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Increasing number of Danes opting to change their christian name

Many make the swap in because their name is not the same gender as the one they identify as

Marius Rolland

Danish people changed their christian names more in 2020 than in previous years, reports Danmarks Statistik.

Between 2015 and 2019, there were on average 4,600 name changes every year. But in 2020, there were 5,932 – a 29 percent rise.

More LGBTI+ changes
The rise is partly due to an increasing number changing their name in accordance with identifying as a different gender.

Legally changing your name in this way has been possible since June 2014.

More choice
Up until 2006, it was only possible to select an approved name as a christian name, but a new law made it possible to ask the responsible body, Ankestyrelsen, to add new names.

The fee for changing your christian name in Denmark is 505 kroner. Accordingly name changes raised the state 2,995,660 kroner in 2020.

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