Information about the appearance of the first double surnames dates back to the 10th century - the period of the feudal West, where they were assigned according to the names of granted or hereditary land plots. With each generation, they could change in connection with the acquisition of new possessions.
In ancient Russia, such a practice did not exist, since even the princes were forbidden to keep allotments in the property, and even more so to transfer them by inheritance.
As for Russia, in the middle of the 19th century, double Russian surnames were often formed in the literary way, when the pseudonym of the writer merged with his real name. For example, Mamin-Sibiryak or Saltykov-Shchedrin.
And only at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the emancipation of women, a double surname became quite popular in modern society. In the past, there was a time when the spouses were obliged to go under the wing of their husbands.
According to statistics, today more than 80% of young girls after marriage marry their spouse, about 15% prefer to leave their premarital name and only 5% of newlyweds have a double surname.
In the rarest cases, the groom voluntarily transfers to the family of his bride. As a rule, this happens in situations where it is absolutely necessary. For example, when his premarital name does not sound very beautiful or causes negative associations.
Is it possible to take a double surname today?
The Russian Family Code does not restrict Russians in choosing names, however, it is worth considering some nuances. Since the double surname in modern Russia is still a rare phenomenon, those who are considering such an option to change their signature should know that both husband and wife receive it at once. The surname of the spouse should always be in the first place, while the spouse should only be in second.
As for assigning a double family name to a child, most often this desire arises in couples where, after marriage, the woman chose to keep her premarital signature. According to Russian law, a double surname, which is assigned to a minor child, should consist only of mother's and father's, but not grandfathers or grandmothers. But the most important thing is that you can give it to your baby only if one of the parents also takes it for himself. The fact is that, by law, a child can only receive the name of his mother or father.
And how is family law regulated in other countries of the world? For example, in Canada (Quebec), the law forbids girls to take the name of their spouse. According to Quebec, it is a personal family value, and a woman is not a thing that is required each time to try on the signature of the next owner.
But in America, newlyweds after marriage can easily take on a completely alien family name.
Without a doubt, one surname for two is a wonderful symbol of the union of two loving people into a single whole. In the end, it’s not so important what your family has. The main thing is that love, understanding and respect reigned in your home, which have long been the main components of every happy marriage.
