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 42,564]

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 January 31 by Crazy Cat

[spicynujac 43]

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 78]

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 42,564]

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 78]

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

 

 

 

[Talako 790]

Changing (if desired) to the new married last name at AOS is normal.  You have the marriage certificate to make that happen.

 

In future steps dealing with the Philippines, ROM, a new updated PH passport in the married name, and dual citizenship will require the Philippine naming structure of (First Name) (Dad's Last Name) (Married Last Name).  Some people want their names to be the same for US and PH purposes.

 

The tricky part is the middle name.  At AOS, some US immigration officers allow the change in middle name and some do not.  If they don't, then you will have a mismatch between the updated PH passport name and the Green Card.  You have to carry your marriage certificate with you should you travel overseas.  All that can be fixed during citizenship, as you can change your name to what ever you want.  It is part of the process if you desire. 

 

The US would not allow the change in middle name for my wife, so she had a mismatched middle name on her PH passport and green card.  It was fixed to PH standard during her citizenship process because that what she wanted.

 

There have been lots of threads in the past about this issue.

[Edward and Jaycel 793]

7 hours ago, Talako said:

Changing (if desired) to the new married last name at AOS is normal.  You have the marriage certificate to make that happen.

 

In future steps dealing with the Philippines, ROM, a new updated PH passport in the married name, and dual citizenship will require the Philippine naming structure of (First Name) (Dad's Last Name) (Married Last Name).  Some people want their names to be the same for US and PH purposes.

 

The tricky part is the middle name.  At AOS, some US immigration officers allow the change in middle name and some do not.  If they don't, then you will have a mismatch between the updated PH passport name and the Green Card.  You have to carry your marriage certificate with you should you travel overseas.  All that can be fixed during citizenship, as you can change your name to what ever you want.  It is part of the process if you desire. 

 

The US would not allow the change in middle name for my wife, so she had a mismatched middle name on her PH passport and green card.  It was fixed to PH standard during her citizenship process because that what she wanted.

 

There have been lots of threads in the past about this issue.

 

We just submitted Jaycel's AOS in November and they allowed her to use the Philippine naming structure:  Jaycel (Her Dad's Last Name) (My last Name). We did the name change on both her I-765 and I-485. Her I-765 was approved a few weeks ago and she received her EAD Card and her new Social Security Card with the name properly formatted. Hopefully USCIS has learned that this format is the preferred way for many Filipinas and this is the norm in USCIS now  

Edited February 3 by Edward and Jaycel

[top_secret 2,550]

I think changing middle names can vary on a state by state basis.  Many states allow it and some states may not.  For instance I know California state law specifically does allows changing maiden name to middle name on marriage.

 

With social security often being the unofficial arbitrator of name changes in the US, they officially could literally care less about middle names. Their policy states. 

https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

 

Quote

"We do not consider the middle name or suffix part of the legal name. Whether the middle name or suffix is included, omitted or incorrectly shown on evidentiary documents submitted with an SS-5 (Application for a Social Security number Card) does not matter."

 

Philippine law does not require a married woman to change her name at all or to change her last name to middle name.  Although allot of Philippine government agencies would try to automatically do it.

Philippine law specifically allows a married woman to take only her husband's surname. 

https://web.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/4156237843!.pdf
https://pcw.gov.ph/faq-use-of-maiden-name

Quote

Section 1. Article 370, Title XIII, Book III of the Republic Act No. 386

ART. 370.

A married woman may use:

(1) MAIDEN FIRST NAME AND SURNAME;
(2) MAIDEN FIRST NAME AND SURNAME AND ADD HER HUSBAND'S NAME;
(3) MAIDEN FIRST NAME AND HER HUSBAND'S SURNAME; OR
(4) HUSBAND'S FULL NAME, BUT PREFIXING A WORD INDICATING THAT SHE IS HIS WIFE, SUCH AS "MRS".