Can my maiden name become my middle name?

[K & J 17]

Hello everybody,

I have been married for 3 years and a half and I already have my green card. I never changed my name (I still use my maiden name) but I want to do it now.

The question is this: Can my maiden name become my new middle name? I called USCIS customer service and they said NO. According to the CSR, marriage only changes your last name, not your middle name. So if I am Ana Maria Perez, I have to become Ana Maria Smith. But I want to be Ana Perez Smith.

The CRS answer seem odd too me (hello, Hillary Rodman Clinton). I called Social Security Administration and they said I can indeed replace my original middle name with my maiden name.

Any experiences? I am going to e-file the petition. I will have to show the proper documentation (my marriage certificate) at my district office. Do you think there will be any problem?

[payxibka 10,045]

Hello everybody,

I have been married for 3 years and a half and I already have my green card. I never changed my name (I still use my maiden name) but I want to do it now.

The question is this: Can my maiden name become my new middle name? I called USCIS customer service and they said NO. According to the CSR, marriage only changes your last name, not your middle name. So if I am Ana Maria Perez, I have to become Ana Maria Smith. But I want to be Ana Perez Smith.

The CRS answer seem odd too me (hello, Hillary Rodman Clinton). I called Social Security Administration and they said I can indeed replace my original middle name with my maiden name.

Any experiences? I am going to e-file the petition. I will have to show the proper documentation (my marriage certificate) at my district office. Do you think there will be any problem?

Each jurisdiction is different so I do not know what it is in your place of residence. Sometimes there is a time limit on using the marriage certificate as the avenue to a name change. There are other legal avenues to accomplish this if indeed your jurisdiction will not allow it via the marriage process anymore. I would check with your county courthouse in the county/state you were married to see if anything is mentioned on this regard.

[YuAndDan 153]

Yes you can do that, depending on jurisdiction you will have to first change name on marriage certificate then file for name change at both Social Security, and at the USCIS, also if you have a drivers license, or state ID then at the DMV.

My fiance an I discussed this idea, she has no middle name so will use her Chinese family name as middle name, we plan on doing this on the marriage certificate then it would be easier to then file for everything after.

Name change USCIS: http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-90.htm

Name Change SSA: http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/ssa.cf...php?p_faqid=315

Edited October 17, 2006 by YuAndDan

[Mrs.J06 4]

I am using my maiden name as my middle name now. I didn't have a middle name before. I put this name combination on my AOS application, and it's on my GreenCard and Driver's License now too. Never had any problems with USCIS.

The only problem I had was when I applied for a new German passport, I was told that Germany does not accept family names as middle names, so on my new German passport I will only have my new married name. It will mention my maiden name too, though.

My husband and I had to sign a "name declaration", stating which name we both will use after marriage. But this is for German law, only.

I do not think you can "replace" your given middle name with your maiden name. But you can certainly add it. The consular officer at the German embassy told me that once I'd apply for US citizenship, I could put "pretty much anything I wanted" in the US passport. American law seems to be much less restrictive than most other laws.

I also found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_name

Hope this helps!

[Miranda&James 8]

Well, when I did all my name change stuff I just lumped my maiden name in with my other two middle names (Yes, I have 5 names now, blame my mother) and added James's name as my official last name.

[YuAndDan 153]

Well, when I did all my name change stuff I just lumped my maiden name in with my other two middle names (Yes, I have 5 names now, blame my mother) and added James's name as my official last name.

Wow complicated! Fortunatly my fiance has Given name and Family name represented by 2 Chinese characters, simple to make her Family name her middle name when get married, no questions asked there!

[I'm Gone 60]

You ability to change your name due to marriage is a state or local law matter, so what the USCIS 800# rep said doesn't really matter.

EM-06064 Change in Policy Regarding Acceptable Name Change:

http://tinyurl.com/f7s8l

Only the marriage document (foreign or domestic) is needed if it meets the following criteria:

-- The new name can be derived from the marriage document, i.e. bride takes the groom's last name, groom takes bride's last name, compound name (with or without hyphen) of each spouse's original name for either or both parties.

Note: State law must also allow the type of name change wishing to be made

-- The marriage occurred within the past two years

-- The marriage document shows sufficient identifying information, e.g., biographical data such as age, date of birth or parent's names, and

-- The identifying information matches the information on his/her current Social Security number record.

The applicant will need to submit an identity document in the old name along with the marriage document if:

-- The marriage occurred within the last two years and has biographical information, e.g., age, date of birth or parent's names which does not match our records, e.g., the SSN record.

-- The marriage occurred within the last two years, but does not show biographical information, or

-- The marriage occurred over two years ago (with or without biographical information.)

