one-part married name. If the marriage no longer exists, you can take your former name again
Prerequisites
In principle, German law will apply to your surname from 1 May 2025 if you have your habitual residence in Germany. If you have a different nationality, you can also choose the law of your home country. Please use our contact form to obtain advice on your desired surname.
To change your name in connection with a marriage, you must submit a name declaration. The name declaration must be officially notarised and becomes effective upon receipt by the relevant registry office. The responsible office is:
- The registry office where your marriage took place
- If you got married abroad, the registry office where your marriage was subsequently notarised upon request
- If 1 and 2 do not apply, the registry office in whose district you live
- If you live abroad, the registry office in whose district you last lived
- If none of these apply, the registry office I in Berlin
Required documents
- Identity documents of the spouses
- Marriage certificate
- Foreign language documents either in multilingual form (including German) or together with a translation (publicly appointed and sworn translators)
- In individual cases, further documents may be required, in particular your birth certificates or proof of previous marriages or civil partnerships.
Please use our
to obtain advice on the desired name.
Questions & Answers
If you kept your surnames when you got married, you can decide on a joint surname (married name) at a later date without being bound by a time limit. This declaration cannot be revoked during the marriage.
"Birth name" is the surname that results from the birth register. It is usually derived from the parents.
"Married name" is the joint surname of a married couple. It is derived from one or both spouses and is entered in the marriage register.
"Civil partnership name" is the joint surname of registered civil partners. The same rules apply as for married names.
"Companion name" is the part of the surname that a spouse or civil partner can add to the joint name.
"Family name" generally refers to the name that is currently used. This can be the name at birth, or the married or civil partnership name, in each case with or without an accompanying suffix.
Under German law, a married name can only be chosen by both spouses together.
You can choose the maiden name of one of the spouses or one of their current surnames as your married name. Example: Mrs Hase née Wolf is married to Mr Hirsch née Hund. All four names can be used for the married name.
From 1 May 2025, the married name may be composed of the maiden names or surnames of both spouses. Example: Dog-Hare, Wolf-Deer. The married name may consist of a maximum of two names. If the married name is made up of two parts, a companion name is no longer possible.
The prerequisite is that you have a married name.
If your surname has not become your married name, you can prefix or append your maiden name or the surname you had before the marriage. This must not result in a "triple name". You still have this option even if the marriage has already been dissolved, as long as you continue to use the married name.
A two-part married name is always written with a hyphen. Married names and companion names generally do not have a hyphen. On request, a married name without a hyphen and an accompanying name with a hyphen are also possible.
You can discard the companion name at any time. It is then no longer possible to change to a new companion name.
If a child is born to parents with a married name, it automatically receives this name as a surname. The same applies to children under the age of 5 if their parents choose a married name. Older children only receive their parents' married name if they choose to use it.
In principle, the determination of a married name is irrevocable as long as the marriage exists. Exception: You have chosen a married name before May 2025. In this case, you can make use of the new naming law from 1 May 2025 and revoke or change your married name by joint declaration.
The name declaration must be officially notarised. You can contact a registry office or a notary for this. If you live abroad, please contact your local consular mission. If you would like to make the declaration at one of Munich's registry offices, please use the contact form. The registry office will check your request and arrange an appointment for the notarisation of your name declaration.
Legal basis
§ 1355 BGB
Art. 10 EGBGB
Art. 229 § 67 Para. 1 EGBGB
§ Section 21 LPartG