Addendum to the Law on Alteration of Family and Personal Names

On August 17, 1938, the Nazi regime enacted a decree that set new name requirements for Jews in Nazi Germany (including annexed Austria). This decree was an addendum to the January 1938 Law on the Alteration of Family and Personal Names (Gesetz über die Änderung von Familiennamen und Vornamen).

It stated that Jews could only be given specific Jewish first names. When naming a baby, Jewish parents now had to choose a name from a government-approved list. Also, any Jewish person who did not already have a name from this list, had to add another first name: “Israel” (for men) and “Sara” (for women). Individuals had to report their new names to government offices. They also were required to use both their given and added first names for business transactions.