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Tag: how to change your name

And you thought the logistics were over once you said your I do’s! Changing your name can seem like one of those tasks that drags on forever (I speak from personal experience!), but our checklist will at least help you track your progress, and our tips might make things a little easier. And if you’re not planning to change your name? Just sit back and enjoy that new husband of yours!

P.S. Ready for even more tips for newlywed life? Purchase the Southern Weddings Planner! It has an entire section devoted to getting you off on the right foot :)

To do: Get your marriage license
Fee: About $20
Notes: An original, or certified, copy of your marriage license will be required before you speak to other agencies. Call the clerk’s office where your license was filed to get copies.

To do: Change your social security card
Fee: Free
Notes: Fill out the Social Security Administration’s application for a new card. Take or mail your application and required documents to your local SSA office.

To do: Update your driver’s license
Fee: About $10 (usually paid by cash or check)
Notes: In most states, this must be done in person, so prepare yourself for a trip to the DMV. Bring your original license, your marriage certificate, and your new Social Security card. Be sure to wait 24-36 hours after changing your name with the SSA before heading to the DMV.

To do: Update your bank accounts
Fee: Usually free
Notes: Request the change in person at your local branch (bring your new driver’s license and marriage certificate). Ask for new checks and debit and credit cards, as well (there might be a fee for these).

To do: Apply for a new passport
Fee: $140
Notes: The fees and process change depending on whether your current passport was issued within the last year. Except to wait 4-6 weeks for processing. Find more info here.

Checked off all of the above? Use our free downloadable (printer-friendly!) list to guide you as you work through all of the other accounts you might need to update. And here’s a Pinterest-friendly reminder if your wedding isn’t for a few months!

I’d love to hear: did you change your name? How did you find the process? I thought it was fairly painless, but the email switcheroo was probably the worst!

emily Written with love by Emily
2 Comments
  1. avatar Elyse reply

    My family takes part in a more rare Southern tradition of going by their middle names, started in part out of necessity, by the males in the family (All those James’ get confusing after a while). I am the youngest and only female, but the tradition was kept alive. I am getting married in May and have absolutely no idea how to drop my first name to go by my middle, maiden, and new last name. I have been told it’s much trickier in a post 9/11 world. Any tips for middle namers? Am I the only one with this issue? I know it’s a pretty old tradition, maybe it’s died out?

  2. avatar Changing Your Name After Marriage Uk Checklist | Marriage Advice Center reply

    […] How to Change Your Name Post-Wedding – Changing your name can seem like one of those tasks that drags on forever (I speak from personal experience!), but our checklist … your marriage certificate, and your new Social Security card. Be sure to … […]

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Whether to take your husband’s name or not is not something we’re going to advise on today, thank goodness! Instead, our question comes from a reader who has already decided to take her fiancé’s name, but is unsure what to do about the rest of her moniker. Read on… we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Hello, Emily!

I am getting married next May, and while I have never questioned taking my fiancé’s name, I’m torn over what to do about my middle name.

I know tradition holds that a lady drops her middle name upon marriage and replaces it with her maiden name. I’m not usually one to go against tradition, but I’ve never liked the sound of my maiden name. However, I do really like my middle name (it’s a lot prettier than my last name, and it’s the name my dad gave me). How big of a faux pas would it be for me to keep my middle name and just drop my maiden name all together?

Thank you in advance for the advice!
M.G.

An excellent question! Growing up, I always thought it was so peculiar that my mom never had a middle name – she was Beth Bogart until she married my dad, at which point she became Beth Bogart Ayer. My grandmother specifically didn’t give her daughter a middle name even though her two sons had them, because she assumed my mom would just drop it when she married. I’m glad times have changed and that there’s more flexibility these days, especially since I love my middle name! In fact, I love my middle name so much that post-marriage I kept it and dropped my maiden name. That’s right, I’m Emily Armstrong Thomas (despite what my Twitter handle would lead you to believe…).

But back to the question: Though most ladies do choose to drop their middle name in favor of their maiden name when they marry, I wasn’t aware of a tradition that said it was incorrect to do the reverse* — I thought both were equally acceptable options. I double-checked with Emily Post to see whether she had anything to say on the subject, but I couldn’t find a definitive ruling either way. So, to answer M.G.’s question, I don’t think it would be a faux pas at all, and the only reason I would think twice about it would be if your family had strong feelings either way!

It’s hard to put a finger on exactly why I chose one over the other, but the best way I can summarize it is this: to me, it was obvious that “Ayer” would always be a part of my identity, because of my family and connections to people and places. “Armstrong” was something my parents had specifically chosen for me and only me, so to me, it seemed like a more innate part of who I am. It was a tough decision, though!

Ladies, I would love to hear: If you are taking or have taken your husband’s name, what did you do? Did you keep your middle name and drop your maiden name? Or vice versa? Did you keep both? Or, like my mom, did you never have a middle name? I would love to hear in the comments!

*After I wrote this post, Marissa chimed in with a little info of her own! She says: I’m not sure why, but in my experience it’s a very Southern tradition to keep your maiden name and drop your middle name. This was a topic for big discussion when I got married, as my entire in-law family was insistent that I keep my maiden name instead of my middle. Apparently it has to do with how names are passed down, and how to extend family names when couples did not have boys. If you go down old family trees (like BDK’s), maiden names were used not only as middle names for married women, but also as first and middle names for children to ensure the family names did not end. In the end, I legally kept my middle name (I felt my maiden name was a bit too German), but I now wish I’d done the reverse because I don’t ever use my middle name. However, no one knows that, because I go by my maiden name on everything, including my monograms!

