A Swedish couple may have to get a divorce.

Their other option may be to seek citizenship in Denmark.

The reason?

They want their son to be able to take his mother’s maiden name as his middle name, before his father’s surname.

The problem?

It is forbidden by Swedish law …

Where the parents of the child are married.

It is perfectly legal where the parents are unmarried.

So, this couple has one premarital child whose middle name is the mother’s maiden name and surname the father’s last name.

But their son, who was born after the couple married, can’t have his mother’s maiden name as his middle name.

Not the most logical law.

But the couple lost their administrative challenge and their legal appeal.

The purpose of the law?

To hinder people from adopting names intended to foster the belief that they are aristocrats.

The statute is under review and may be reconsidered next year.

But by then, this couple may already be divorced. Or expatriated.

Read more in Sweden’s The Local article: Couple ‘will divorce’ if son can’t take mother’s name.