What if you want to use both your maiden and your husband's surnames?

Far as I'm aware, there are no males to carry on my family name anymore. Not that I'd pass it on to my children though. That really is too complicated (though my BIL's kids use both his surname and their mothers).

I kept my whole name... first name, middle name (usually the midddle initial) and last name and then hyphenated the last name. I have an odd last name and it's sing songy but people tend not to forget it.  I do at times wish it was shorter as I tend to feel like I take forever signing things...

People never quite know what to call me and I get some odd ones... some call me by my maiden name, some by my husbands name and others use both.    One thing that struck me is that in the US I always used Ms.  and here I understand it as mostly only divorced women use it... which is odd to me.... so I tend to use Mrs. but with my hyphenated name my husband often gets post or calls to Mr. hyphenated name..     We still don't know about the kids....

To clarify, I definitely want to take my husband's name. I just don't want to lose my maiden name.  (Perhaps it would be different if I were marrying in my 20's). I am fine with our children having my husband's name.   I think that there are so many "alternate parenting arrangements" nowadays that it is quite common for a child's surname not to match his parent's or guardian's.   If a clerical worker can't connect you or your husband with your child because of different last names, then a number of their clients are probably having difficulties, and eventually the office will wise up, if they want to keep their clientele,  and start including spaces for separate surnames for parent and child on forms.

I would like to use either firstname maidenname husband's name or firstname (possibly middle name--I love my middle name) hyphenated name.

I just wanted to know how to do this legally.

Thanks everyone for your help.

P.S. No males to carry on my family name either.

I did mine in the USA first and when we came here everything was already in my new name.  I hope someone can help you with the UK side.

You take whatever form of name you decide when you get married.  Your marriage certificate will be your "proof" that you are entitled to take your husband's name, in whatever form.  I am not aware that if you decide to double-barrell your name that you actually have to change it by deed poll or stat dec or anything else.  Deed poll and stat dec is for when you're changing your name for any other reason.

The Embassy simply wanted my marriage certificate and asked me how I wanted my passport to read (when I got it amended).

Yeah, I think that when you get married, you pretty much have freedom to do what you want without jumping through legal hoops.

So legally, my mouthful of a name will be First Middle Maiden-Hubbyname.

I intend for this name to appear on official documents (passport, etc) but professionally/socially just do adjust as I see fit.

Part of the reason I haven't done anything yet is I can't afford to pay for the passport/visa change now (both financially and in terms of sending my passport off).

So now everything is a bit of a muddle!

The only official name change I've done was for my social security card.  When we were in the US for Christmas, I went to the DSS office near my mom's house and showed them my marriage license (married name, obviously) and my passport (maiden name).  They sent the new card to my mom's house about a week later.

On my SS card, I'm Lola Ellen Married.  In my passport, I'm still Lola Ellen Maiden.  At work, I'm Lola Married.  On my UK bank account and credit cards, I'm Lola Ellen Married.  On my US accounts, I'm Lola Ellen Maiden.  For my UK drivers license, I'll send in my passport and marriage certificate, registering as Lola Ellen Married.

I don't plan on changing my name in my passport because it's not really neccessary.  We book my flights in my maiden name and my spousal visa shows that I'm the spouse of Richard Married, if that info is needed.  I'll probably change it when I renew my passport in 2008. 

I figured the social security card was the biggie as I wanted to make sure that the name associated with my SSN was the same as my name at work (and thus the name on my payslips and P60) for tax purposes.

Lola, I haven't bothered with my passport either.  It's due to be renewed in a year or so, and I'll take care of it then.

Lola, I haven't bothered with my passport either.  It's due to be renewed in a year or so, and I'll take care of it then.

Yeah...I don't want to pay for it and I REALLY don't want to send it anywhere!  I'm so pissed that I have to send it away for my driving license but hey, I want that baby BAD, so I'll do it.   

I was lucky, I amended it back when I just had to show up at the Embassy and it was free.  It was still relatively new (my passport) so it didn't make sense to have it re-issued.

Not to sound cheeky, but I'm sooo glad I took my maiden name as my middle name (no men here to carry the name, either). Now in my 3rd (and final) marriage, the only constant has been my middle name......which is good, because in doing the visa process to return to the US with all the different names on the various documentation.....its been nice to have that one recurring name!

I guess I should have explained that I'm called by my middle name, so I couldn't have dropped it! 

i use my maiden name as my middle name now, and it's on everything as a full name.  First name Maiden Name New Surname.

So much easier that way......i need to get a few things changed, but things like our bank accounts, my NI card, stuff like that have my full name as above.

I dropped my 'born' middlename which was sad, but not the end of the world.

DITTO!!!!!   I kind of wish I had kept my middle name!  I mean, I'n not really Stacey J anymore   Makes me sad!!!  My parents still call me that though!

I've been wondering about this too.  I think I should have my finace's surname somewhere in my passport to make life easier in the future (you never know, right?) but I want to retain my maiden name at least professionally, if not generally.

Here's something I found out about deed-polls which someone might find useful. 

First off, you can even change your name to Minnie Mouse or Hannibal Lecter or Elton John (if you really want to); WHATEVER combination of Maiden/ Married Name you want is easily done. Hurray!!

Whether you want your maiden name as a middle name, or whether you are going to have a double-barrelled surname (hyphenated or not), you MUST change your name by deed-poll-- it's only if you drop your maiden name and take married name that you don't have to do this.

TIP: If BOTH of you are going to opt for a double-barrelled surname, then the easiest thing to do is have the man change his name by deed-poll BEFORE the marriage-- that way, the marriage cert will be sufficient for the woman to change her name, eliminating the need to do 2 deed-polls.

I got this information from the Deed-Poll website and also an external company that aids people in the deed-poll process.

Now I just have to figure out what name to use and where!!

Ok, so what's the difference between a Statutory Declaration (which the US Embassy recognises -- see link earlier in the thread) and Deed Poll?