Many brides (and some grooms) change their names after marriage. What’s become more common in the past decade is to hyphenate your name. The reasons for this are varied: One of the most common reasons women take on their husbands’ names in the first place is for the sake of the children. Should you hyphenate, you can still keep your maiden name, yet know your children will share the same name.

Women like to include their maiden name after marriage so as to keep a part of their past alive, and also for career purposes. “Roberta Jones” still carries weight when changed to “Roberta Jones-Truman.” It’s symbolic of your old life and your new life blended together.

There’s also the sound of the names; married women like the sound of the additional name added on to their own. In rare cases, the husband will join in the hyphenation and put his last name in the middle; usually after a joint decision that your last name sounds better at the end. It’s also possible that he’d like to honor you in a whole new way.

If you do hyphen your name, and change it legally, it will still be a different last name as his. (An alternative is to go without hyphens, so you can be “Roberta Jones” for work, and “Roberta Jones-Truman” at home.) In that case, “Jones” is effectively your new middle name.

Whatever you decide, you have to make sure the paperwork is completed. Contrary to what many people think, the marriage license does not make your new name legal. You will need a copy of the document, and a new social security card. Once you have your documents, contact the State Supreme Court to find out about specific requirements for your state. Depending on where you live, you might be able to complete the paperwork online.

Once your new name is legal, contact banks, credit cards, employers, etc. Change your passport as well. For insurance companies, you’ll probably need to make a trip to the office. Remember the little things as well, like magazine subscriptions. The best reminder is to check any piece of new mail that asks if you’ve changed your name and address.

-David Toussaint

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