Advice needed on how to change surname personally not professionally

[firsttimemom77]

Hi,

I am an academic working at a UK University. I got my PhD in my maiden name, and I want to keep working under my maiden name. However in my personal life I want to change my name to adopt my husbands surname.

Does anyone have any advice on how to go about this, especially which documents I will need to change?

You need to contact relevant bodies (Passport office, DVLA, banks etc) and complete any relevant form and provide a copy of your marriage certificate for them to update your documents/records.

Thanks for your help.

I am unsure which documents to change though, as surely I will need some in my maiden name for proof of identity for job interviews? It's all very confusing.

You can use whichever name you want for professional purposes. If you don't want your married name on file at all, you may struggle, I don't know the finer details of that. But there's several professionals in my workplace that just 'go by' the name they got their qualification in, regardless of any future legal name change.

Plenty of people manage to make it work so I assume you would have to provide both an identity document and your marriage certificate for any necessary checks.

You can have both names in your passport – you get an official 'also known as' with the second name, and then it is proof of ID for both names. This is really common in academia in the UK – no one's ever seemed remotely surprised at interview.

I did make my maiden name a second middle name in my married name so for countries that aren't used to the two names option, one name is just a subset of the other.

I have one bank account as Dr. Professional Name and one as Ms. Married Name. DVLA I switched to married name, as I need proof of name and address for that more often (collecting a parcel, getting a library card, etc.).

Thank you! That's really helpful.

I do this, it was only at Uni where I’m completing my PHD that I had to use the surname that is now on my passport and driving licence. I still use my maiden surname at work but my DBS has to be in my married surname as that is now my official surname. I’ve kept my bank accounts in maiden name but came unstuck when I lost my debit card & couldn’t get money out over the counter as I needed ID in the account. I understand you are not legally allowed to use two surnames. I regret changing my surname on anything.

You switch to your married name like any other married woman would, and just informally use your maiden name at work.

I use my maiden name for work and married name for everything else and have done for over 20 years. I don't have anything official in my maiden name and have never been asked for this by the university - I'd expect if anything was ever needed that my marriage license would be sufficient. My bank account is in my married name and this doesn't cause any problems. Just have to remember to book travel under my married name but that's also never been a problem.

I do wonder why women do this. You can introduce yourself as 'mrs X' to people without changing your ID on anything. Why does your passport need to say mrs X too? Couldn't you leave it at ms Y for administrative purposes? It seems so much hassle to change a name when really the only thing that matters is what you introduce yourself as!

@skkyelark
I’ve never seen an also known as in a British passport? i will check with passport office as this would be very good for me

Wouldn’t it be easier to keep official documents as they are and just tell people your surname is now ‘X’? It would save a lot of hassle!

I never did. I was established in my profession and kept all my documents in the name I was known as (it was also a much nicer surname than my husband's and went with my first name whereas his surname didn't)

A friend also didn't change her name on documents but was known to her children's schools as Mrs Husbandsname. She didn't ever have to prove that she was Mrs Husbandsname! Their council tax is in their real names but the utility bills are in a common name (Betty and Fred Husbandsname) as the money comes from his bank account and nobody has asked for proof that Betty Husbandsname actually exists.

Your university will need to have the same name on their HR/Payroll system as the bank account into which your salary will be paid. Otherwise the bank will return the payment.

It is common for Jane Smith, to appear on the system as Jane Brown, known as Jane Smith.

I am Dr BirthName at work.

I am Mrs MarriedName out of work. My passport and driving licence are my official documents, and are in my married name - I also changed the name on my bank account.

I changed my name when I had a child, rather than when I got married.

I told payroll, HR and HMRC that I'd changed my name "officially". It really wasn't a problem. You're a national insurance number to those people anyway.

It's never been a problem (it's been 16 years). The only thing that needs a little bit of extra thought is travelling abroad for work, but we have an online travel booking system that allows you to log your passport details and "other" names. It's not unusual for people to use 2 names.

It's definitely possible, because I've got one!

I'm afraid I can't remember exactly how I first did it, so it clearly wasn't difficult enough to be memorable. I think I uploaded a short letter saying I wanted both names because I used my maiden name professionally and provided a copy of my University ID and a link to my university profile as proof. I didn't get asked any further questions or anything.

For people asking why bother having an official married name, I did because we knew we wanted children, and we're a household where everyone has multiple nationalities. Some countries have a stronger expectation of family surnames matching, so it makes life easier that there is one official surname that applies to the whole family.

Incorrect. My payroll is my maiden name and my bank account is my married name.

@CloudPop - interesting, my Payroll team have always advised that the Payroll/HR System name has to be the same as on the bank account, otherwise the payment will be returned. I'll let them know they are wrong.

Well it sounds plausible doesn't it - it does seem odd to deposit money into an account with a different name! But mine is fine.

If you have to travel abroad for work (conferences?) and someone else arranges the travel, just make sure they book it in the name that's on your passport.

Not all married women switch to their “married name”

I kept my birth name both formally and informally. It is so much easier not having to produce a marriage certificate every time a form asks if you’ve changed your name.

even stuff like kids passports. One less admin step.

Just use your married name informally in social
Situations?

Must less effort than changing your passport etc. And no risk of having to change them back.

You will have to do a deed poll to officially change name/surname AFAIK
The process is sightly different in Scotland, I think

From what I remember when I did this a few years ago, there was an option to declare professional names that you want to be known by

you might find this website useful
https://www.deedpoll.org.uk/

There are several options

a) keep your maiden name on all official documents (passport, bank etc) and on your academic work. use married name informally with school etc.

b) switch to married name on all official documents but continue to use your maiden name on academic work. the only fiddly bit is if another university books travel for you, you have to make sure they use the right name.

but whatever you do, don't change your name on some official paperwork and not other bits because that gets very confusing.

you won't need a deed poll, just the marriage certificate is enough.

You don't have to do deed poll if you're changing your name post marriage!