P.S. Have your own etiquette challenge? Feel free to email me!

emily Written with love by Emily
82 Comments
  1. avatar Kate Collison reply

    I love this discussion :) So unique! I am choosing to keep both (Katherine Ann Collison Halcrow)- but I will be using my middle name with my monogram (Katherine Ann Halcrow) will be KHA – and I’m a gal who monograms *everything*. I am partly keeping both because my maiden name is what ties me to my beloved father, but I was given the middle name “Ann” as a reference to my mother who is named Ann. I am referred to by my mother as “Katherine Ann” and so my middle name can become a part of my understood first name. Also, I personally don’t feel that I can choose between a “naming-connection”, if you will, to my father while sacrificing one with my mother… and yes, Emily, I feel strongly about the chosen name that my parents gave me… yet, just as strongly about my lineage ties to my Collison family. **An interesting thought – when one researches family trees online and in physical, tangible records, it can be helpful to know AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE about family members, including chosen middle, maiden and legal married names. So, for the love of tradition and heritage (my favorite bits!), there may be some modern upside to keeping both. :) Excellent discussion, SW! Love it.

  2. avatar Kat reply

    For me, this was a really tough decision. I always assumed I would drop my middle name & keep my maiden, just as my mother did, however that is not at all what I have decided to do! Come July 20th, I will become Katherine Ashley Schmoyer instead of Katherine Houston Schmoyer. As much as I value my family heritage, on that July day I will be yoking myself to a NEW family- I will be vowing to be his wife, bear his children and put him before anyone – including my parents. It’s a beautiful, biblical covenant and to me, dropping my maiden name entirely really showed the significance of that! Plus I have to say I agree with you, Emily, when you say that your first & middle names really signify who you are because they were chosen just for YOU. “Katherine” had been passed down for generations in my family & my mom chose “Ashley” because of her favorite character in Gone With The Wind- you can’t get much more southern than that :) I love this discussion though and am interested to read why others decided to do what they did!

  3. avatar Amie reply

    I have never heard of dropping your middle name to keep your maiden name, or changing your middle name to your maiden name. It must be a South thing, I’m from Canada. It makes sense to hold on to it. Here we either hyphenate, go by maiden name, or take his name, but keep your middle name. There are of course all kinds of in betweens. I am keeping my name, but won’t mind it if people call me Mrs. S instead of Mrs. M.

  4. avatar Jewel reply

    My mom kept her middle and maiden name, so she’s Waltina Wilhelmina Cuffee Edwards. And the weird thing is, she gave my two youngest sisters her maiden name as a middle name, so they each have four names. Currently, I have three. I’m not sure why she did this… Now that I’m getting married, I’ve considered dropping my middle name. But then I realized that I absolutely love my middle name (Wilhelmina, same as my mom’s). And I’m incredibly close to my immediate and extended family, and my parents had no girls. But then I also do respect the sweet tradition of taking on the name of your husband. Which is why in the end I decided, why should I have to choose? I love all my names and my soon-to-be last name! So come June 15 I’ll be Jewel Wilhelmina Edwards-Ashman. Yes, it’s a mouthful. And that’s exactly the point. I just love long names; it makes me feel really fancy :) I’ll probably encourage my kids to take the same route I did– consider tradition, but in the end choose whatever name makes them proud and happy!

    • avatar Derrika Wright reply

      Jewel: To Jewel and everyone else that kept their first, middle, and last names, how do you feel out legal documents. I guess I’m trying to figure out what my official middle name will be now. Is it both my middle and maiden? I am really tied to my middle name and don’t want to just drop my own heritage. I also feel that if I simply change my last name, it won’t look like I’m married. My middle name is Neekole by the way and I’m attached to it because its a bit unique and its the name my father gave me. It just don’t seem that on legal documents or applications there really is an option to keep your whole name and simply add your husband’s last name. Maybe I should just have a conversation with the people at the Social Security office when I go to fill out the application.

  5. avatar Laura Caroline reply

    I love this post! Even though I’m not married yet, I have always struggled with which name I will drop (or to keep both), since I will take my husband’s last name. I am so glad my parents chose to call me by my first and middle name – the meaning behind both names, especially my middle name is precious, since I was named after our alma mater! I’m leaning towards dropping my last name (especially for monogram purposes!) because of something my dad told me when I graduated: everyone always asked him if he was upset he never had a son to pass on the family name. He said he never thought twice about because he knew his daughter would make a name for her own. I know that’s a lot to live up to, and even though I love my family and my last name, I think I’ll keep my double name!

