Senate agrees to allow parents to give children two surnames

Children will soon be able to bear their parents' two surnames, after the Senate voted on a bill to make the change on Tuesday. Parents can already choose which surname a child will have at birth, but soon they will also be able to choose to give both surnames, and also in which order. The decision made also applies to any children born afterwards. The combined name is written without a hyphen, and the combination is limited to a maximum of two names.

The Tweede Kamer had already approved the intended amendment to the Civil Code last autumn. The change was sought by members of parliament, because many people indicated that they wanted more freedom of choice in the name given. The previous Cabinet then initiated an amendment to the law.

The change will take effect on January 1, 2024, the Ministry of Justice and Security said. The new regulation will apply retroactively to children born on or after January 1, 2016. Parents who still want to change the surname for these children will have one year from the date the law takes effect to arrange this.

If parents do not make a choice, a child will be given the surname of the father or the co-mother if the parents are in a marriage or registered partnership. With unmarried or unregistered partners, a child automatically receives the name of the birth mother. Adopted children can choose the surname given at birth and the name of their adoptive parents.

As an example, the ministry used the names De Vries and Willems. Children can then be called Willems, De Vries, Willems De Vries or De Vries Willems. The naming was limited to two surnames to prevent the children of people with a combined surname from then having a very long surname themselves.

Those who already have a multiple surname, such as Van Haersma Buma, will be regarded as having a singular surname in the context of the new law. These children will soon also be able to take the name of the other parent.

Proponents in the Senate were VVD, D66, ChristenUnie, SP, PvdA, GroenLinks, PvdD, the Nanninga faction, the Otten faction and OSF. The political factions that voted against the bill include Christian coalition party CDA, along with opposition parties PVV, SGP, FvD, 50PLUS and the Frentrop faction