EXPATS from countries with a patronymic or gendered surname system can now register their children's names in Spain when they are born as they would be able to in their own nation, the national ombudsman has revealed.
The organisation has championed the change, and says civil registries have now all been advised accordingly.
In some eastern and north-eastern European nations, surnames are declined – or 'agree' with the gender of the person; as an example, Russian president Vladimir Putin's wife is called Lyudmila Aleksándrovna Putina.
Also, her first or patronymic surname, Aleksándrovna, comes from her father's first name: He is called Aleksandr, and if she has a brother, his first surname would be Aleksandrov.
Murcia-based lawyer Juan José Ferrer Carratalá says he has handled cases for people from Russia, Belarus and Bulgaria, among other countries, who have 'suffered problems' when trying to register their babies' names.
As a result, a baby called Ivan whose father is also called Ivan and whose family name is Petrov should be named Ivan Ivanovich Petrov, but in Spain he would have had to have been registered, until now, as Ivan Petrov.
In the case of Vladimir Putin's wife, if 'Putin' were her family name rather than marital surname, had she been born in Spain until now, her parents would have been unable to register her as Lyudmila Aleksándrovna Putina – instead, she would be registered as Lyudmila Putin.
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