Comments on: Changing Your Maiden Name After Marriage

By: Anna

Anna — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:51:13 +0000

Question
I got married 4 years ago, and I never changed my last name. Now, I want to do change it.
The first thing I have to do is change my driver license, then change my S.S, and then my passport?

Can I have also get from the DMV an id with my old last name in case I have to prove that I am the same person?

By: mike

mike — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:20:58 +0000

Question, if my wife divorced to marry me. While divorced she still had her ex husbands name. She married me while having her ex husbands name. Would I be able to take her maiden name even though her ex husbands name is on the marriage certificate? Or, if I wanted to take her name I would have to take the name on the marriage certificate? My question is, could I take her maiden name even though her maiden name is not the one on the marriage certificate? The one on the certificate is her ex husbands.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:56:02 +0000

just wait your time will come

By: WisCali

WisCali — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:25:47 +0000

So what happens when the children of parents with hyphenated names marry? My wife’s name was “better” so I took it and saved my kids some PITA. Cheers,

By: zanzibar

zanzibar — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:41:10 +0000

I was married,(briefly) out of the country (recognized by the US) and was divorced (in the US)within less than 2 years. We split after 3 weeks, so all I changed was my DL which included my unmarried name hyphenated with the new one. (ie. Smith-Jones) I only changed my DL and NOTHING else. I really only use this name for social and writing purposes. I now have to renew my passport. Must I legally change EVERYTHING because I changed my DL? Note: SS states you only need ot change your SS card record for employment and tax purposes.
In short – Since my unmarried name is still the beginning of my surname on my DL, Can I renew my passport just under my unmarried name?
(ie. Smith) SS office is puzzled and I can’t get a straight answer from the Passport Office.

Thanks for your help!

By: Rachel L

Rachel L — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 04:03:45 +0000

I must agree with Heather about one thing, guys do get off easy in this process.

And thanks Jim for the tips, especially the passport one. I didn’t know I’d have to order a brand new one. Yuck!

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 11 May 2010 08:46:27 +0000

I think the act of changing or altering yourself (by taking on your spouse’s name) is very important in cementing the permance of this commitment. And I want him to be affected by having the hassle of paperwork & having to jump through hoops in order to change his name just like I will.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:56:48 +0000

Why do you want to have him have as much hassle as you?

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 05 May 2010 05:10:09 +0000

I’ve already told my boyfriend that when we get married both he and I will be changing our names, to represent the combination of both our families and the start of our new family. I’m excited to take his name but don’t want to lose either my maiden name or my middle name. I also don’t want to emasculate him by making him hyphen his last name, but I want him to have just as much hassle when we get married as I will. So we are going to use my maiden name as a second middle name for both us and our future children. Just my idea.

By: Allison

Allison — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:53:52 +0000

I got married about 6 months ago and I didn’t change my last name then. I have since changed my mind and want to change it to match my husband’s. How would I go about actually changing it (I’m pretty clear on the stuff that comes after like the DMV and SS office and other accounts). I live in NY.

By: Bride in 2005

Bride in 2005 — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:21:20 +0000

I was married in 2005 and I still have not and probably wont be changing my last name. My husband is not at all bothered by it. It just seems like such a hassle especially in CA.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:35:10 +0000

Take a few hours off from work and get it all done in that time. Visit each office and make sure to have your real marriage license – no copies. It is worth it. You feel more like a family, a union, a whole! Also, everything is free except for the RMV and the time off work. GO FOR IT!

*It is pretty important to most guys and it isn’t all about you anymore. Compromise!

By: jennifer

jennifer — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:56:50 +0000

I just recently got married and I am confused on the whole name change thing.

By: Manda

Manda — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:03:24 +0000

I was married about a month ago. My husband is very excited about me having his last name… but this just sounds like too much work! I think I’ll just keep my maiden name!

By: Liz Kay

Liz Kay — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:40:51 +0000

@rameshraju, I like it when couples combine their names to represent the new union of their families/identities. Unfortunately my best example of this practice is the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, who ended up cheating on his wife, the former Ms. Raigosa. California used to let women change their names for free, but would charge men $$$ to file the paperwork if they changed their names … now I think that’s changed.