Surname upon marriage 

For example, Järvi and Kangas may decide that their surnames after the marriage ceremony will be the same, Järvi and Kangas.

A common surname means that both spouses have exactly the same surname.  

You can adopt as your common surname  

• the surname of one of you  

• one surname from the compound surname of one of you, or   

• the surname that one of you had before their first marriage. 

However, you cannot adopt as your common surname a surname that one of you has received from a previous spouse. 

For example, Järvi and Kangas may decide that they both adopt the surname Kangas upon marriage. 

A common compound surname means that both spouses have exactly the same compound surname. The surnames can be combined with a hyphen or written separately. A compound surname may contain no more than two surnames. 

You can adopt as your common surname: 

• the compound surname of one of you  

• a new compound surname, in which the two surnames are  

  • from your current surnames, 
  • from the surnames that one of you had before their first marriage or 
  • from your compound surnames. 

However, you cannot adopt as part of your common compound surname a surname that has been received from a previous spouse.  

For example, Järvi and Kangas may decide that both of them will adopt the surname Järvi-Kangas after the marriage ceremony. 

The spouse who will change their surname may adopt one name from their spouse’s compound surname. However, they cannot adopt a surname that the spouse has received from a previous spouse. 

For example, Järvi-Lahtinen and Kangas may decide that Järvi-Lahtinen will retain their name and Kangas will change their name to Lahtinen. 

The new surname may be formed of your current surnames or compound surnames. 

A compound surname may contain no more than two surnames. 

In the new compound surname, the surnames can be combined with a hyphen or written separately. 

However, you cannot adopt as part of your compound surname a name that your spouse has received from a previous spouse.  

You also cannot adopt a surname from your spouse if your spouse does not retain or start using that name.  

You also cannot adopt the surname you or your spouse had when last unmarried. 

For example, Järvi-Lahtinen and Kangas may decide that Järvi-Lahtinen will retain their name and Kangas will adopt the name Kangas-Lahtinen. 

You and your spouse may adopt different compound surnames. The two surnames of the new compound surname may be 

• from your current surnames or  

• from your current compound surnames. 

A compound surname may contain no more than two surnames. 

However, you cannot adopt as part of your compound surname a surname that your spouse has adopted from a former spouse. You also cannot adopt a surname from your spouse if your spouse does not retain or start using that name. 

You both have the right to form a compound surname independently. This means that you do not have to form the same compound surname. Furthermore, both of you can decide yourselves the order of the surnames and whether the surnames are combined with a hyphen or written separately. However, you cannot change the spelling of your own surname unless it becomes your common surname.

For example, Järvi-Lahtinen and Kangas-Rousku may decide that Järvi-Lahtinen will adopt the name Järvi-Rousku and Kangas-Rousku will adopt the name Rousku-Järvi. 

You can adopt as your surname: 

• the surname of one of you  

• one surname from the compound surname of one of you, or  

• a surname that one of you had before their first marriage. 

You can adopt as your compound surname: 

• the compound surname of one of you  

• a new compound surname, in which the two surnames are  

  • from your current surnames,  
  • from a surname that one of you had before their first marriage 
  • from your compound surnames. 

However, you cannot adopt a surname that your spouse has adopted from a former spouse. You also cannot adopt a surname that your spouse does not retain or start using. A compound surname may contain no more than two surnames.

In the new compound surname, the surnames can be combined with a hyphen or written separately. 

For example, Järvi (née Lahtinen) and Kangas may decide that Järvi will adopt the name Lahtinen and Kangas will adopt the name Kangas-Lahtinen. 

You can form a compound surname from two different surnames that you have the right to use. There can be a maximum of two names in a compound surname. They can be combined by a hyphen or written separately. When you form a compound name, you have to choose the order of the surnames and decide whether or not to use a hyphen. 

You can choose as your common surname or as part of your common compound surname a surname that is used by one of you when you request an examination of impediments to marriage. In addition, the surname may have been used by one of you when last unmarried. You cannot choose as your common surname of compound surname a surname that one of you has adopted from the previous spouse.  

A surname from a previous marriage cannot be transferred to a new spouse as a surname or the other name in a compound surname. Nor may a compound surname from a former marriage be transferred to a new spouse. 