  6. avatar Sarah W. reply

    I loved the idea of dropping my middle name and putting my maiden name as my middle name–that’s what I did. It doesn’t seem to be all that common for women to do that anymore. I did it because I never used my middle name much. It’s totally not out of the ordinary to just drop your maiden name and replace it with your married name and still keep your middle name. To each his own, right? :-)

  7. avatar Rachel reply

    Such an interesting topic I’d never considered! My mother was always called by her middle name even when she was a baby because my grandmother and grandfather thought she’d be a boy! (this was the 60s) So she’s always been Lynne and they added on Charlotte as a first name since she turned out to be a girl! So obviously when she married she couldn’t drop her middle name. So she added on her new married name and has 4! When I got married though I legally dropped my middle name because I LOVE my maiden name but I really think it’s a matter of preference. It’s YOUR name and you have to live with it. I say do what you want. ^_^

  8. avatar Laura reply

    When I was younger, I thought it was the law that women kept their maiden name as their middle name when they married :) That’s what my mom, grandmothers and aunts had done. I loved my middle name, Cameron, which was my great-grandmother’s maiden name, but I knew that it meant a lot to my family (especially my Dad) that I keep my maiden name, so that’s what I decided to do. However, I hope to use Cameron for any future little ones. Fortunately for me, it works for boys or girls :)

  9. avatar Kristen Cox Leen reply

    I just got married two weeks ago, and I am in the middle of the long journey of changing my name! I am a true southern girl and didn’t think twice about dropping my middle name and keeping my maiden name as my middle name. My VERY southern grandmother was a little disappointed when I told her I am dropping my middle name, Louise, which is named after her! All the females on my mother’s side have the same middle name. I gave my grandmother comfort by promising to give my daughter the middle name of Louise to keep with family tradition. I just didn’t want to have four names! I think it’s best for family history and for keeping part of my identity as a Cox (especially since my father passed away 8 years ago) to keep my maiden name. Also, it’s a pet peeve of mine in the world of social media when my girl friends drop their maiden name and then I have no idea who they are on facebook! I am going to weigh in on the side of tradition here and say keep your maiden name.

  10. avatar Kelly Cummings reply

    My mom didn’t have a middle name either, for the same reason!

    I actually legally kept all of my names and added my husband’s last name (no hypehns, that’s my new last name) when I got married (and now my name reads like a law firm, since all of my names are also used as surnames, haha), but my middle name was my grandmother’s maiden name and I really hated the thought of losing it. I use my maiden name as my middle name for most forms though, and so my driver’s license is pretty much the only thing with all four. I’m sure all the girls with double names have a lot of trouble with the name change dilemma!

  11. avatar Jenny Lynn Weitz Amare-Cartwright reply

    This is fascinating! I am from Venezuela, but I have been living in the United States for almost 10 years. My parents gave me a first name, a middle name, and as it is customary in South America, I have two last names (the first one is my dad’s and the second one is my mom’s maiden name). I have always used all four for everything (my ID card, my passport, insurance cards, etc.) When I got married, I decided against dropping any of my names because I felt that if I dropped any of them, it was like dropping my entire family! I have no brothers or sisters, so if i had taken my husband’s name, my parents heritage would have stopped right there. However, informally (meaning not legally) I include my married name everywhere I can, so I often use five names… and yes, everyone makes fun of me all the time, and it is usually a great ice breaker when I hand out business cards. The fact is, that I am proud of all my names becuase all of them are very important for me (it goes back to my great grandparents, grandparents, parents and now my husband). My biggest concern now is, how am I going to name my children? Will they have my husbands’ last name or a combination of mine and his like it is done in South America, where I am from? Should I give them my maiden name as middle name instead? But which one, the first one or the second one? It is all very complicated, but very very exciting!

  12. avatar kelly reply

    i’ll be keeping my ‘maiden’ name, not changing my name at all :)

  13. avatar Christin reply

    I love this discussion! As an academic and a Southern woman, there was quite a bit of debate about whether I would take my husbands last name. To echo Kat, it was very important for me to take his name and start our own family also due to the fact that I am a child of divorce and my mom (whom I’m closest to) changed her last name when she re-married. I since I have two brothers, I chose to drop by maiden name because the family name would continue without me and because my first and middle name come from both grandmothers which is very important to me. In all I’m Christin Elizabeth Huggins and love it! I totally agree that one’s name should be a reflection of her identity and what makes you feel most comfortable, even if it breaks from tradition. :)

  14. avatar Julie reply

    I love this discussion! I am born and raised southern, although my parents are from the west. My mother dropped her maiden name. But, when all my friends started getting married around me, they were dropping their middle name. I really didn’t want to drop either name. I like my middle name and my maiden name is very unique and recognizable to folks from my hometown. So, I turned my maiden name into a second middle name. I can use them as I see fit. My younger sister dropped her maiden name. To each their own!

  15. avatar Carolyn reply

    This is really interesting! I was open to keeping either Maiden or Middle name. My dad recently told me he doesn’t care if I keep the maiden name, and we do have several males with the same name…but I feel weird leaving out the maiden name! Who knows what I will do…I’ll probably wait until the last minute to decide!

  16. avatar Mary reply

    I have always loved my middle name and thought I would just add my married name at the end of my full maiden name. But then I married someone who’s last name started with the same letter as mine. My maiden name was really unique to begin with so making an alliteration out of the whole thing seemed silly.

  17. avatar Jessica reply

    This is a very interesting topic. As a girl of the south I was always familiar with dropping your middle name, and the always present “double name” situations. I’ve decided to keep my maiden name for a reason i’m surprised i havent seen in any of the comments above! First, my middle name is seldom used, so I don’t have much of an attachment to it. Second, I’m an only child, and there’s nobody else to carry it on. Lastly, and most important to me, is that i’m known professionally as Jessica Hughes. In my industry, its important that you’re known when changing jobs, etc, so becoming just Jessica Bennett would really confuse people!

  18. avatar Karen reply

    I honestly didn’t really think about the issue too much. I knew I would take my husband’s name even if I didn’t really want to because my parents and grandparents would be horrified if I didn’t. They are old fashioned in that a southern lady ALWAYS takes her husband’s name. My husband and I didn’t really discuss it either. I guess he just assumed I would take his name. Looking back I wish I had made more of an issue with it because I wanted to keep my own name. I was 35 when I got married in 2005. I should have put my foot down.

