Will you change your name after marriage or keep your maiden name? Is it ok to change your name in your personal life but keep your maiden name professionally upon marriage? NameSwitch will explore this name change topic and can help you with a personal or professional name change.
Simply just getting to your wedding day comes with what seems like a million decisions to be made along the way. And post-wedding reality brings yet another choice: Will you keep your maiden name or embrace your new married surname? Each decision is personal and unique and there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to name change options.
When it comes to something as momentous as what name you’ll be known by for the rest of your life there are different options to consider. For some, taking their partner’s name and becoming a team in both name and marriage is a no-brainer. But for others it can be more complicated.
As the average age for couples getting married is on the rise, it’s increasingly likely that you’ll have built a professional brand or reputation, client base or network who know you by your maiden name. Yet at the same time, you may love the idea of sharing the same name as your partner and, potentially, future children in your personal life.
It might sound like an impossible quandary, but the answer could be keeping your maiden name for work and using your married name for your personal life. It’s not a solution that suits everyone, but for some, it’s the ideal choice.
Changing to your new married name in your personal life and choosing to keep your maiden name in your professional life is a perfectly legal and valid option.
When you continue using your birth name professionally, you don’t have to worry about confusing clients or your professional network. There are no awkward, incorrect introductions at networking events, no need to change business cards or inform your clients of your new name. You can keep the professional reputation you have built up without causing confusion.This option is particularly popular with Lawyers, Doctors and other professionals who opt to either keep their maiden name professionally or even adopt a double-barrel.
If you think you having two different last names is viable, then this could offer you the best of both worlds. You can be Miss “Maiden” in the office and Mrs “New” everywhere else! It is a special and symbolic way to honour both your life prior to marriage and your life as a married person.
If you wish to change your name in this way, we recommend first focusing on accounts and official agencies that purely relate to your professional life, where you would need to retain your maiden name. These might include:
NameSwitch Pro Tip: We offer a free downloadable name change check list to help you check off all of the boxes when changing your surname.
Once you’ve decided where you’ll keep your maiden name professionally, you can then focus on updating your new name with the remaining companies and government bodies. Check out our guide to legally changing your name after marriage for step-by-step guidance!
Updating formal identification documents such as your driving licence and passport is key. You should change at least one piece of formal ID - either your driving licence or your passport. You can opt to update both into your new name, if appropriate.
If you choose to update your passport with your married name, you can make an ‘observation’ request in section 8 of your passport renewal application to have it noted that you use your birth name professionally. Please note: you will not be able to travel in your ‘observed’ name as it is for identification and not border control purposes.
It’s important to think about whether you should align your passport name (maiden or new) with your NHS record so that they align with any vaccination records that would be needed when you travel overseas. Consider what will realistically work for you.
When it comes to your bank account, think long-term. If you have more than one account, we recommend that you keep one in your maiden name for your salary. If you only have one account, consider opening a second in your married name. This will help to avoid any issues with new employment salary payments as the name on your account will need to match the name on your employment record. This is a key consideration to weigh when considering life with two different names.
There are a lot of things to consider should you decide you want one name at work and another in your personal life (who to notify, who not to notify etc.), but it is achievable. And NameSwitch is here to make the seemingly complicated process a lot less overwhelming.
Choosing to use two names, isn’t the most straightforward route when it comes to admin and it’s a very personal choice to have two distinct identities. For some, it’s the answer to maintaining their professional reputation whilst embracing married life. For others, maybe it’s something they’d like to try for a while to see if it fits them personally – try it on for size!
To do this, you can prepare for a full name change but start with the personal change first. Simply gather the legal documents (marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate), forms and letters you need to change your name in full and then put everything else aside to be completed later. This will allow you to have the time to decide if one name or two is right for you.
If using two names feels too confusing, you can then fully switch to your married name. There is no time limit or official sequence in which to change your name, so if years down the line you decide that you want to change to your married name in all aspects of your life, you absolutely can. Or if you find the ‘best of both’ approach works for you, then you’re all set!
Deciding what to be called in your work and home life following marriage is a personal decision and only you can decide what works for you. But with the right information at your fingertips, and the support you need you can feel confident in your decision.
We specialise in all things name change! If you decide that changing your name personally but not professionally is right for, let us help make the name change process super simple! Our award-winning name change notification toolkit will get you on the road to using your new surname in 3 simple and straightforward steps!
The average name changer notifies approximately 24 different government bodies, local authorities, and companies. Figuring out who needs what can be daunting and takes 14 hours on average! Most name changers find this process tedious and overly complicated.
NameSwitch has created a UK first and only award-winning namechange toolkit to help simplify this process. Change your name with speed and ease saving you so much time and with peace of mind that you’ll get it right first time.
In just 3 easy steps you can select who you need to notify from 700 government bodies, local authorities, and companies. You only need to enter your details once. You’ll have instant access to download your pre-populated name change letters, forms and personalised instructions ready for you to print and sign.
Need our expert advice? Why not check out our FAQs or Get in touch with our UK-based support team for a human response - we are here to help.
Dive into our practical Nameswitch guides.
Learn how to change your name on your drivers licence, on your Facebook account and how to handle updating your COVID pass along with your passport
Get your free name-change checklist to help you plan out all of the companies, government bodies and profiles you need to notify of your new name.
