Comments on How to Change Your Name After Marriage

In response to gretshgrl, Who said women "have to lose" their family surname after they marry? That's silly. No one forces a woman to change her name. As this article points out, sometimes men even take the woman's name. The idea of changing the name is similar to the part in the ceremony that says "who gives this woman ...?" The woman is being transfered from the care, protection, and authority of her father to the care, protection, and authority of her husband. The last name change is an indication of this. However, if a woman doesn't like that idea, no one says she has to change her name.

What is Department of Motor Vehicles? And Social Security Card? And how do I find these?

Signing the marriage license does NOT mean your name is changed. This may vary from state to state so check first. Many women keep their names nowadays and indicate if they are changing them for county records only. For the government, work, taxes, or anyone else to know you have officially changed your name (especially if you are using it), you need to get new documents. This step-by-step guide is superb if you are doing the traditional or non-traditional name change. If you are a guy you might need more information on name change procedures in the state you live, but for women the process is much easier. You should indicate to others you have changed your name, yet on things that require documentation (driver's license) then hold off until you have the documentation.

In response to the first person who wrote: You change your name on the form you fill out to request a marriage license. When you get married and sign the license, you officially have a new name. If you don't do this at the time of marriage, you must do this in court.

You don't say here how to actually change the name; you discuss what to do once the name is changed. What is the procedure for changing the name? Do you just start using it? My spouse and I would like to have the same last name, although we haven't decided what name we want yet. Perhaps hyphenated or mashed would work.

I'm keeping my last name and hyphenating with my husband's. It's unfortunate how women have to lose their family surname after they marry, while their husband's last names live on for generations and generations.

you should not go into a marriage thinking of divorce rates, as the word divorce should not be in your vocabulary. you are ASKING for a divorce if you refuse to change your name "in case of divorce."

This is a good article with good advice. Don't waste your money on those "name change kits" the wedding industry peddles to brides. The kits are a gimmick and a waste of your money. Nothing in them that you can't do yourself for free.

I'm excited to change my name to my husband's. I think it's completely worth the hassle. Those of you with these pessimistic attitudes make me sad. If you can't commit fully to the marriage, why in the world did you even get married?

I will be keeping my last name and adding a hyphen to add my husbands last name. I'm still in the process of this. I have to grab a new birth certificate to prove my age and identity before changing my name. It's a hassle, but at least I'll still have my last name so that no one gets confused if they go back through our family history. :)

As you all can see, it's not worth it. :)

if a mans surname is diffrant on his maggage docomant to his brith docomant is he married the spelling that is

if a mans surname is diffrant on his maggage docomant to his brith docomant is he married

Thank you for posting this article. This may sound like a stupid question but I am a US citizen and am living abroad. Does it matter if I change my passport first and then do my SSN and drivers license later? I can't do the last two by mail and don't know when I will be able to fly home to change those but I really want to get started :(

Very good tips and I will suggest this article for couples that I marry in South Florida.

This is good advice. Avoid those name-changing kits. They're a gimmick designed to get your dollars. You don't have to make a thousand phone calls. There's a place on the back of utility bills/credit card statements for changes. Note the change there. They'll call you if they need more information.

great, easy to read article, thanks