    When I went to the Social Security office the lady never questioned me. She just added his name to the end so now I have 4 names; First, Middle (my middle name from birth and my maiden) and Last (his last name). It makes it difficult as so many software programs still take so few characters for a middle name so I have to pick and choose sometimes which middle name I take. Even my driver’s license would only take 1! Shocked me. Aren’t there a lot of people with more than 3 names or long middle names?

    Plus, I just don’t want to get rid of the middle name my parent’s gave me at birth. It’s too pretty.

  19. avatar Jenny reply

    I actually kept both my middle name and my maiden name – so now I technically have 2 middle names. I felt attached to both and just didn’t feel right about dropping either one so I just kept both. :)

  20. avatar Clair Ashburn reply

    I have an extra confusing response! I grew up with 2 middle names! For a total of 4 names. When I got married, I thought 5 names would be over the top :) So I dropped one of my middle names and added my maiden name as a middle name. I think logistically it’s nice to keep your maiden name in the middle (whether you add or replace) because if an old document has your maiden name, you can easily show that was you.

  21. avatar Pamela reply

    Hi, im glad somebody feels the same way I did two years ago. I dropped my maiden name and kept my middle name. I not only love my middle name but actually childhood friends known me by it. It’s part of my identity. Ill always be part of my family but dropping my middle made me feel if that part of me would just be gone. I’m glad my family understood and never questioned my decision :)

  22. avatar Madelynne Moulton reply

    My legal name is Sarah Madelynne Moulton (I dropped my maiden name). But I identify myself as Madelynne Miller Moulton because I have never gone by Sarah and Miller is part of who I am! And, I love alliteration!

  23. avatar Julie reply

    I kept my maiden name. Once you get married you are now in a family with your husband but I think keeping your maiden is a nice way to respect your parents and all they have done for you.

  24. avatar Taylor reply

    Well I have a similar issue. I have a first, middle, and last name. I will soon be getting engaged and I have always thought I would drop my first name, since I go by my middle name. Literally NO ONE calls me by my first name. So why do I need it, right?! But my mother is very hurt by the idea of me dropping my first name because she loves my first name. Our family is also only girls, so our last name will be gone when my sister and I get married and change our names, if we don’t take our last names as our married middle names.
    So my name is Christian Taylor Bishop
    Mom wants: Christian Taylor Deal (similar to what she did)
    I want: Taylor Bishop Deal ‘
    Thoughts anyone?

  25. avatar Emily Rachelle reply

    I’m just a teenager, but I love to read wedding blogs. I’m sure I’m not the only one! ;)

    Anyway, I’ve lived all over the place – South Dakota, New York, Georgia, and more than a couple foreign countries. I don’t know much about those countries’ traditions, but I’ve seen a pretty even balance between keeping the middle name and keeping the maiden name. My mom and most of my relatives, as well as most of the people I knew in New York, dropped the maiden name. As a kid I thought that was the norm. Then when we moved to Georgia I learned how common it is to drop the middle name.

    Personally, as the only girl in my family, I’m not all that attached to my maiden name. My middle name (Rachelle) is unique and beautiful and is actually a combination of my mother’s name (which my dad wanted to use) and Rachel, which my mom wanted. So, when I started blogging and writing, I used my middle name instead of my last, because (a) I like it better, and (b) I wanted to build name/brand recognition, but I also knew I’d be taking my husband’s last name when I got married. (Since then I’ve learned how common it is to just not change your name, but I never liked that idea anyway.)

  26. avatar Lakin Turner reply

    I’m from WV and I am getting married in August. My name is Lakin McKay Turner and when I get married I will drop my last name and add my new one so I will become Lakin McKay McCann. I chose to do that because it sounds fun! Plus my fiance has an “M” middle name as well so when kids come along we would like to keep in that way!

  27. avatar Sam reply

    My fiance and I just talked about this the other day! My middle name is Nell which has been passed down for hundreds of years, and my last name is Schweitzer, which doesn’t make a very pretty middle name, so I am definitely dropping my maiden name and keeping Nell as my middle name.

  28. avatar Meredith reply

    I will be getting married in October and I’ve never liked the idea of dropping either middle or last name. My middle name is a combination of my grandmothers middle names Louise and Ann I’m Luann, so it is very significant. I do have a brother so the last name will continue, but I’ve decided to keep my name and just add my new last name. I will identify legally and socially with the new last name, lucky for me both my middle and last names start with an L so keeping with the 3 initial monogram won’t cause me a headache over which to pick!

  29. avatar Emily reply

    I kept my maiden name and dropped the middle. Love the information in this post! This is something I wondered about 5 years ago and couldn’t figure out what to do, so last minute I dropped the middle.

  30. avatar Jen Kessler reply

    This is so interesting! I’ve never heard of it before and maybe that is because I live in Seattle. I love these kinds of traditions and I think that’s why I find this blog so delightful – it seems the south is rooted in deep tradition that makes me fantasize about living in a different time. :)

  31. avatar Lauren reply

    This is very interesting. I’m glad to know that I won’t be the only one dropping my maiden name in the future :). I’m way more attached to my middle name than my maiden name.