When you get married, you and your spouse have four options regarding the choice of surname: 

1. You may both retain the surnames that you have had before getting married. 

2. You may agree to adopt a common surname or compound surname. If you decide to adopt a common surname, both of you must have the surnames in the same order and both of you must have to have the same policy about using a hyphen. 

3. You may agree that only one of you will form a compound surname. A compound surname can be formed of your own surname or one surname from your compound surname and your spouse’s surname or one name in your spouse’s compound surname. Both spouses have the right to form a compound surname and if this is what you decide to do, it does not matter whether both of you form a compound surname or in what order the names are in the compound. However, if you choose your spouse’s surname to your new compound surname, your spouse must also retain this name in use. However, the policy of using a hyphen does not need to be the same as that of your spouse’s.  

4. You may agree that one of you will adopt as their surname one surname from the other spouse’s compound surname. 

Restrictions: 

A surname adopted from a former spouse cannot be transferred to a new spouse as a surname or one name in a compound surname. Nor may a compound surname adopted from a former spouse be transferred to a new spouse. A compound surname may contain no more than two surnames. You also cannot adopt a surname from your spouse if your spouse does not retain or start using that name upon your marriage. You cannot modify the spelling of your own surname unless you adopt the name as your common name. A newly coined surname cannot be adopted upon marriage. 

Unfortunately, you cannot notify a new surname upon marriage. If you would like to adopt as your surname a unique surname that you have coined, for example, a name in which you combine syllables or elements from your surnames, you have to submit an application for a name change.  Take into consideration that the processing of a newly coined surname will take a long time and the name must meet the conditions laid down in law. We cannot change the processing time for a name-related matter according to the wedding date. It is therefore recommended that you submit the application for a change of name after the marriage ceremony. Read more about the process of applying for a newly coined surname. 

If the examination of impediments of marriage is still pending, notify the new name and what name you would like to adopt to us by email to the following address after the marriage ceremony: [email protected]. The information about the new name will not be automatically updated in the examination of impediments to marriage. 

If the examination of impediments to marriage has already been conducted, request a new examination with the new surnames you have chosen. 

It is not necessary for you to have the examination of impediments to marriage conducted again if both of you wish to retain the surnames you currently use. Regardless of the names you have notified in the examination, you can both keep your current surnames if you notify the officiator of it before the marriage ceremony.  

The maiden name is the surname you were using before your first marriage. Upon marriage, you cannot adopt this name alone. However, you and your spouse can adopt it as your common surname or as part of your common compound surname. If you would like to adopt the name alone, submit an application for a name change. 

We register marriages in the Population Information System in Finland if the marriage ceremony has taken place at us, in a District Court or in a registered religious community on the basis of a declaration made by the officiator. In contrast, the officiators of the Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox Churches save the marriage in the Population Information System themselves. You can therefore ask the parish directly about the registration of your marriage if you were married in a church.  

When your name changes upon marriage, you do not need to submit a separate application for a change of name or notify your new surname to us.  

You can check your new name in our Check your information service. The name that has been updated in the Population Information System will be automatically transmitted to a number of authorities within a few days. If you wish, you can also order a payable extract from the Population Information System as proof of your new name.

After the change of name, you will receive a new Kela card in the post, but you must obtain a new passport, personal identity card and driving licence yourself. Also, remember to notify your new name to parties other than the authorities, such as your building manager, telephone operator, the library, and other companies and parties whose customer or member you are. 

If necessary, also remember to notify your new name to the authorities abroad. As a rule, we do not forward information abroad.

If the spouses have adopted a common surname or common compound surname, their children will always have the same surname or compound surname as the parents. 

As a rule, the authorities in Finland have the competence to make the decision on the surname when the spouse’s place of residence is in Finland. Finnish citizens whose place of residence is in a country other than Sweden, Norway or Denmark always have the right to demand that Finnish law is applied regardless of their country of residence.  

If a Finnish citizen lives in Sweden, Norway or Denmark, the decision on their surname is made by the authorities in the country of their place of residence. 

If Finland cannot make the decision on the surname, the authorities in the spouse’s country of residence will make the decision. In that case, we cannot register the new surname in the Population Register System in connection with the marriage ceremony. The registration can be made later with the new passport.