Changing your last name after marriage

[OOM 0]

THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY VJ TROLL

but today i called US embassy Delhi they said name on the passport and visa should be same .

[Imua 0]

Ugh, my name situation is so complicated - I too am in a 'no man's land' at the moment. I changed to my religious name 5 years ago and this is the name on my SSN, employment records etc. but never bothered to change my passport which I needed to show for ID in Nepal, so the name on my marriage certificate is not the name I use in daily life. I am praying this will not create a snag with the CR-1 since I can't really do anything about the marriage certificate until I go back to Nepal - even then I think it will be difficult. At some point I will change the passport but don't know if I should do so until the immigration process is complete - if I get an RFE then I guess there's my answer... When he comes here we will probably have another small wedding for my friends and family where I will use my religious name and then I will use my husband's last name - I love his name!

[Alhamdulillah 0]

I didn't change my last name after marriage because that's my family's name and my family didn't stop being my family because I got married.

[almaty 19]

not custom for some muslim women to change their names to the husbands in some cultures

[Sister Fracas 5]

I was very happy to change my name to my husband's last name for a few reasons...

- My maiden name even though only 4 letters was ALWAYS misprononunced and often misspelled by other folks.

- I had no happy attachment to it. Being that it was my father's name and because he bolted when I was just 5, leaving only his difficult name behind, it just left a residual unhappy memory. I was happy to be rid of it.

- I like the old fashioned custom of taking the husband's name. It's fine if other's don't want to, but I love having his name...and it's not just his name anymore. To me it represents the joining of families.

My new name is twice as long, still not the easiest name around, but I LOVE IT! And hubster was very happy I wanted to have his name. I remember his sweet smile when I told him I was going to change my surname....awwww...

[SWA2 1]

My wife did not change her name when she married me. She's Chinese and Chinese women traditionally keep their family name when they marry. Her family name is only 2 letters and her first name is only 3 letters. She has no middle name. Her name is pronounced exactly as it's spelled and Americans have no trouble pronouncing it. Keeping her own name was a "no brainer." People have more trouble pronouncing my last name.

[jayzar 1]

mine is hyphenated.

[psiprez 3]

I currently have my ex's last name, as do my children.

I didn't go back to my maiden name because, after 16 years, it feels like it IS my name.

I've thought about what to do this time around. My fiance would be thrilled for me to take his name, as would I.

I was worried at first about the complications this would cause in regards to my kids having a different last name than their mom. Then I realized that in this age of divorce and single parenthood, the situation has become completely commonplace.

So I plan to use both names, unhyphenated, and then drop the ex's after a year or so, once people get used to the new name.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

I was worried at first about the complications this would cause in regards to my kids having a different last name than their mom. Then I realized that in this age of divorce and single parenthood, the situation has become completely commonplace.

I think the complication and disconnect is where the mother and the child share a name, but it is not the same name as the husband. People assume that:

1) My last name is my husband's last name and therefore my own last name is not my madien name.

2) We are not married and further explanation is required.

3) My kid is not my husband's.

Yay!