Name Change after Marriage

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!

Hyphenated Names: The Top 3 Pros of Taking Both Last Names After Marriage

Considering hyphenated names as a newlywed? There are so many married name change options available today, that it is important to weigh the pro’s and con’s of each one before you make your final decision to legally become a Mrs. Below find a list of the top three pro’s for hyphenated names

Hyphenated Names: Top 3 Pro’s
1. You get to keep your maiden name in a big way. While you’re adding a hyphen and your spouse’s name, your maiden name remains highly visible and will be used daily.
2. Easy recognition/transition. If you work in a profession that relies on name recognition (this means you doctors, lawyers, realtors and writers), having both names will make it simple for clients or patients to refer/find you, during and after your name change.
3. Increased SEO. Studies show that women who have hyphenated names show higher in Google search rankings than peers who opted to keep their maiden name or just take their spouses name.
What are your views? Did we miss a pro? Please let us know in a comment below!

If you intend to change your name, MissNowMrs can help. Use our name change app or online service to save 13 hours of hassle!

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3 Tips to Make Your Name Change Decision A Snap!

Your name change decision is a big one. While some of us newlyweds don’t want to change our names (and shouldn’t.) 88.6% of brides/newlyweds are still making the switch to Mrs. What if you can’t decide if you want to change your name? Read on for 3 tips to make your name change decision a snap!

Tip 1 –Talk to your spouse. Find out if they want you to change your name and why. There may be some fact or factor that you are unaware of that will make the decision easier. Perhaps they’re the last to carry the family name or have spent a lifetime imagining introducing their wife as Mrs. XYZ. Conversely, you may have assumed they want you to change your last name, but they might be happy to take yours.

Tip 2 – Figure out your options. There are SO many ways to change your name these days! You can take two last names, hyphenate, take your maiden as a middle, replace your middle with your maiden or even blend last names (in some states). Check into your state laws or play the Married Name Game to find out all of your married name change options…you may feel much better when you find your ideal compromise

Tip 3 – Try it out. Test your new name out by introducing yourself as such and signing it on a few things (nothing official)…you may feel less awkward than you thought. You can also talk to your friends about the whole new name idea and see what they think about your situation.

At the end of the day, married name change is entirely up to you. Do what feels best for you and your relationship. There is no official time limit on name change, so you can take your time to make the right decision. If you do decided to go from Miss to Mrs. be sure to use MissNowMrs to streamline the name change process and save 13 hours of hassle!

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PA Maiden to Middle Name Change After Marriage Update!

Attention Pennsylvania brides and newlyweds: we have a PA maiden to middle name update! You now have the right to change your maiden name to your middle name, after marriage! After several years of saying “no”, the PA DMV has recently updated their position on maiden to middle name change. As long as you file certain forms ahead of your state driver’s license and bring specific forms of ID showing your maiden name as your middle name, you can now take your maiden name on your PA driver’s license without going through the legal name change process. Whoohoo!

The PA DMV will allow maiden to middle name change after marriage, IF you can show a Social Security card with your maiden name as a middle name and 2 of the following forms of ID with that same name: voter registration, passport, tax records or any form or government issued photo IDs. So as long as you file for your new SS card and your other forms of ID and wait to receive them before you file for your PA driver’s license, you’ll have no issues changing your middle name in Pennsylvania!

Interested in taking your maiden name as their middle name? The MissNowMrs name change app and service can save you 13 hours of hassle!

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First Name & Last Name Change After Marriage:The Full Scoop

First name & last name change… who does that?! The internet is a buzz with the news of Fergie changing her name. Lots of women change their last names to their spouse’s, but Fergie is famous and is changing her first name as well as her last name. The starlet will go from Stacy Ann Ferguson to Fergie Duhamel.

Our support team handles numerous questions from brides inquiring if they can change their first name while changing their last name after marriage, so here’s the scoop: MissNowMrs would love to assist you with your name change, but can only help you with a middle* or last name change via the married name change process. To change your first name, you will need to petition the U.S. court system for a legal name change order.

Many brides don’t want to deal with the hassle of legal name change, which includes being fingerprinted and posting ads in newspapers announcing your intended name change. Others really hate their first names (seriously who names a child Agnes or Mildred?) or have been using a different name for the majority of their life.

If you fall into the latter category, like Fergie, we suggest checking out our legal name change partner Legal Zoom to make the process easier.

*Please note that brides in CA, PA, WA, NJ and OH do not have the option to take their maiden name as a middle name per state law.

Miss to Mrs

How exciting is the transition from Miss to Mrs?! Getting married is an amazing event that changes your life and many times your last name. I saw this Mrs. necklace on Pinterest and couldn’t help but share it on the newlywed blog! Could there be a more adorable gift for a bridal shower or anniversary gift?

Leave it to Kate Spade to come up with a classy and stylish way to commemorate making the transition from Miss to Mrs…I only wish the necklace came in rose gold!

Is this bauble something you wish your spouse had surprised you with or something you may “gift yourself” after you legally change your last name? Perhaps you could mention that a particular jewelry purchase would incentivize you to take the plunge into name change…hint…hint!
If you are planning to change your name, let MissNowMrs save you countless hours of stress and hassle. We’ll help you go from Miss to Mrs. in a matter of minutes!