The identity document used to establish the old name must match the name on the current SSN record. The identity document is acceptable even if over two years old or expired.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RM 00203.210 Changing Numident Name Data

http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0100203210

D. Examples of Legal Name Changes

6. Change of Middle Name to Maiden Name on SSN Card

Lisa Smith Jones applies for a replacement SSN card in that name because she lost her SSN card. The prior Numident records show the names Lisa Marie Smith and Lisa Jones. She submits a driver’s license showing her name as Lisa S. Jones.

It is a common occurrence in the U.S. for a woman to take her maiden name as the middle name after marriage. Because a legal name generally consists of a first or given name and a surname or family name, whether the identity document submitted shows the middle name is included, omitted or incorrect does not matter.

SSA can process the change of Lisa’s middle name. This is not a legal name change because the first and last names have not changed.

NOTE: In cases where there are questions about whether the applicant is the number holder, it may be necessary to request additional evidence of identity and the have the applicant explain middle name changes.

This is in addition to proof of current lawful employment authorized status.

[zxed 0]

Hello everybody,

I have been married for 3 years and a half and I already have my green card. I never changed my name (I still use my maiden name) but I want to do it now.

The question is this: Can my maiden name become my new middle name? I called USCIS customer service and they said NO. According to the CSR, marriage only changes your last name, not your middle name. So if I am Ana Maria Perez, I have to become Ana Maria Smith. But I want to be Ana Perez Smith.

The CRS answer seem odd too me (hello, Hillary Rodman Clinton). I called Social Security Administration and they said I can indeed replace my original middle name with my maiden name.

Any experiences? I am going to e-file the petition. I will have to show the proper documentation (my marriage certificate) at my district office. Do you think there will be any problem?

erm. you can change your name to whatever the hell you want., its your name...

[sophyie 0]

Hello everybody,

I have been married for 3 years and a half and I already have my green card. I never changed my name (I still use my maiden name) but I want to do it now.

The question is this: Can my maiden name become my new middle name? I called USCIS customer service and they said NO. According to the CSR, marriage only changes your last name, not your middle name. So if I am Ana Maria Perez, I have to become Ana Maria Smith. But I want to be Ana Perez Smith.

The CRS answer seem odd too me (hello, Hillary Rodman Clinton). I called Social Security Administration and they said I can indeed replace my original middle name with my maiden name.

Any experiences? I am going to e-file the petition. I will have to show the proper documentation (my marriage certificate) at my district office. Do you think there will be any problem?

Why don't you keep "Maria" and just add your husbands last name in the end?

That would make you Ana Maria Perez Smith, and you can skip all the "replacement" part...

[jmurray 0]

i carry my maiden name as my middle name now, i'm not sure why they wouldn't allow that...

good luck!

[I'm Gone 60]

erm. you can change your name to whatever the hell you want., its your name...

Just because you call yourself Batman doesn't make that your legal name. You can only change through certain processes, marriage, court order, naturalization, adoption.

[john_and_marlene 162]

Nevermind

Edited October 18, 2006 by john_and_marlene

[zxed 0]

Just because you call yourself Batman doesn't make that your legal name. You can only change through certain processes, marriage, court order, naturalization, adoption.

actually, you can change your name to Batman if you want... there is no law that says you cannot legally change your name... yes it has a process where you go thru court and request a name change., and all the fun stuff., but you can if you wanted to

[-cK- 0]

Hello everybody,

I have been married for 3 years and a half and I already have my green card. I never changed my name (I still use my maiden name) but I want to do it now.

The question is this: Can my maiden name become my new middle name? I called USCIS customer service and they said NO. According to the CSR, marriage only changes your last name, not your middle name. So if I am Ana Maria Perez, I have to become Ana Maria Smith. But I want to be Ana Perez Smith.

The CRS answer seem odd too me (hello, Hillary Rodman Clinton). I called Social Security Administration and they said I can indeed replace my original middle name with my maiden name.

Any experiences? I am going to e-file the petition. I will have to show the proper documentation (my marriage certificate) at my district office. Do you think there will be any problem?

I had the same situation as you. The Immigration Officer who interviewd me suggested that I do that since my middle name in my birth certificate is different from the middle name I am using now (since I got married). One important reason for the change, she told me that the Naturalization Process is strict and I will have a problem with my birth certificate & my current name having different middle names. So, hypothetically speaking, if I was Ana Maria Perez...my name changed to Ana Maria Perez Smith. I couldn't bare the thought of not having my father's last name in my name. Now, I ended up with 2 first names, my maiden name as my middle name, and my last name is my husband's. Just do it legally .

-cK-

Edited January 30, 2007 by -cK-

[KTAN 0]

Hi, When I married my husband I chose to have my maiden name and husbands last name as a double barreled last name but I chose all this right at the begining. I applied for everything with that new name. I think you may have to have your name changed by legal means this much further on. If you want to be known by a name of your choice there is nothing to stop you but it wont be on your legal documents. Good Luck

Edited January 30, 2007 by KTAN