Switzerland reintroduced double-barreled surnames

In agreement with the local councils, the National Council has allowed residents to use double-barreled surnames again, explains Blick. After years of discussion, residents of Switzerland may now combine their surnames again.

New policy approved by councils

Married couples can merge their surnames to a shared double-barrelled surname. If the couple has children, however, the children may only have one of the surnames included in the parents’ double-barreled surname. Parents will be able to choose which surname to give their children.

A minority in the Council of States had wanted to restrict this law to maiden names, a person's original family name, making it impossible to carry past name changes into a new marriage. This was overruled with 25 to 17 votes, and the ruling now follows the National Council's decision. 

Double-barreled surnames in Switzerland

The policy change was preempted by a years-long conflict in the parliament. Double-barreled surnames were abolished in 2013, forcing spouses to pick between a joint surname or keeping their own surname.

With debates on implications for gender equality, the policy became a topic of discussion again. First proposed in 2017 in the National Council under Luzi Stamm’s SVP-AG coalition, the notion has now finally been accepted.