Social norms and intentions to adopt double surnames in Italy

Evidence from two survey experiments

Bibliographic Data

ID24224872
AuthorsRenzo Carriero (0000-0002-0580-3596), Giulia M Dotti Sani (0000-0001-8616-3078), Riccardo Ladini (0000-0003-2900-3814), F Molteni (0000-0002-5738-6464)
Year2026
Volume82
Issue1
Publication date2026-04-07
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGenus (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0016-6987 • E-ISSN: 2035-5556
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/s41118-026-00286-3
OpenAlexW7151540771
LanguageEN
References cited47

The custom of transmitting only the paternal surname to children remains widespread in most patrilineal societies. Given how societal emphasis on gender equality has increased in other societal domains in recent decades (e.g. employment, wages, domestic chores), the question of why parents refrain from adopting more egalitarian surname practices (such as double surnames) presents a compelling sociological puzzle. This article aims to address this issue by investigating to what extent social norms shape the propensity to give children both parents’ surnames (i.e., a double surname) in Italy, where, since a 2022 ruling by the Constitutional Court, children are allowed to take a double surname unless the parents agree otherwise. Using two survey experiments, with Italian online quota samples, respondents were randomly assigned to one of four hypothetical scenarios designed to manipulate their empirical and normative expectations. Results from the first experiment indicate that empirical expectations have a stronger influence than normative ones. The second experiment confirms this but shows that the effect depends on the reference network considered. These findings highlight the importance of changing empirical expectations to encourage the adoption of the double surname, ultimately promoting greater gender equality in family naming practices.

double surnames · empirical expectations · Gender equality · Italian Constitutional Court ruling · Italy · normative expectations · reference network · Social norms · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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