Choosing a Married Name In The US

[rms171 20]

Happy New Year. I am thrilled to finally post a question on this forum as it means somebody is moving to the US in a week. Yippee.

My fiancee arrives from the Dominican Republic next weekend, after which we will get married a week later. I need some help on names as I am very sensitive to cultural differences when it comes to names in different countries. This is perhaps THE last item that we have to resolve before we are married, and no matter the answer, I will be happy, because there is more to life than a name anyway. Dominicans have two last names, the father and the mother. When a Dominican marries in his/her country what happens to the dual last names? I am asking because I don't know what to suggest to my fiancee when she arrives here and the topic of name change needs to be answered. Anything goes in the US though traditionally speaking the groom's last name is taken. So I am not sure what I should be telling her. If you are Dominican or from a country where two last names are customary, and you moved to the United States and married, what did you do?

I'm sorry if I put this in the wrong spot on the website. Happy to take private emails if you prefer to share one-to-one.

Michael

[tarzan31 27]

My wife is from Guatemala, also having come with two last names. She chose to take my last name. It is all about personal choice.

[A'n'L 735]

Why don't you just ask her? I'm sure she can inform both if he customs and her personal opinion. After all, that's all that matters.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I appreciate that you understand that 'anything goes' here.....since she doesn't need to change her name at all if she's happy with what she's got, the notion of the woman 'automatically' changing her name once married is a little antiquated. Only about half of my female friends have changed their names and then some only hyphenated. I personally changed mine since my now husband's name was/is so easily pronounceable in comparison to my maiden name.

Whatever she decides, you may both want to consider how any future children will be named.

[Shawn&Jaque 11]

In my case, I left it up to her. She has her mother's and father's last name and she is choosing to drop her father's last name and add mine. You can go about it many different ways, whatever makes her comfortable is best.

[nkeila 0]

I recently change my name to my husband last name and in the DMV they put both of his last name (2) i couldn't believe, because it used to be only one last name his father one, but the lady when to ask her supervisor and returned to me and told me since the marriage certificate shows that he has two last name she can not put me only one it has to be two, unless I bring an official document of his with one last name of his, for me this was odd. and now I have his two last name.