Overview

• Germany's new naming law, effective May 1, 2025, allows couples and children to adopt true double surnames combining both parents' family names.
• Jenny Elvers-Elbertzhagen has asked her 24-year-old son Paul to adopt the double surname Elvers-Elbertzhagen as a personal and symbolic gesture.
• Paul, who was born as Elvers, took the surname Elbertzhagen in 2003 after his mother married Götz Elbertzhagen, as double surnames were not permitted at the time.
• Jenny retained the surname Elbertzhagen after her 2014 divorce to maintain a shared name with her son, reflecting their familial bond.
• Paul has yet to decide whether he will follow his mother's request to change his surname under the newly enacted law.