  32. avatar Katie reply

    My name is Mary Katherine, but I have always been called Katie by my family and friends. I couldn’t exactly drop the Katherine, as then no one would understand where the nickname derived from. I didn’t want to have four names, and I have been told that dropping your first and your last would be more complicated, and it seemed like it would be doubly confusing for people. The end result–I am dropping my maiden name and will keep my middle name. Depending on the maiden name, you can always give it to a son (or a daughter!) as a first or middle name if you are concerned about keeping your name alive in records–not to mention it results in a name that is unique and specific to your family!

  33. avatar Meghan P. reply

    I have a unique situation with this, because my parents blessed me with two middle names! I have always loved having four names (except when monogramming), but find it hard to choose one middle name over the other. I decided a long time ago to do what my mother did, and use my maiden name in between my first & future husband’s last name. My middle names will still be very much a part of me regardless.

  34. avatar Monica Ford reply

    I never had a middle name, neither has my sister. My older brother has a middle name my grandfather chose for him and it’s incredibly Chinese (incidentally he got that side of our family’s looks). I’ve given thought to incorporating my mother’s maiden name (since I’m a little at odds with my heritage and the name Ford) but its a bit touchy since my father specifically gave us all his father’s surname after a divorce. Growing up I always wanted a middle name, but neither side of my family felt it important. Its not done with Chinese girls and when I asked my dad (who’s from Mississippi) he said that he wanted my maiden name to be my middle name. I never realised it was a southern tradition. If I were to adopt my mothers maiden name as my middle name, I’m not sure if I would drop it or just add my maiden name when I marry since to me they’re all last names. I suppose this is how people used to end up with a million middle names.

  35. avatar Christyne Parsons reply

    I hope I’m not too late to respond to this… I am from Shreveport, Louisiana and all of my family live in the south in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. I was never told either way by any of my family members which way to go with a name change. I was actually never spoken to about my name change at all so I’m not sure how strict of a Southern tradition it is…but I kept my middle name and lost my maiden name. I was Christyne Dalese Watson and then I became Christyne Dalese Parsons. I didn’t think Christyne Watson Parsons sounded nice or even looked like a proper name. It definitely looks like it should be hyphenated. … I just think Watson would be a lousy middle name. My parents created my middle name out of my dad’s middle name Dale and their best friend Lisa. So honestly, my middle name has more family meaning than even my last name did. I have a daughter, though, that I used my maternal grandmother’s maiden name as her middle name – so in a way – I am carrying on a maiden name tradition. Her name is Audrey Coco Parsons.

  36. avatar Lee Anne Jackson reply

    My entire family is from Mississippi, and it’s very important to keep your maiden name to them. In Texas, where I live, it’s 50/50. My name is Lee Anne Jackson, but I’ve always gone by my full name. I’m changing my first name to LeeAnne when I get married and will officially be Lee Anne Jackson Rogers. I can’t imagine losing any part of my name because it represents my entire life, both old and new. And it honors the first 32 years of my life with my parents. I think either way is fine, but it’s nice to be able to “hand” these names down each generation.

  37. avatar Reagan reply

    I am getting married in August, and I have decided to drop my middle name and keep my maiden name! I have a specific reason for this, however – my middle name is Mallory, which I just love so much. However, I barely get to use it and hardly associate it as part of my name (since it’s my middle name). So my fiancé and I have decided that if we are blessed with a daughter in the future, Mallory will be a part of her name! To me, that’s a much more excited thought than keeping the name to myself :)

  38. avatar Nicole reply

    I have chosen another option for my upcoming wedding, and subsequent name-change. My parents chose Rosa as my middle name–it was my grandmother’s name and I don’t want to part with it. In addition, there are no boys in my family, and so I would like to keep my last name as well. So, I am keeping both! It will be quite the mouthful, and a hand-cramper for sure! As for monograming, I will be moving my middle name to be a part of my first name (my legal first name will be Nicole Rosa) so my maiden name will be my middle initial of a monogram. What’s a girl to do!

  39. avatar DA reply

    I worked in an office along with an attractive married woman when one day, the flirty guy of the office asked what her maiden name was. You could hear a pin drop and also feel the heat of the death-ray stare she gave him.

    There is a clear, unwritten, interpersonal understanding that is tightly woven in with that kind of information.

    Why did he want that info? Why did she refuse to provide it?

    In my opinion, he wanted it to test her commitment (to get an ‘in’) and she refused giving it to prove her commitment (and/or to reject his interest).

    After experiencing that event, it seems sensible to drop the maiden name unless you are not fully committed to the lifelong relationship.

  40. avatar Ashley Jones reply

    I kept my middle name and put his last name at the end I am now Ashley Winnette Bennett

  41. avatar Audrey reply

    Emily, I felt the exact same as you. My middle name is a family name that my great uncle and great grandfather had – Leighton. I felt like I would always have Hale (maiden name) as a part of my identity. I could always say, “My maiden name is Hale.” But if I dropped Leighton, I would never mention that once was my middle name. There would be no reason to. However, if I had a filler middle name, such as Lee or Marie, I would probably have dropped my middle name and used my maiden name. I have never heard that it is Southern tradition to keep your maiden name, and I come from a long line of Southerners. But we are more like hillbillies than the “old money” south. So that may have something to do with it!

  42. avatar Emerald reply

    My friend – out of nowhere decided to use her married name as her middle name and her maiden name as her last name – she insists this is the correct way. I even mentioned that I suppose Jacqueline Kennedy was wrong! It still doesn’t sink in – the strange this is she has been married to a good friend for awhile and just recently decided to use this strange arrangement. Is this ever correct? She is not a professional – only worked in a factory.

