Kids will only have their mother's last name soon?

What would happen if children were automatically given their mother’s surname? In a society that is still deeply patriarchal, it would probably cause an uproar. In fact, that was the reaction to the news of the bill proposed by Democratic Party Senator Dario Franceschini during the assembly of Democratic senators. Among the topics on the agenda at the beginning of the week, the issue of double surnames stood out, with four drafts submitted by progressive parliamentarians to regulate the assignment of surnames to children. Franceschini’s proposal enters this debate as the fifth initiative aimed at drafting a base text to be brought before Parliament. For Franceschini, assigning the mother’s surname would represent a “compensation after centuries in which children have taken the father’s surname [...] and women have suffered an injustice and gender discrimination.” The issue is extremely delicate and important. The automatic use of the father's surname has ancient roots, probably inherited from Roman tradition, in which the nomen indicated family membership (gens) and recognized descent from a common ancestor. However, in Italian law, there is no rule that imposes this choice, but for centuries, the father’s surname has been the only one legally assignable. Conservative reactions were quick to follow: some spoke of an “inverted automatism”, others of punishment and a “provocation”, while others, using the usual provocative tones, went as far as predicting that the next step could be the complete erasure of the paternal figure from the face of the Earth.

A shift, however, has already occurred. The landmark ruling 131 of the Constitutional Court from 2022 addressed this very issue, declaring the automatic attribution of only the father's surname to be unconstitutional and establishing that the decision should rest with the parents: the father’s surname, the mother’s surname, or both. Since June 2022 — the date on which the ruling came into force — this has led to an increase in double surnames. According to Istat data from 2023, there was in fact a 6.2% increase in double surnames compared to 2020, with a higher incidence in Central and Northern Italy (7%) compared to the South (around 4%). This change is part of a broader battle for gender equality, which nevertheless still seems far from resolved. According to Franceschini, simply recognizing formal equality between fathers and mothers is not enough: a symbolic gesture is needed, a decisive blow against patriarchal culture. Hence, the proposal to automatically assign only the mother’s surname.

What’s the situation like in Europe?

In European Union countries, the surname given to newborns varies based on different cultural, historical, and legal traditions. However, in recent decades, progress has been made to promote gender equality and recognize both parents' right to choose their children's surname. For example, in Austria, parents can decide whether the child will take the surname of the father, the mother, or both. However, unlike in Italy, if the parents are unmarried or cannot agree on the choice, the child automatically receives the mother’s surname. In Ireland, on the other hand, there are no particular restrictions: children of the same couple are not even required to have the same surname, although traditionally there is a tendency toward family consistency. In Spain and Portugal, the double surname has been the norm for centuries — in Portugal, for example, there is a maximum limit of six names — while Denmark represents the most innovative case: parents can choose the mother’s surname, the father’s, or a combined one, and if no decision is made within six months of birth, the child automatically takes the mother’s surname. Since 2022, Italy no longer seems far from the most progressive countries. Franceschini’s proposal, while provocative and symbolic, brings the issue of gender equality back to the forefront of the debate. Symbols can be powerful in changing reality, especially in a country where, according to the WeWorld 2025 report published on March 24, nearly 3 out of 10 women and minors live in areas where access to fundamental rights is severely limited. It's clear the situation needs to change — and fast.