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Names Law, 5716-1956

חוק השמות, תשט"ז-1956

Published: 1956-08-03Last amended 2026-04-29✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

This English text was translated from the official Hebrew using a range of translation tools, and it undergoes ongoing checks and updates. It is not a certified translation.

Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Definitions§

1.

In this Law –

"adult" means a person who has attained the age of 18 years;

"minor" means a person who has not yet attained the age of 18 years;

"parent" includes an adoptive parent;

"child" includes an adopted child;

"the Minister" means the Minister of the Interior.

Family Name and Given Name§

2.
(a)Every person shall have a family name and a given name.
(b)The family name may be a double name, and a person may have more than one given name.

Family Name at Birth§

3.

A child shall receive at birth the family name of his parents. Where the parents have different family names, the child shall receive the father's family name, unless the parents have agreed that the child shall receive the mother's family name or the family names of both parents; however, a child born when his mother is not married to his father shall receive at birth the mother's family name, unless the mother wished the child to receive the father's family name and the father consented thereto, or the mother was publicly known as his wife, and if the parents agreed, the child shall receive the family names of both of them.

Giving a Given Name to a Newborn§

4.

A given name shall be given to a child by his parents shortly after his birth. In the absence of agreement between the parents, each of them may give the child one given name.

Name upon Adoption§

5.
(a)A minor who is adopted shall receive the family name of his adoptive parent but shall not receive a new given name, unless the court has determined otherwise in the adoption order.
(b)A minor one or both of whose parents have died and who has been adopted pursuant to the Adoption of Children Law, 5741-1981 (hereinafter – the Adoption Law), by a relative of the minor or by the spouse of his parent, shall bear, in addition to the family name of his adoptive parent, the family name of his deceased parents, and the name of his deceased parent shall likewise be registered as the name of his parent in the registration particulars in the Population Registry, unless the court has directed otherwise for special reasons relating to the welfare of the child.
(c)A minor as referred to in subsection (b) who has been adopted pursuant to the Adoption Law by a person who is not a relative of the minor or the spouse of his parent – the court shall determine in the adoption order, after having weighed the welfare of the child, whether the minor shall bear, in addition to the family name of his adoptive parent, the family name of his deceased parents, and whether the name of his deceased parent shall be registered as the name of his parent in the registration particulars in the Population Registry.

Family Name after Marriage§

6.
(a)A person who has married may at any time –
(1)continue to bear or resume bearing a previous family name;
(2)choose the family name of his or her spouse;
(3)add the family name of his or her spouse to his or her own family name;
(4)choose a family name identical to the family name chosen by his or her spouse, even if that name differs from the previous family names of the spouses;
(5)add to his or her family name a family name that his or her spouse has chosen to add to his or her own family name.
(b)Prior to the marriage, a person shall notify the marriage registrar of the family name he or she has chosen to bear after the marriage; should the person decide to change his or her name, the change shall take effect upon the marriage.
(c)The Minister, in consultation with the Minister for Religious Affairs, shall prescribe the manner of notification pursuant to subsection (b).

Family Name after Dissolution of Marriage§

7.

Upon the dissolution of a marriage, each spouse may resume bearing a previous family name.

Obligation to Choose a Name§

8.

A person who has no family name or given name, or whose names are unknown, or who does not know which of his names is the family name and which is the given name, shall choose for himself – and if he is a minor or a person of unsound mind, his parents or guardian shall choose for him – a family name or a given name, as the case may be, no later than six months after the commencement of this Law or after receipt of a demand to that effect from the Minister.

Determination of Name by the Minister§

9.
(a)Where a person has not chosen a name for himself or a name has not been chosen for him as referred to in section 8, the Minister may determine a name for that person; in determining the name, the Minister shall take into account the names of that person's parents and grandparents, and if that person is married – also the name of his or her spouse.
(b)The Minister shall notify that person of the name determined, and that name shall be the name of that person, unless the person chooses a different name within two months of receipt of the Minister's notification.
(c)Where that person is a minor or a person of unsound mind, the Minister's notification shall be given to his parents or guardian, and they may choose a different name for him as aforesaid.

Determination of Father's Given Name§

9a.
(a)Where a person has not yet attained the age of 16 years and the given name of his father is unknown, his father's given name shall be determined according to the decision of his mother, and the mother may refrain from determining such a name, all subject to the provisions of any law.
(b)Where a person has attained the age of 16 years and the given name of his father is unknown, or a decision was made not to determine such a name pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a), his father's given name shall be determined according to his own decision, and he may refrain from determining such a name, all subject to the provisions of any law.
(c)Where a father's given name has been determined pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a), a person who has attained the age of 16 years may revoke that name.

Change of Name of an Adult§

10.

An adult may change his family name and his given name.

11.§

(Repealed — תשנ״ו)

Family Name of a Minor whose Parents have Changed their Name§

12.

A minor whose parents have changed their family name shall thereby receive their new family name, and a minor whose one parent has changed his or her family name to the family name of the other parent shall thereby receive the joint family name.