  43. avatar Sue reply

    How would you monogram if you are a divorced mom? Would you drop your divorced name and go back to your maiden name? Example: Kayla Reese marries a man whose last name is Fletcher. But then divorces and marries a man whose last name is Lee. Would she be Kayla Reese Lee OR would she be Kayla Fletcher Lee?

  44. avatar Christine reply

    Wow! This is so interesting to find! I just finally took care of my official name change after I got married and was doing an internet search to see what other gals did and stumbled upon this post. I never knew it was “tradition” anywhere for women to drop their middle names for the maiden names–I thought it was a new trend! I see from the comments that it must be a Southern tradition. I like it, and kinda wish I had been brought up that way. Might have made my decision easier…When I got married I added my maiden name to my middle name (so I have two middle names), but then came across a slew of problems because the full name was too long for documents like social security card, driver’s license, etc. (my First, Middle, and Maiden names all have nine letters!) Well I don’t want to write a blog post as a comment, haha, but if you’re interested in my full experience and some repercussions from doing it the way I did, you can read my post about it: http://www.thedutchinesecouple.com/whats-name-name-change/

    I think each woman has to do what feels right for her, though it would definitely be less of a hassle to just replace the middle name (or drop the maiden name entirely) for practical purposes.

  45. avatar What's in a Name? (The Name Change) – The Dutchinese Couple reply

    […] take what you can get. (Edit: Apparently, this is the norm for women in the South—Check out this blog post on Southern Weddings.com—I never knew, but replacing the middle name with the maiden name is the tradition of their […]

  46. avatar 5 Alternatives to Taking Your Spouse's Last Name — Everyday Feminism reply

    […] your own last name as your middle name when you get married is said to be something of a Southern tradition that allows family names to live on even when marriage stands to eliminate […]

  47. avatar Nicole reply

    I have heard of many ladies I respect doing both. In my case I go by my middle name. So my first name is more formal but family, friends, and coworkers call me Nicole even if my name on my birth certificate is Leigh Anne Nicole. However I have found that this tradition is also extremely southern. Most of my family members in fact go by their middle names and I have several friends who do as well. So as I look to changing my name I wouldn’t keep my maiden name because it would either take away my actual name or my full name would become abnoxiosly long.

  48. avatar Nicole reply

    Of course I’m not from the south but I don’t see why you can’t keep both. I have 2 middle names as it is (my middle and moms maiden) but I wouldn’t drop anything. I also semi don’t see the reason to change your name officially. You are who you are when you’re born. You’re allowed to use his name either way so I plan on just using his when I want to and of course the kids get it.

  49. avatar Laura reply

    Despite growing up in Charleston (and now living in Richmond, VA) I never knew it was “traditional” to keep your maiden and drop your middle name! Everyone I know just drops their maiden name. I dropped my middle name because I was Laura Ashley Pierce and my mother swears she didn’t name me after the designer/brand but Ashley was never a name I used or connected with and since I am now Laura Pierce Little, I’ve kept my maiden name and use my full name as 1) the alliteration is a bit much for me and also I think it’s nice to honor my roots as I am the last of the Pierce’s in our tree!

  50. avatar Jehnel Oboza-Davison reply

    I’ve kept it all! Even my mom’s maiden name! Growing up in a Filipino household, traditionally, you would be given your mother’s maiden name as a middle name. I also had a middle name given to me when I was born, so I had a long name to begin with. When I got married, I wanted to hyphenate my name, so I have a VERY long name: but it’s my own & I wouldn’t ever go back! I kept it all because why not? (= (Jehnel Chloe Rovillos Oboza-Davison)

  51. avatar Terann Birdwell reply

    I got married in December and dropped my middle name and kept my maiden. I always knew I would do that- it’s what my mother did and very Southern. I also did it as a way to honor my dad-
    he has 2 daughters, 3 sisters, and all girl cousins, so there is no one to carry on his last name. I feel like keeping my maiden name as my middle is sort of a way to keep the “Hillis” name going!

  52. avatar Abby reply

    I’m getting married in October and I’ve decided to keep my middle name and ditch my maiden name!

  53. avatar Heather B. reply

    I had such a hard time deciding that I actually filled out my social security form both ways and decided when it was time to hand it over! I ultimately went with my maiden name as my last name. I personally think my new name doesn’t flow as well as it would have but I wanted to keep that family name. From a business perspective, using my maiden name has helped people make the connection of my pre and post married identity easier too.

  54. avatar Leanza Altenderfer reply

    My father’s name is Charles Sumner Altenderfer III. Because I don’t have any brothers and I am the youngest I was named Leanza Sumner Altenderfer to continue the middle name in the family. When I take my soon-to-be husband’s name this year I plan on keeping Leanza Sumner simply because it carries on the tradition and because Leanza Altenderfer Kauffman is quite a mouthful! Although I love the sweet tradition of taking your husband’s name and keeping your maiden name, I think each situation and family dynamic is different!

  55. avatar Jessica reply

    This is a question I have also battled with, I knew that I would take my husbands last name my whole life but I never thought about the middle name. For me this was a difficult decision because I lost my father at a young age and as an adult I felt like my last name was a major part of him. After talking to my mom and putting a lot of thught into it, I realize my father gave me my last name, but he chose my middle name. So in May I will change my last name but the rest of my name will stay the same. As my Mom told me, everything you fill out for the rest of your life will ask for your maiden name so there is no worries if it being forgotten.

