Have your first name changed

If you wish to change your first name, there must be an important reason that justifies the name change. There are important reasons if the private interests worthy of protection of you as the bearer of the name in the name change outweigh

• the public interest or
• a private interest of third parties in the retention of your name.

Important reasons are, for example

• religious motifs,
• if the name triggers psychological problems (e.g. through associations)
• if there is a risk of confusion,
• if the name sounds offensive or ridiculous and is awkward to pronounce or complicated to spell, or
• after a sex change operation.

Furthermore, your name must be subject to German law. This includes not only German nationals, but also persons entitled to asylum, foreign refugees and stateless persons.

A name change is not an option if you do not like your name, for example if it is of foreign language origin. A name change is also not justified if you want to make identification by creditors more difficult.

For children over the age of 1 and under the age of 16, you can only change the first name for serious reasons in the best interests of the child.

• § Section 11 Name Change Act (NamÄndG)
• General Administrative Regulation on the Act on the Change of Surnames and First Names (NamÄndVwV)
• First Ordinance on the Implementation of the Act on the Change of Surnames and First Names
• State ordinance determining the competent authority under the Act on the Change of Surnames and First Names

• Registration certificate and valid official photo ID (identity card, passport)
• Extract from the register of births (available from the registry office of the place of birth)
• for stateless persons: travel document or entry from the foreigners authority in the passport or passport substitute
• for homeless foreigners or persons entitled to asylum: entry by the foreigners authority in the passport or passport substitute
• for foreign refugees: Entry of the foreigners authority in the passport or passport replacement

For further documents, please enquire in advance with the name change authority responsible for you.

• You have German citizenship.
• You are entitled to asylum, a foreign refugee, a stateless person, a homeless foreigner or a quota refugee.
• There is an important or serious reason that justifies the name change.

You must apply in writing to change your first name.

• Ask your competent authority for the application form or download it and fill it in completely. For minors, the legal representative submits the application.
• Explain the reasons for your application in detail. The authority must weigh up all the circumstances of the individual case and make a decision. The longer the name has been used, the greater the public interest in retaining the name.
• Your competent authority collects an advance on fees and then carries out the necessary investigations. In the case of persons over 14 years of age, it will involve various agencies, such as the police. It obtains information from the debtor register at the local court and, if necessary, from other agencies.
• If the requirements are met, you will receive a certificate of the name change. The name change will take effect when you receive it. Otherwise, you will receive a notice of refusal.
• The name change authority will inform other authorities of your name change. These include
  • the registration office,
  • the registry office that keeps the register of births,
  • the registry office that keeps the marriage register or the civil partnership register.
• As soon as the name change has taken effect, you must have various documents (identity card, passport, vehicle registration document) changed. You must apply for these changes yourself.

Note: If another person is involved, for example the other parent when changing the name of a child after the parents have divorced, you will initially only receive a notification of the name change. This will state that you must wait until the name change can no longer be contested by legal means. In these cases, the name change will take effect under the following conditions:

• The other person involved accepts the name change or
• the opposition authority or the courts confirm the name change.

Forms: Application for change of name (available for download on the website of the competent authority or on request)

Online procedure possible: no

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no

Depending on the circumstances, a personal appearance may be required in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Other parties involved (e.g. the other parent) may also be heard.

• Information on naming rights on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior
• Information on the law on changing surnames and first names

First call your local authority to find out whether the application has a chance of success.

Name change authority of the place of residence, usually the citizens' or registry office and the legal office.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the mayors of the independent towns, the heads of the district authorities and the mayors of the independent municipalities are responsible (§ 1 Name Change Responsibility Ordinance).