maiden name

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

Omarosa Married Name Change?

Omarosa Manigault just tied the knot with John Allen Newman… and of course we’re all curious “will she change her name?” Omarosa became a reality star on the first season of The Apprentice. Most Americans know her by her first name, so perhaps a switch to Mrs. Omarosa Newman is in the cards.

There are several factors that heavily influence a woman’s decision to change her name. One of the biggest is the age of the bride at the time of her marriage. Omarosa is 43, so that would point to her keeping her maiden name. Another factor that plays into name change after marriage is a woman’s level of education. The more educated a woman is, the more likely she is to keep her maiden name in some way (just think of all the framed diplomas that would have to change.) Omarosa has a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and started but did not complete her Ph.D., so that skews her more towards keeping her last name of Manigault.

Another name-change prediction detail to consider is the fact that Omarosa opted to hyphenate her name with her spouse’s last name in her previous marriage.

Despite all of these factors pointing towards Omarosa sticking with her maiden name, there is the wild card called love. Many female celebrities and professional women opt to make the switch to Mrs. for a variety of reasons. So, our prediction for Ms. Omarosa’s name change is hazy with a chance for surprise. Regardless, we wish her and John a lifetime of love and happiness!

Name Change Questions to Ask Yourself

As wedding season hits full bloom, brides are beginning to ask themselves name change questions. Remember back to middle school when you tried on various boyfriends’ last names to see how they sounded? This is the real-life version of that game. Newlyweds have to decide if they will keep their maiden names or change to a married name.

The MissNowMrs name change experts have come up with some facts and name change questions to help you as you ponder your married name change decision.

There are many name change options to consider. You don’t have to choose between your maiden name or your spouse’s last name. Brides today can hyphenate, take two last names without hyphenation, take their maiden name as a second middle name, replace their middle name with their maiden name or keep their maiden name. Not having to part with your maiden name completely can make your decision process easier.

Think about your life now and in the future. Is your career tied to your maiden name? If so, it may be wise to keep your maiden name or choose a married name change option that includes your maiden name with your spouse’s name. Do you plan to have children? How would you and your spouse feel about having different names than your children? How will your children feel? Asking these questions can help you refine you feelings about married name change and what is best for you.

Will you? Won’t you? While there isn’t a time limit for deciding to change your name after marriage, it is wise to make the decision as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more things you will need to change if you opt to change your name (ex: leases, insurance, mortgages, bank accounts.) We’re big fans of the Band-Aid mentality.

If you’re going to change your name, do it, and do it as quickly as possible. That’s why we created MissNowMrs.com to streamline the 13 hours hassle of changing your name after marriage into a 30 minute app or online experience! We’ve also created a free married name change checklist that details the entire process of making the transition to Mrs!

Photo credit: Kenziemil

Married Name Change: Why Now Is Better Than Later

Most newlyweds wait a few months to change their names after marriage, so after the Spring/Summer wedding boom comes a flurry of name changes in the Fall. While not every woman should change her name, it is advisable for newlyweds intending to make the legal switch to Mrs. to do so as soon as they can.

Why? It’s pretty simple: the more things with your maiden name on them, the longer it will take you to change all of them to your new married name! The longer you wait to change your name, the more “stuff” you accumulate with your maiden name on it.

This “stuff” includes big things like mortgages, leases, vehicle titles, insurance policies and smaller things like airline miles and gym memberships. Outside of the entities mentioned, as the holidays approach “other stuff” lurks….stuff like holiday cards, mis-engraved gifts from family members (seriously), and company awards (I have a massive plaque showing a hyphenated last name I never took).

So, if you’re married and pondering name change, now is the time to pull the trigger. You can DIY and figure out the SS-5, IRS 8822, Passport 5504 and other government form gems using our free married name change checklist or save 13 hours of name-change form research, completion, and filing by using the MissNowMrs online name change service. We condense the 13 hour process of becoming a Mrs. into 30 minutes for $30…..which seems like a very nice pre-holiday gift for you from you!

Gwen Stefani Name Change

Back in 2002, newlywed Gwen Stefani change her name to Gwen Stefani Rossdale. Now that she’s single, the singer has filed to change her name back to her maiden name.
We mostly write about married name change in this blog, but divorce name change happens. MissNowMrs.com has a sister site for divorcees looking to go back to their maiden names: GetYourNameBack.com. The divorce name change process is the same as the married name change process, except you need a name-change order within your divorce decree (which is a paragraph stating you will be returning to your maiden name) instead of a marriage certificate.

An alternate way for women to change their names after divorce is if they re-marry. **It is important that they list their legal name (so not their maiden name) on the marriage certificate so it will allow them to change from their legal name to their new married name. If a divorce women writes her maiden name on a marriage certificate, most offices will not allow her to change to her married name using the married name change process. Much hoopla, red tape, and wasted time ensues.
We wish Gwen Stefani the very best, and hope that she uses MissNowMrs.com to change her name once again if she walks down the aisle with Blake Shelton!

Is Keeping Your Maiden Name a Huge Mistake?

Considering keeping your maiden name? In the controversial world of married name change there is much debate around whether a woman should change her name after marriage. In the whirlwind of debate there are the multiple choices of names that a married woman can opt to take.

Name change is a personal decision for every bride, and she should weigh all the factors that are important to her and her name now and in the future to avoid making a mistake that can last for decades.

Many women punt on the married name change decision and wait a few years or until they’re pregnant to make a choice. While that may take the pressure off as a newlywed, it intensifies the pressure into a 9 month block later in life. Consider how important it is to you to have the same name as your child or children.

Does it matter that you may need to explain your marital status and mis-matched names at various schools and social functions? Do you think your kids will feel less connected as a family if they have your spouse’s last name and you use your maiden name? Again, the choice is very much up to you and how you feel.

I recently read an article about a mother lamenting keeping her maiden name. It’s rare to have a window into another person’s feelings about their name and name-change choices, so I was intrigued. If you want to know why one mom feels that keeping her maiden name was a huge mistake, read Jill Simonian’s story. The main takeaway from her story is that “My name doesn’t match the people that are most important to me, which makes me sad, guilty, confused and scared.” Those are big emotions, so take a moment and make sure that you won’t feel similarly if you keep your maiden name.

If you do decide that changing your name after marriage is the right choice for you and your (future) family don’t waste 13 hours standing in long office lines. Use the MissNowMrs easy online name change service or app to go from Miss to Mrs. in a matter of minutes!

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