Insee Première · July 2026 · n° 2119

In 2025, 15% of Newborns Took the Names of Both Parents

In 2025, 78% of newborns bore only their father’s surname, 15% took the surnames of both parents, and 7% were given only their mother’s surname, with most of the latter being recognised only by their mother. The proportion of newborns taking the surnames of both parents rose by 5 percentage points between 2014 and 2025.

Unmarried parents were nearly three times more likely to give their child a double surname than married parents (22%, compared with 8%). The majority of children born to female couples were given a double surname (60%).

The practice of passing on both parents’ surnames was less common when the father was older than the mother or when the father was in employment but the mother was not.

In line with customs in these countries, the majority of parents from Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries gave their newborns a double surname.

Finally, newborns whose mothers lived in the South-West, in Corsica or in the overseas départements and régions (with the exception of Mayotte) were more likely to have a double surname.