[Vocabulary] women's name after marriage

Status
Not open for further replies.

atabitaraf

Key Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
Do women's last names change after marriage? If she is married to Mr. Brown, so she will be Mrs. Brown?
And if it is a formal process? I mean on her ID cards, her name should be changed?
 
Last edited:

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Do women's last names change after marriage? If she is married to Mr. Brown, so she will be Mrs. Brown?
And if it is a formal process? I mean on her ID cards, her name should changed?

In the UK it's optional. (We don't have ID cards.)
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
My first wife took my name; her sister hyphenated her husband's name with hers; my second wife kept her own name.

ps. I do have an (out of date) ID card. They were obligatory during the 1939-45 war, and for seven years after.
 

atabitaraf

Key Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
My first wife took my name; her sister hyphenated her husband's name with hers; my second wife kept her own name.

ps. I do have an (out of date) ID card. They were obligatory during the 1939-45 war, and for seven years after.

So where did your wife or the other people write their husband's names? On the internet or any kind of national web?
When you go to a company if the web is not working there, that would be a delay for the job. And all the companies and institutes must be organized with computer stuff; that would be a hassle for the people who dislike computers; lots of elderly people do.
 

atabitaraf

Key Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
I think passport is a kind of ID card on which you make the changes, is't it?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
So where did your wife or the other people write their husband's names? On the internet or any kind of national web?
When you go to a company if the web is not working there, that would be a delay for the job. And all the companies and institutes must be organized with computer stuff; that would be a hassle for the people who dislike computers; lots of elderly people do.
I don't understand the question.

In Britain, so long as there is no intent to deceive, we can call ourselves anything we wish. We do not have to register our own or our spouse's name anywhere. Of course, if we wish to be known by the name we have chosen, then we need to inform those people we wish to use that name of our decision.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I think passport is a kind of ID card on which you make the changes, is't it?
No.

A passport (definition 1) is a document that may be required to allow citizens to leave their own country, and that is generally required before people are allowed to enter another country.

An identity card is something that people in most countries in the world have to carry in order to prove their identity when required.

Changes in both documents can normally be made only by the issuing authority.
 
Last edited:

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
So where did your wife or the other people write their husband's names? On the internet or any kind of national web?
When you go to a company if the web is not working there, that would be a delay for the job. And all the companies and institutes must be organized with computer stuff; that would be a hassle for the people who dislike computers; lots of elderly people do.
Like 5jj, I don't understand this. But I do know that it's about computerized bureaucracy, and women who marry do have problems with that. I worked with married women who had taken their husband's name but kept their computer account name as if they were unmarried. (Of course, this itself can cause confusion. Women who marry - because of the ubiquity of computerized records - have to choose the lesser of two evils! I'm all right, Jack! - though I did consider changing my name by Deed Poll before getting married, so that MrsK could change her name to mine (which by that time would be hers). I chickened out though. ;-)

b
 

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
In the US, a state-issued driver's license is the most common form of ID. And yes, if a woman chooses to change her name after getting married she has to notify various entities that she has done so. These include the post office, credit cards/banks, and the state driver's license bureau.
 

atabitaraf

Key Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
I don't understand the question.

In Britain, so long as there is no intent to deceive, we can call ourselves anything we wish. We do not have to register our own or our spouse's name anywhere. Of course, if we wish to be known by the name we have chosen, then we need to inform those people we wish to use that name of our decision.
I mean when a girl is born, if she wants to write her name to register at school or if she wants to take her passport, her given name and last name from her parents are written on documents.
Now, when she is married and if she wants to be called with her husband's name, she has to change her passport or any other documents.
Ex. 'Mary Brown' gets married to 'John White', so can she change the documents so her new name 'Mary White' is written on them?
 

atabitaraf

Key Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
In the US, a state-issued driver's license is the most common form of ID. And yes, if a woman chooses to change her name after getting married she has to notify various entities that she has done so. These include the post office, credit cards/banks, and the state driver's license bureau.

