First name (Germany)
The nickname used to emphasize one of the various first names of a person in Germany .
Historical development
If a child was given several first names, it used to be customary to highlight one of these first names. Quasi the name with which the mother calls the child .
Until the 1960s, the registry offices noted this in the birth register with an underscore next to the first name concerned.
Until October 31, 2015, the residents' registration offices had to record their first name in a separate field in the electronic file. Since November 1, 2015, this has no longer been differentiated and when the identity card is issued, the first name is automatically used as the first name. But since this does not always correspond to reality, the legislature reacted. Since November 1, 2018, it has been possible to have the order of first names changed at the registry office.
Common first name
The Federal Registration Act (BMG) refers in its § 3 Paragraph 1 No. 3 that in cases in which the first name is not a given name, it can be noted separately which first name is the common first name .