Parliament approves the return of double surnames

Switzerland’s Senate has voted to allow the return of double surnames, approving a proposal from the House of Representatives by 40 votes to two. However, it rejected moves to scrap the principles of a single name and a family name.

Since 2013, double names have no longer been allowed, and the future spouses must decide at the time of marriage whether they wish to keep their own name or have a joint surname. Children receive either the joint surname or the surname of one of the parents.

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This situation is unsatisfactory, as it calls into question equality between men and women. The parliamentary committee responsible has therefore proposed a draft law that offers a workable solution to this problem, since it leaves it up to the spouses to choose a name. Both spouses will be able to bear a double name. The order of the elements making up the name must be freely chosen.

With this draft, the possibility of explicitly defining a common surname is abolished. Centre parliamentarian Beat Rieder successfully argued in favour of maintaining the possibility of a common surname. Carlo Sommaruga of the Social Democrats, on the other hand, argued in vain that the proposed solution would allow the whole family to have a common surname.

Unlike the House of Representatives, the Senate refused to abolish the principle of a single name. Each person may only pass on their own unmarried name to their spouse or joint children, and not the name acquired during a previous marriage. The aim is to ensure that it is still possible to establish a clear link between a person’s name and their origin, explained parliamentarian Isabelle Chassot on behalf of the com mittee.

The dossier will now go back to the House of Representatives.

Translated from French by DeepL/ds