Changing Wife's Name

A woman carries the name of her family before marriage which is called as the maiden name. When a woman is married, she starts using her husband's name and his family name after her first name. In most of the states of South India, women do not adopt the surname of their husbands, but the first name of their husbands. In some states, the surname of the husband is assumed as her own after marriage. In Western Maharastra, the general custom is to adopt the first name and the surname of the husband after marriage. Generally, the first name of a woman is considered as the maiden name and is then substituted by the family surname of the groom. Many a times, the first name of the bride is also to be changed as per a few customs.

There are several things to be kept in mind while opting to change the name of the wife. An extra marriage certificate should be ordered, so that they are sufficient certificates for agencies that need originals for name change. An example of this type of agency is department of motor vehicle. A new identification number should be ordered which will reflect the change in the name of the wife. If a driving license is required, a visit to the department is a must.

Complete detailed documents of the change in name should be sent along with the passport and certificate of marriage, so that necessary changes can be made. One should order several replacements forms for checks, credit cards, business cards and any other documents that contained the old name. Employees should be informed of the change in name and a request should be sent to change them in the records. This practice can even be done through newspapers for official and public declaration. The registration number of mortgage and insurance companies should be changed. An announcement should be made to family members and friends.

The name of the wife is changed especially to endow her with a sense of belonging to the husband's family. In case, the wife does not want to change her maiden name, it can be kept the same. In such a case, during the time of marriage, the certificate should clearly mention that the wife will retain the maiden name.