News item | 21-03-2023 | 14:14
Children can now have the surnames of both parents. A bill from Minister Weerwind for Legal Protection on this subject was adopted today by the Senate.
“Your last name is part of the identity. Your name says something about your family, your history and the people you belong to. This proposal increases parents’ freedom of choice. This allows both of them to express their bond with the child in the name.”
says Minister Weerwind.
Since the introduction of the Civil Registry in the Netherlands in 1811, children automatically received the name of the father. Since 1998 it is also possible to choose the name of the mother. The new law also allows parents to give a double surname to their children.
The new law comes into effect on January 1, 2024. Parents can use this new option if their first child is born on or after January 1, 2024. The chosen surname then applies to all their subsequent children.
The law also includes a transitional arrangement. If their eldest child was born on or after January 1, 2016, parents can still choose a double surname. From January 1, 2024, they have 1 year to still choose the double surname.
Options
For the group of people who already have a double or multiple surname, such as Van Bergen Henegouwen, this name will also be regarded as a single surname after 1 January 2024. If they wish, they can also give their child a double family name, such as Van Bergen Henegouwen De Boer.
It will be possible for adopted children to choose a combination of their surname at birth and the name of one of the adoptive parents. However, a maximum of two names in total also applies here.
The new law can also offer a solution for people who have a different surname in another country because of multiple nationalities. Sometimes a name change procedure is still necessary to bring unity to their surnames. That will soon no longer be necessary.
The choice of a double surname is not mandatory. If parents do not make a choice, a child will receive the surname of the birth mother if the parents are not married or registered partners. In the event of a marriage or registered partnership, the child receives the surname of the father or co-mother.