  56. avatar SAMANTHA reply

    I couldn’t decide between my middle name and maiden name, so I kept both! Yes – I have four names! They are each important to me. My middle name is a family name passed down from my grandmother – actually her maiden name, and a big part of my heritage. I wanted to afford the same grace to my own maiden name as well. So four names it is!

  57. avatar Carolann reply

    I actually chose my middle name when I was 7 (used to be Carol Ann Belk, and to make the rest of my life easier we legally combined my first and middle name to one word – I guess the name “Carol” on my first grade desk didn’t sit well with me). In need of a middle name, I chose my mom’s maiden & middle name as my new middle name. How I didn’t choose something like “Cinderella” is still a wonder to me but somehow I managed to make a logical decision. So since it wasn’t chosen by my parents and neither I nor my dad have any brothers, I’ll choose to replace my middle name with my maiden. Every situation is different depending on how attached you are to your middle name and whether you’re the only one left to continue your maiden name I think!

  58. avatar Courtney reply

    Thank you for this post! I have been struggling with this decision myself ever since I got engaged and the discussion is helpful. I’ve never been a fan of my last name and have always been excited to drop it in favor of my middle and taking my future husbands last name. However, realizing I would be letting go of a piece of my dad who is no longer with us brought on all sorts of guilt and has made me rethink dropping my maiden name altogether. Still not exactly sure what I’ll end up sticking with come our May wedding, but it’s nice to know that any option I choose (3 names or 4 or maybe even shortening middle and mailed to just 2 middle initials) isn’t as weird as I may have thought!

  59. avatar Bibber reply

    I was struggling with a similar issue, as I too believe stringy in southern tradition and I knew I wanted to take my husband’s name. But the problem, my name I have always gone by is a family nickname of my middle name. It simply didn’t make sense for me to drop it. Also, my mother had the same issue, in that she went by her middle name, and therefore understood the why behind my decision. This certainly made the process much easier though and made more sense. But, I say, if you take his name, do what you feel is right with what you have left if your own!

  60. avatar Lauren reply

    I have never heard of keeping your maiden name instead of your middle name. My sister works at Charleston Wedding Magazine. I will have to ask her if this is common with the brides they feature in the magazine and on the blog. A lot of my friends and family members call me by my full name, Lauren Ashley. I don’t think I would ever drop my middle name.

  61. avatar Gen reply

    This was the biggest fight my dad and I ever got in–completely unexpectedly. I have always loved my middle name (Corling) and the last name I was taking was very similar to my maiden name. At the end of the day, it was important to my family, so I kept my maiden name and found a way to re-purpose my middle name into the name of my consulting company…which funny enough my dad was also “so-honored” that I did. (Corling was paternal-grandmother’s middle name…that she dropped when she got married as well.)

  62. avatar Kay reply

    I actually kept all of my names… my middle name and my maiden name are in the middle and I took my husbands last name. I can’t say it hasn’t been without some issue… people have the hardest time understanding that I have two middle names…not a double first name or a hyphenated last name. But I wanted all of my names, so it is my burden to bear :)

  63. avatar Elizabeth reply

    I was torn on what name to keep as well as I like them both, but I ended up keeping my middle name.

  64. avatar Beth Resha reply

    I kept my maiden name because I had too much with that name on it. Just added my husbands last name. We have been married 7yrs and it has worked out great.

  65. avatar kristin reply

    i LOVE all of my names and have struggled with this. i’ve actually gotten really upset about having to change my name (outside of the excitement of getting married)! and for that reason, i’m keeping all of my names. i didn’t ask anyone’s opinion – which sounds like it might have been for the best! :) but all my names are family names and i want to always feel like me. so there we go! but i’ll also still recognize that i have a new monogram, and for those purposes i will drop by middle name. just not legally!

  66. avatar Felice reply

    I’m so glad this is a discussion. I understand women who keep their maiden names to make legal changes smoother or to honor their family, but I dropped my maiden name like a hot potato for several reasons. 1. My name is so difficult to begin with. Felice Anne Serrett was the name I was born with. My new last name is Delahoussaye. Yes a mouth full. So I’m going to keep Anne so people can at least spell one of my three names. Not to mention Anne is my alter ego who orders my take out and coffee. :) 2. My parents are divorced and I no longer have a strong relationship with my father. And so I do not feel like I need to honor him by keeping my maiden name. 3. I come from an old cajun family. My dad’s birth certificate has our last name spelt Serrette. My grandfather just decided they were no longer going to spell Serrette with the “e” so technically my maiden name is different from my father’s. Either way it is a very personal decision. I don’t think etiquette is something to worry about when it comes to picking a name that you will (hopefully) have the rest of your life.

  67. avatar Sarah reply

    I love reading all of your responses and opinions! My mother kept her middle name when she married my father because her maiden name is very German ; however, she decided to preserve the name by giving it to my brother as his middle name (Alexander Hess). My mother-in-law to be has gone by her middle name her whole life so when she got married, she actually dropped her first name, took her middle name as her first name and her maiden name as a middle name. It was an easy decision for me to keep my maiden name when I get married; my full name is Sarah Elaine Cate, but almost everyone I meet thinks Cate is my middle name and that I go by “Sarah Cate”. And I actually love going by Sarah Cate! It makes my name a little more unique and I love the Southern sound of a double name. And I just love the sound of Sarah Cate Dominick, which is what my married name will be :) All of this being said to show that every bride has a unique name and a unique reason for choosing that name, so whatever you choose to do, embrace it and rock it!