Change of Name of a Minor§

13.
(a)The parents of a minor who has not yet attained the age of ten years may change his given name, provided that they have given him – if he is capable of forming a view – an opportunity to express his position, wishes and feelings on the matter, and have given these due weight having regard to his age and degree of maturity; once the minor has attained the age of ten years, his given name shall not be changed unless he has given his consent before a registration officer, within the meaning of the Population Registry Law, 5725-1965, and in respect of the addition of a name to the existing name – unless he has given his prior written consent to the addition; where a minor as aforesaid has not given his consent to the change, his name shall not be changed except with the approval of the court.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), where medical circumstances exist by reason of which the consent of the minor cannot be obtained, the parents may add a name to his existing name even if he has not given his prior written consent.
(c)A minor may change his given name with the consent of his parents; where the parents have not given their consent to the change, he may bring proceedings, and the provisions of section 3(d) of the Family Court Law, 5755-1995 shall apply in that regard.
(d)The parents of a minor may, with the approval of the court, change his family name, provided that he has been given – if he is capable of forming a view – an opportunity to express his position, wishes and feelings on the matter and these have been given due weight having regard to his age and degree of maturity.

Change of Name by a Guardian§

14.

A guardian of a minor or of a person for whom a guardian has been appointed or for whom the court is entitled to appoint a guardian – and this even if it has not yet been clarified whether the conditions for appointment have been met – may, with the approval of the court, change his given name and his family name, provided that he has been given – if he is capable of forming a view – an opportunity to express his position, wishes and feelings on the matter and these have been given due weight having regard to the age and degree of maturity of the minor or the degree of understanding of the person, as the case may be.

Notification of Choice or Change of Name§

15.

The choice of a name or the change of a name pursuant to sections 6 to 10, 13 or 14 shall require written notification to the Minister.

Disqualification of Choice or Change§

16.
(a)The Minister may disqualify a choice of name pursuant to sections 8, 9 and 9a and a change of name pursuant to sections 10 and 13 if the Minister is of the opinion that the new name is likely to mislead or to injure public policy or public sensibilities; however, the Minister shall not disqualify a name on the ground that the name was chosen by reason of a relationship between persons publicly known as spouses.
(b)Without derogating from the provisions of subsection (a), the name of a person convicted of committing a sex offence as defined in the Protection of the Public from the Commission of Sex Offences Law, 5766-2006, which was committed while that person was an adult, shall not be changed pursuant to section 10, unless the Minister is satisfied that the change of name would not mislead the public or injure public policy.

Certificate and Entry into Force§

17.
(a)In respect of a choice of name or change of name of which notification has been given and which has not been disqualified, the Minister shall, within one month of receipt of the notification, issue a certificate attesting thereto, and their validity shall be from the date of the certificate.
(b)Where a person used the new name before the commencement of this Law and that name was registered in a public document within the meaning of the Evidence Ordinance [New Version], 5731-1971, the Minister of the Interior may determine that the validity of the change of name shall commence from the day on which that person began to use that name.

Changes of Name Approved by the Court§

18.

The provisions of sections 16 and 17 shall not apply to a change of name approved by the court.

Register of Changes of Name§

19.

The choice of a name and the change of a name pursuant to sections 6 to 14 shall be recorded in a register of changes of name which shall be open to public inspection.

Restriction on Change of Name§

20.

A person who has changed his name as referred to in section 10, whether before or after the commencement of this Law, shall not again change his name pursuant to those sections within seven years from the date on which the previous change took effect, except with the approval of the Minister.

Definition of "parents"§

21.

For the purposes of sections 8, 9, 12 and 13, "parents" means both parents, and where the care of a minor is entrusted to one parent only — that parent.

Preservation of rights§

22.

The receipt of a name, the giving of a name, the choice of a name and the change of a name under this Law shall not create or extinguish rights or obligations of the holder of the name or of another person, nor shall they add to or derogate from such rights.

Transfer of powers§

23.

The Minister may transfer to another person all or some of the Minister's powers under this Law, except the power to make Regulations; notice of a transfer of powers shall be published in Reshumot (Official Gazette).

Recourse to the Minister§

24.

A person who considers himself aggrieved by a decision under sections 6, 9, 11, 16 or 20 that was given pursuant to a transfer of power from the Minister may apply to the Minister for the Minister's final determination.

Implementation and regulations§

25.

The Minister is responsible for the implementation of this Law and may make Regulations on any matter relating to its implementation, including —

(1)the keeping of a register of name changes and inspection thereof;
(2)the correction of the registration of a name that was registered incorrectly or that has been changed, and the specification of the former name, the new name and the names of the parents in official registers and in personal documents;
(3)fees for services under this Law and exemptions therefrom.

Repeal§

26.

The Notice of 15 March 1921 concerning the change of names — is hereby repealed.

Application§

27.

This Law shall apply only to a person registered in the Population Registry under the Population Registry Law, 5725-1965.

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חוק השמות, תשט"ז-1956

Names Law

law of names

Shmot law

personal names law

Israeli names law

name registration

name change law

civil names

identity names