It remains traditional

75% of married couples choose the man’s surname

Three quarters of married couples in Austria have had the man's surname since marriage. Less than ten percent of married couples choose the woman's surname. Just under nine percent keep their own surnames and four percent have a double surname. 

According to the representative study*, a good six out of ten Austrians have already married at least once. 44 percent state that they are married, which corresponds to around three million people.

45 percent currently married and six percent divorced
In Austria, every second person between the ages of 30 and 39 has already married. Of these, 45 percent are currently married and six percent are divorced. There is an age gap when it comes to choosing a surname: Couples under the age of 30 are more likely than average to keep their own surname after marriage (15 percent) or adopt a double name (17 percent).

When asked what was decisive for their choice of name in their current marriage, a third of respondents cited a stronger sense of togetherness as a couple. Three out of ten said that they wanted all (future) family members to have the same name.

In third place is (family) tradition (28%). "As soon as children are involved, the choice of surname becomes even more important for many, and should be discussed fairly and openly in advance," Parship psychologist Caroline Erb is quoted as saying.

*The population-representative study was conducted by Marketagent.com on behalf of the online dating agency Parship.at. From November 29 to December 9, 2023, 1510 web-active people between the ages of 18 and 75 were surveyed, 718 of whom were in a partnership and (re)married).