General Information About Marriage Name Changes

Marriage Name Change Options 

Traditionally, in the United States it was customary for the bride to assume her husband's surname (last name) upon marriage. Although this is still by far the most popular choice, the past few decades have seen more women (and men) taking advantage of other options that are available to them and that are becoming more widely accepted. Although a bride's options are numerous when it comes to choosing her new married name, a number of factors will probably play into her decision. These include: tradition, religion, values, family expectations, peer effects, professional standing, commitment, desire to keep a family name, consideration of a child, and ease of pronunciation and spelling.

The following are some options for marriage name changes. For the following examples let's say that the bride, Lisa Anne Taylor, is getting married to the groom, Steven Alex Smith.

• Lisa Anne Smith.  The bride takes the groom's last name: As the most traditional option this will cause the least confusion.

•  Lisa Anne Taylor-Smith or Lisa Anne Smith-Taylor. The bride uses both her birth and married surnames with or without a hyphen. This allows the bride to keep a valued birth name.

• Lisa Anne Taylor-Smith and Steven Alex Taylor-Smith.  The bride and groom hyphenate or use both names. This is preferable if the couple wants to have a single name family.   

•  Lisa Taylor Smith.  The bride replaces her former middle name with her birth name. Allows for the use of both surnames in a shorter fashion.

• Lisa and Steven Taylorsmith, or Lisa and Steve Taysmith.  The bride and groom combine last names. A creative way to incorporate both surnames.

•  Lisa and Steven Summers.  The bride and groom choose a new last name altogether. Gives a couple freedom to choose their own name.

• Steven Alex Taylor. The groom takes the bride's last name.

• Lisa Anne Taylor. The bride keeps her current name.

Another option that some brides choose is to take their husband's last name officially, but still use their former name in business or social situations. This can be a benefit to the bride if she has built up a solid reputation using her former name, however it may also lead to a bit of confusion and some records discrepancies.

*Note: If you plan to use an option other than taking the groom's last name (or keeping the same name) be sure to check with your local jurisdiction to make sure that it is a legally viable option in your area. 

Name Change Notifications

After marriage the bride must take certain measures to make her new name official, or legal. This includes changing governmental records such as her Social Security Card and Driver's License. (In most states, the department of motor vehicles will require you to appear in person)

To facilitate these changes, you will need an original or certified copy of your marriage certificate from a local or state government agency. Although this document is usually mailed to a new couple one or two weeks after the marriage ceremony, you should verify what the policy is for your area.

In addition to government agencies, you should notify your employer, financial institutions, insurance providers, and all other entities and organizations you do business with or associate with. Our kit comes with custom name change form letters to help you accomplish this. While some of your notifications can be performed through the mail, there may be other options that can save you some time (the kit explains this in the detailed instructions part). 

Honeymoon Passport Tip:

If you plan to honeymoon in a foreign country make sure the airline tickets are reserved in your maiden (or pre-married) name and not in your new married name. You will need to wait until you have your marriage certificate before you apply for your new passport and the average processing time is 6 weeks.