Administracyjnoprawny tryb zmiany nazwiska w Niemczech (Öffentlich-rechtliche Namensänderung in Deutschland) – wybrane zagadnienia proceduralne i materialnoprawne

The article analyzes selected legal provisions related to administrative and legal procedures of changing the surname in Germany. It is worth emphasizing that the same provisions apply to changing first names. The issue of adopting new surnames and first names and their changes in Germany is regulated first of all by civil law provisions and, to be more precise, by family law provisions which are closely related to the existing family relationships and blood relationships. Legislators have also provided for a possibility of changing surnames and names through administrative and legal procedures based on the public law regulations, in particular – the Change of Name and Surname Act (Gesetz über die Änderung von Familiennamen und Vornamen). Adopting the principle of relative stability of names and surnames, German legislators allow for a change of names and surnames solely upon the request of the party concerned and for valid reasons only, e.g. when the surname is embarrassing, has a complicated spelling or difficult pronunciation. In Germany, German citizens or stateless persons residing or staying on German territory may file a petition to have their name and surname changed. Moreover, administrative provisions allow refugees and persons eligible for asylum to file a change of the surname petition.