If Mr. Schneider and Ms. Müller get married and decide that their child should have the last name of both parents, they could choose the name “Schmüller”. This name is made up of the first letters of the two surnames and would reflect both the identity of the mother and the father in the new family name - at least the Greens are proposing such a merging of names.

“Meshing” instead of double names: Greens promote merging of last names

The planned reform of naming law by Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) has led to a point of discussion among the Greens: In addition to the option of double names with a hyphen, they also brought up the possibility of merging surnames. Helge Limburg, the legal policy spokesman for the Greens parliamentary group, found this idea very appealing and refreshing. However, the proposal met with resistance from the FDP.

Merging surnames is already common practice in Great Britain. If Mr James marries his partner Harrison there, the couple could take the joint name “Jamison”. In Germany, a similar procedure could be used, for example by turning Mr. Schneider and Ms. Müller into the Schnüllers or Schmüllers. The idea of ​​merging surnames could soon also find its way into Germany.

“We are open to discussing further flexibilization with the experts during the hearing.”

Sonja Eichweide's answer to the question of whether she thinks the idea of ​​merging surnames in Germany makes sense

Resistance to Green idea: FDP criticizes merging of surnames

The FDP's legal policy spokeswoman, Katrin Helling-Plahr, however, contradicted the idea of ​​merging surnames:

“Unlike allowing double names, merging two surnames is not only completely alien to our naming rights. There is also no serious desire among the population for such a name combination, which deviates from the principles of our naming law.”

The Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann is working on a reform of naming law and plans to present a draft bill shortly. The planned reform stipulates that spouses will be allowed to have common double names. Previously it was only possible for the spouse whose name did not become a family name to add their previous name before or after the family name. According to Buschmann's reform, it should also be possible for children to have a double name.

The reform should also make it easier to change names for children after a divorce. In the future, a declaration to the registry office should be sufficient for this instead of having to go through a complicated procedure under the public law name change law. In addition, naming traditions of minorities, such as gender-adjusted surnames among the Sorbs, should also be simplified.

Buschmann emphasized on Twitter that the reform of naming law was long overdue. The previous regulations are no longer up to date and do not do justice to the diversity of lifestyles in our society.

Nena Brockhaus speaks sarcastically about the “meshing proposal”

In the political talk format “Viertel nach Acht” on the “Bild” channel, presenter Nena Brockhau also criticized the Greens’ proposal and described it as a “completely insane idea”. She sees this as an unnecessary complication and says the proposal neither promotes equality nor solves a problem. Rather, she sees this as an unnecessary burden for the children, as they would have to decide later what name they wanted to have.

Nena Brockhaus also fears that the proposal could cause further problems. Married couples who do not have the same surname could be disadvantaged and further bureaucratic hurdles could arise. She therefore demands that the current usage should be retained because it is tried and tested and simple.

Conclusion

The Greens' proposals have met with both criticism and approval from various political camps. While supporters of the reform demand that naming rights be adapted to modern lifestyles and a strengthening of minority rights, critics warn of an erosion of traditional family structures and a dilution of naming rights. It remains to be seen what concrete steps will be taken towards naming law reform in Germany.

Sources:

Mirror , a quarter past eight

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