Questions:

• I'm a woman who is planning to be married soon. Do I have to take my husband's name?
• Can my husband and I both change our names to a hyphenated version of our two names or to a brand new name?
• What if I do want to take my new spouse's name? How do I make the change?
• I just married my same-sex partner. Can I change my last name to be the same as hers?

Answer:

Can my husband and I both change our names to a hyphenated version of our two names or to a brand new name?

Yes, but in most places you'll have to get a court order to do it. Some couples want to be known by a hyphenated combination of their last names, and a few even make up new names that combine elements of each. For example, Ellen Berman and Jack Gendler might become Ellen and Jack Berman-Gendler or, perhaps, Ellen and Jack Bergen. You can also pick a name that's entirely different from the names you have now, just because you like it better. In the past, it was relatively easy to make all these changes simply by consistently using your new name. Today, you will need to go to court to get an official order changing your name to anything other than your new spouse's last name. Your department of motor vehicles will likely make post-marriage name changes to only one of the names that's on the marriage certficate, or, in some cases, to a hyphenated name that uses both.