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, this practice did not exist, since even the specific princes were forbidden to keep allotments in 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 a literary way, when the writer's pseudonym merged with his real name. For example, Mamin-Sibiryak or S altykov-Shchedrin.
And only at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the emancipation of women, the double surname became quite popular in modern society. The time when spouses had to go "under the wing" of their husbands is in the past.
According to statistics, today more than 80% of young girls after marriage enter the spouse's family, about 15% prefer to leave their premarital name and only 5% of newlyweds have a double surname.
In the rarest of cases, the groom voluntarily moves into his bride's family. As a rule, this happens in situations where it is absolutely necessary. For example, when his premarital name doesn't sound very nice or has negative connotations.
Can I take a double last name today?
The Russian Family Code does not restrict Russians in choosing names, although some nuances should be taken into account. Since a double surname in modern Russia is still quite rare, 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 spouses - only in the second.
As for the assignment of a double family name to a child, this desire most often arises in those couples where, after marriage, the woman chose to leave her premarital signature. According to Russian laws, a double surname, which is assigned to a minor child, should consist only of mother's and father's, but not of grandfather's or grandmother's. But the most important thing is that you can give it to your baby only if one of the parents also takes it to himself. The fact is that, according to the law, a child can only get the surname of mom or dad.
And how is family law regulated in other countries of the world? For example, in Canada (Quebec) it is forbidden by law for girls to take their husband's surname. According to Quebec, she is a personal family value, and a woman is not a thing that owesevery time try on the signature of the next owner.
But in America, newlyweds after marriage can easily take on a completely different 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 is not so important what your family has. The main thing is that love, mutual understanding and respect reign in your home, which have long been the main components of every happy marriage.
