Name change "reversal" after Naturalization?

[steppinthrax 0]

Weird question here, my wife changed her name during the naturalization process. The new name was printed on the Naturalization certificate. However, she now wants to change it back to what it was before.... All the old documents we have (Driver's License, Passport, etc...) has the old name. Our question is what's the simplest way to do this. My thought is I would have file all the appropriate documents with my state to perform a name change (like any normal name change). Is there a way the Naturalization certificate can be "modified" to just change the name? Are they the system of record, for the name?

[Hypnos 6,576]

My understanding is that she would need to petition her local court seeking another name change, since naturalisation legally changed it, and she now needs to legally change it again.

[JimmyHou 610]

Weird question here, my wife changed her name during the naturalization process. The new name was printed on the Naturalization certificate. However, she now wants to change it back to what it was before.... All the old documents we have (Driver's License, Passport, etc...) has the old name. Our question is what's the simplest way to do this. My thought is I would have file all the appropriate documents with my state to perform a name change (like any normal name change). Is there a way the Naturalization certificate can be "modified" to just change the name? Are they the system of record, for the name?

Once the name change is legal and finalized, your wife can apply for a replacement naturalization certificate. If she submits proof of name change with her application, the new certificates should be issued in her new (or in this case her original) name. I don't know how much a replacement certificate costs, but I imagine it's expensive. There's really no reason to change the naturalization certificate. An easier approach would be to just get a new US passport. You say that her passport has her old name, but you must mean her passport from her home country. Because the US passport that she got after naturalization would have had the name on her certificate. If she gets a new passport, that will serve as proof of her citizenship, and she shouldn't need the naturalization certificate. If she does need the naturalization certificate for any reason, then she can use her current certificate along with the legal name change document.

[steppinthrax 0]

OK thanks,

That is what I thought. I just got all the info filled out for "Petition for change of name". Yes, the Nat Cert is 345!!!!! I'm going to try to do this w/o changing the Nat cert. I hope I don't have to do that.

[CowBoE 429]

That is interesting situation. I guess sometimes we have to take one step forward and one step backward.

Good luck.