Adding married name to passport (when I didn't take DH's name on marriage)

[Freetodowhatiwant]

Hi,

I was wondering if you could help me. When we were married 8 years ago I decided to keep my maiden name and this is the name that is on my marriage certificate. However I need a new passport and having flown so many times on my own with the kids have felt it would be good to add my husband's (and our children's) surname on the passport although I don't want to use it on anything else.

Do I need to change my name officially somewhere first? I'm confused as to whether I need to change it by deed poll, whether I can just send my marriage certificate to the passport office (given that my maiden name is on there...) or what? Thanks in advance for any help.

You can just use your marriage certificate.

I use married name personally and maiden name professionally - they can put a page in your passport that shows you as "also known as"

Completely depends on whether you're adding your husband's surname to your own, or changing your birth name to your husband 's name.

If you are Jane Jones and your husband is Smith, and you want a passport in Jane Jones Smith, you're probably going to need a change of name deed.

If you want to be Jane Smith, your marriage certificate will be fine.

AND - check with the passport office, I'm a random on the internet and you have no idea whether I'm right or not. They have a helpline and they don't bite, just ring them.

Everyone's marriage certificate has their birth/maiden name on it, so that won't stop you using it to change your name.

I want to be Jane Jones Smith on my passport but my marriage certificate just has me as Jane Jones and DH as John Smith. I didn't know that about a page with 'known as' @cabinfever but that's interesting. I think still I want to be Jane Jones Smith rather than Jane Smith, known as Jane Jones. It feels weird giving up my own name even after 8 years of being married! So I would rather just add his to my passport.

I was going to ring the passport office but I was wondering if anyone had any experience of it here as they are closed. I'm aware they don't bite, thanks!

Just found this on the Deed Poll website, looks like I need to change my name by Deed Poll first:

Contrary to popular belief, a woman's surname does not automatically change to her husband's surname upon marriage. Neither will your marriage certificate indicate in any way what surname you will be using following your marriage. A marriage certificate simply records the names of the couple who are marrying.

After your marriage, it is your own personal choice what you want your surname to be. Your options, which are explained in detail in this article, are:

Continue using your maiden name.
Take your husband's surname.
Change to a double-barrelled surname.
Take your husband's surname and make your maiden name a middle name.
"Mesh" your surnames to make a new surname.

3.3 Making your maiden name a middle name
Although most women are happy to take their husband's surname upon marriage, many do not like the idea of totally abandoning their family name and would like a way of keeping a link to their family without having a double-barrelled surname. The solution is to have your current surname added as a middle name. For example, if Sarah Ann WILLIAMS marries Michael JOHNSON, the new name will be Sarah Ann Williams JOHNSON. Furthermore, in recognition of the woman giving up her surname and taking her husband's surname, the man could add his wife's surname as a middle name too. Using the example above, the husband would change his name to Michael Williams JOHNSON. Such name changes can be accomplished by Deed Poll.

I didn't mean that in a bad way, I'm sorry if I offended you. I work in an area where so many people throw money away with real, long-lasting impact on their lives because they rely on internet advice instead of picking up the phone.

I think I let work overspill a little into my reply. Sorry.

Why are you doing this? You just need to carry photocopies of their birth certificates! Much cheaper and easier

The deed poll website is intended to encourage you to use a deed poll. You don’t need a deed poll.

And as pp said, I wouldn’t waste the energy on it. Carry birth and marriage certificate copies, or scans on your phone.

I’m confused - your marriage certificate will have your “maiden” surname on it. No woman’s marriage certificate will have her husband’s surname recorded as her surname, even if she intends to take his name from that day forward.

I travel with them a lot on my own and find it a bit irritating to be asked if I am their mother and for proof. I don't mind paying for this but always felt funny about changing my name. That's why adding his was the compromise and like pp said I can still be 'known as'. People ask me if one of my children is mine often anyway (due to difference in colouring) so I guess I am extra sensitive to it.

@gimbles what do you mean I don't need to change it by deed poll? Just my marriage certificate would do for the passport name change? Even if I am adding on his surname rather than replacing mine with his?

Just my marriage certificate would do for the passport name change? Even if I am adding on his surname rather than replacing mine with his?
Yes
You can use any name you want, unless you do it for malicious purposes. You only need a deed poll if you change your name because you won't get far with HMRC, DVLA, banks etc if you randomly decide to change your name. Every authority and business will accept a marriage certificate as proof of a name change.

You just apply to change your name on your passport, sending in your marriage certificate. That’s it.

Deed poll is a con

just do "also known as"

what do you mean I don't need to change it by deed poll?

Pretty self explanatory. You don’t need a deed poll.

The information you posted regarding deed polls was for rom a deed poll website, who’s interest is getting people to use deed polls.

The problem is you can’t just change your name on the passport and keep it as something else in all other circumstances: you are meant to demonstrate that you are using the name in all areas of life.

I would suggest you look at this:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/548220/Annex_A_passports_August_2016.pdf#page8

Have a look at 7.4. That may be the best option for you.

@tomboytown - even when adding my husband's name rather than replacing his with mine ie the more standard way?

Oh the expense thing is minimal as my passport is up for renewal - hence I am doing it now. We have actually been married for 8 years.

I use married name personally and maiden name professionally - they can put a page in your passport that shows you as "also known as"

When did you last change your passport?

I used to have "also known as" on my passport (my name and the name which matched the children's exact surname) and the last time I renewed it I was told this is no longer an option for general passports. This was in person at the passport office (the same day option) and the passport officer did check with her colleagues. It was about eight years ago.

The problem is you can’t just change your name on the passport and keep it as something else in all other circumstances: you are meant to demonstrate that you are using the name in all areas of life.
Bollocks.

My tax records do not match my UK passport.
My NHS records match neither
But both my names are fully legal

You can call yourself whatever you like
so long as not for the purposes of fraud

I did this last year. I was ‘Jane Jones’ for a few years after marriage and decided when my passport needed renewing to add my husband’s surname. I renewed my passport with the new name request and sent my marriage certificate. Passport received no problem for Jane Jones Smith. I am still Jane Jones professionally. I did request a known as Jane Jones on my passport but this was ignored!

You can call yourself whatever you like
so long as not for the purposes of fraud

When you say this @Ta1kinpeace do you mean you can call yourself what you like on your passport? I really just want to add his name to mine on my passport rather than be arsed with everything else! Plus it's taken me 8 years to get around to wanting to do even that! I'm quite attached to my existing name/identity. BUT I do want to have it on my passport for proof the children are mine so to speak without being asked to prove it all the time.

The problem is you can’t just change your name on the passport and keep it as something else in all other circumstances

I've been doing exactly that for decades.

OK perhaps I wasn’t clear.. in most circumstances when getting the passport in a new name, the passport office want to see that you are using it in other areas of life too before they will issue the passport. You can normally get away with it in marriage cases but some case workers can be funny if you are trying to ‘double barrel’ your name. Which they shouldn’t be, but they are.

Freetodo
My passport surname is not the same as my tax records or my NHS record.
I am DBS in both my surnames.
I'm a company director in one name
I'm a company shareholder in the other
My other passport name matches the other set
Both my nationalities are aware and happy that I have two names