  68. avatar Kimberly reply

    I’m stuck on this issue too. I had always assumed I would do as my mother did and keep my maiden name, but I’m really not sure anymore I really like my middle name. It always a plus that I write my middle name neater than my maiden name. I also think Kimberly Renee Simpson sounds better than Kimberly Jones Simpson. It just doesn’t flow with my maiden name. But I love my daddy, and I just can’t see my older brother having kids, so I feel like I have to help carry on his name. What on earth do I do?

  69. avatar knikita reply

    I just recently gotten married and I was debating on dropping my last name or my middle name. I am from the south and you all know how southern traditions are. After reading a lot of comments on this post I have decided to keep my middle name. My father named me and he passed 3 years ago. My name is kind of unique to me and if anyone who actually know me can easily find me on social media. My name is Knikita (pronounced Nikita, the k is silent) Tijuana and I love it. I will never part from the names my father gave me.

  70. avatar Angela reply

    I am 98% sure I will keep my maiden name and drop my middle name, mostly because when my full name is said or read, I want it to be clear that I am married. My maiden name is such a last name.

  71. avatar Erika reply

    I decided to keep my middle name Nicole. My grandmother always loved that I had the middle name Nicole. She wanted to name my mother Sharon Nicole, but my grandfather wanted her to be Nicki Sharon. She regretted not going with the first. Since she died in a car wreck a few years ago, I feel like I keep her memory alive having the middle name Nicole.

  72. avatar Julie reply

    I am from Georgia and both sides of my family are from North Carolina… I never knew there was a question of how to change your name until I did it! The women in my family have always dropped their middle name (even strong family names) and replaced it with their maiden. I assumed that was the legal way to do it, but apparently it’s just a tradition. Fascinating! I’d love to see a map of these customs… It has to be a regional/cultural thing.

  73. avatar Robin reply

    My grandmother raised me and always said when a woman marries, her maiden name becomes her middle initial. As luck would have it, I ended up with a sister in law also named Robin and it wreaked havoc with utilities and confusion at the post office even though we had different middle initials. When I divorced, I resumed my maiden name and middle initial (Carole).

  74. avatar KD Moultrie reply

    I dropped my middle name and replace it with my maiden name

  75. avatar Leslie M. reply

    I kept my original middle name and added my unmarried name as a second middle name when I got married. It took 5 months to get around to legally changing it, but I’ve had it that way since, even post-divorce. Seems fine to me. :)

  76. avatar Marjorie reply

    I am struggling with this right now! I’ve been married for over 2 months and haven’t been able to decide. We had a reason for me to wait (going through house loan process) and now that it’s over I have to make my decision. Part of me feels like it’s not a big deal, because like Marissa said, if I change it one way, I can still go by the other way and no one would ever know.
    My birth name is Marjorie Kathleen Sliker and I married a Gates. I definitely want his last name. I’ve hated going by Marjorie Sliker my entire life and people not understanding what I’m saying or how to spell it. BUT, I went to school for Broadcast Journalism and was a local Emmy nominated journalist, I’ve been working as a videographer and in online marketing for 5 years and have established myself online as Marjorie Sliker. I really want future employers to be able to see my name on my resume and Google me and find everything that’s been posted with my maiden name. Part of me wants to be a stay-at-home mom and the other part of me knows I shouldn’t give up everything I’ve worked for. I hate dealing with the name Sliker, and my middle name is Kathleen, after my aunt, and my favorite part of my name. I don’t want to give that up either. I wonder if I should change it to Marjorie Kathleen Sliker Gates, but is that too long and aggravating when dealing with legal docs and things where I have to use my full legal name? I also thought about legally changing it to Marjorie Kathleen Gates and going by Marjorie Sliker Gates online, then it would bridge that gap online between Marjorie Sliker and Marjorie Gates.
    My husband is supportive either way, but I know deep down he wants me to drop my maiden name. That’s been the tradition in his family. I really just don’t know what to do!

  77. avatar Rachel reply

    I’m getting married in 3 weeks (!) and have battled with this for awhile. Like some of y’all said, my middle name is for my maternal grandmother (who passed away), but as an only child and from a family with only granddaughters, I don’t want my maiden name to end.

    Those of you with 4 names, did you have any trouble fitting all of your names on your drivers license or SS card? If so how did you choose? Plus, my married name is going to be a long Italian name, so I’m worried about the length. And since my new name starts with the same letter as my maiden name, I think I’d lean towards making my maiden name my “legal” middle name if I had to choose; I’d love new initials ;-) Rachel Elizabeth Singer Sanguinito is quite a mouthful!

  78. avatar Lorren Rowland Lerew reply

    I dropped my middle name and kept my last name. My husband, who just happens to be a Yankee ;), thought it was weird that I didn’t keep my middle name. I just felt WAY more attached to my maiden name than my middle name.

  79. avatar Carol reply

    My name was Barbara Carol but I have always gone by my middle name Carol so when I got married I dropped the name I did not use and changed to Carol, then maiden name, and then new married name.

  80. avatar Charlie reply

    When I got married, I kept all names. I took my middle name and hyphenated it with my maiden name and took my husband’s name as my new last name. I loved the option of doing that and my husband and I are both glad I did it that way!

  81. avatar Terri reply

    I’m currently in the struggle to keep or drop my maiden name. Is it acceptable to list your original middle name and your maiden name as the new middle name? Example: Terri Eleanor Hodge becomes Terri Eleanor Hodge Malloy, with Eleanor Hodge listed as the middle name?

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