Yes, thank you for understanding my question SoothingDave.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Ex. 'Mary Brown' gets married to 'John White', so can she change the documents so her new name 'Mary White' is written on them?
I explained the situation in Britain in post #6: " Of course, if we wish to be known by the name we have chosen, then we need to inform those people we wish to use that name of our decision."
 

atabitaraf

Key Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Persian
Home Country
Iran
Current Location
Iran
I explained the situation in Britain in post #6: " Of course, if we wish to be known by the name we have chosen, then we need to inform those people we wish to use that name of our decision."
Thank, but my question is: "Is it a formal process?" Like something SoothingDave said, you'd notify the post office, credit cards, driving licence bureau, etc?
And if you change your name so you have to notify all of them so you wouldn't have more than one name in different licences. Am I right?
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Thank, but my question is: "Is it a formal process?" Like something SoothingDave said, you'd notify the post office, credit cards, driving licence bureau, etc?
And if you change your name so you have to notify all of them so you wouldn't have more than one name in different licences. Am I right?
You don't have to notify anybody, but they will continue to use your former name if you don't. You can't have different names in different driving licences, because you can hold only one valid licence.

I made a minor change to my name once. I informed most people but never got round to informing the driving licence authority.This means that my passport, International Certificate of Competence (Sailing) and various other documents show one name, and my driving licence shows a slightly different one. This is perfectly legal - though it has occasionally caused problems when I have rented a car in some countries. I'll do something about it one day.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
There is no obligation for a woman to change her surname after marriage in the UK. Getting married doesn't change her name. Getting married gives her the option to change her surname.

If a woman chooses to change her name, it is probably more practical for her to change it on all official documentation, but it is not obligatory to do so.

For example, if she chooses to change her surname, she can send her current passport (in her maiden name) to the passport office along with her marriage certificate and an application form. She will then receive a new passport showing her married name.
If she chooses to change her surname on her driving licence, she does the same thing - she sends her current driving licence, an application form and [a copy of] her marriage certificate to DVLA (the licensing authority) and they will issue a new licence with her married name.
Most official changes must be made by the individual woman by writing to the relevant authority (bank, tax office etc) and enclosing a copy of her marriage certificate.

These days, quite a lot of people choose to change their name for the private life, but not for their work life. If you have worked for a company for several years, and everyone knows you as Julie Smith, it's practical to keep that name at work. There is no obligation to tell your employer that you are now married and you do not have to change your name at work.
 
Last edited:

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
My last wife thought about joining her last name to mine, but I dissuaded her, so she kept her maiden name, "Tangled". My penultimate wife, Jane Cobb, also decided to retain her maiden name on its own.

5JJ Webb

:-D
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I had forgotten my antepenultimate wife (that marriage didn't last, I am happy to say). Emma Spydas also retained her maiden name, without the addition of mine. My current fianc[FONT=&quot]ée, Ms Werldwaid hasn't made up her mind yet.[/FONT]
 

aachu

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Urdu
Home Country
Pakistan
Current Location
Afghanistan
5jj, how many wives did you have in all?... I my country hardly anyone(one in lac will be my guess) marries twice. If he does, most of the time he has to endure the bother of living with both of his wives. Divorce is a rare commodity here. He(poor man of east) isn't as lucky as you are, 5jj.

I don't know how you or other moderators will react to this post, but I didn't mean to offend you or anyone else. I just felt like talking to you dear sir.
 
Last edited:

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
You can take 5jj's "ex-wife" posts with a pinch of salt. Read them again and have a look at the maiden names he has mentioned along with his "surname". You will get a good lesson in English puns. Of course, he might have been married several times. It's not unusual at all in the UK. My uncle is on his third marriage and he's only 53.
 

aachu

Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Urdu
Home Country
Pakistan
Current Location
Afghanistan
Oh, ems, I thought these were the real names of 5jj's ex-wives. I was wondering how could 5jj name his ex-wives in this fashion, that too on public forums, but then I thought to myself, maybe it's a normal thing in the west until you dispelled my that thought by your post that he was making puns.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top