Question on Philippines vs USA name?

[ninarosellaxcm 0]

I just got married under K1 Visa and I am now on the AOS stage. I am starting to file and my target is to have this out to USCIS in early February.

The obstacle that I am stuck with is formatting my name. 

 

For Example, my name before marriage is Nina Camille F. Cruz with the following format:

Nina Camille (Given Name)

Fernando (Mother's Maiden Name/Middle Name)

Cruz (Last Name)

Husband's last name is Smith.

 

Would it be okay for me to not follow the Philippines format, and just do it the way they do it in the US?

Nina (First Name)

Camille (Middle Name)

Smith (Last Name)

This is how I prefer it. Would USCIS allow me to have this name? But I am just worried that it might cause issues later on because it won't match my Passport and Birth Certificate format-wise.

 

I am getting different answers from groups and guides that I've seen. I'd like to know what works best. Thank you for answering.

[Crazy Cat 42,328]

You marriage certificate is a legal name change document.  For USCIS, you can start using any combination of the names listed on your marriage certificate.

 

Example: Mary Smith marries John Doe

Mary could use: Mary Smith, Mary Doe, Mary Smith Doe, Mary-Smith-Doe as examples.

Edited Friday at 05:29 PM by Crazy Cat

[spicynujac 41]

On 1/31/2025 at 11:21 AM, ninarosellaxcm said:

 

 

Would it be okay for me to not follow the Philippines format, and just do it the way they do it in the US?

???
As I understand it, there is no difference in the married naming conventions in the Philippines and the USA. I see this question come up frequently as if it’s some type of culture barrier, but the norm in USA is for the wife to keep her maiden name and adopt the husband’s last name.  Is that not the norm in the Philippines as well?

 

https://guides.sll.texas.gov/marriage-in-texas/name-change
 

@Crazy Catoutlined the options available to you above. 
If you are trying to copy what most Americans do, historically that is:

Wife1st WifeMaiden HusbandLast

If you personally prefer one of the other options, choose from the list above. 

But the “standard” or “norm,” particularly in Christian weddings, is to keep your maiden name and adopt your husbands last name. 

That’s what all my friends and family in the US have done, and what at least 95% of cases I saw working in our probate court reflected, though there is a growing trend of the wife keeping her own last name, particularly in non traditional or non religious weddings. I just don’t get why this notion of different naming conventions keeps popping up when the two systems are identical. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_and_married_names

In Massachusetts, a Harvard study in 2004 found that about 87% of college-educated women take their husbands' name on marriage, down from a peak before 1975 of over 90%

 

[DELTAFOXTROT 76]

On 1/31/2025 at 11:28 AM, Crazy Cat said:

You marriage certificate is a legal name change document.  For USCIS, you can start using any combination of the names listed on your marriage certificate.

 

Example: Mary Smith marries John Doe

Mary could use: Mary Smith, Mary Doe, Mary Smith Doe, Mary-Smith-Doe as examples.

Will have to get judge to do legal name change at during Naturalization if person decides to seek US Citizenship.

 

But not a biggie

[Crazy Cat 42,328]

1 hour ago, DELTAFOXTROT said:

Will have to get judge to do legal name change at during Naturalization if person decides to seek US Citizenship.

 

But not a biggie

The OP is not at the N-400 stage.  OP is at I-485 stage.....where the marriage certificate is a legal name change document. 

[DELTAFOXTROT 76]

2 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

The OP is not at the N-400 stage.  OP is at I-485 stage.....where the marriage certificate is a legal name change document. 

Did you not read my comment?   "Will have to get judge to do legal name change at during Naturalization if person decides to seek US Citizenship."

 

Didn't work for my wife, She had to do an extra step at to get her name changed during Naturalization