✨ How to Change Your Name After Marriage (Or Any Time!) - The Ultimate Global Guide
Getting married? Recently divorced? Just feeling like a name refresh? Whatever your reason, changing your name is a deeply personal—and sometimes bureaucratic—process. But don’t worry, we’ve created this super friendly, step-by-step guide to make your name change smooth, smart, and stress-free.
This guide covers: ✅ Name change after marriage
✅ Reverting to your original name after divorce or separation
✅ Changing your name just because you want to
✅ Official documentation needed
✅ Differences between marriage certificates
✅ Country-specific advice for Australia, USA, UK, Canada, and Japan
✅ Heaps of links to make life easier
Let’s dive in!
🧡 Why People Change Their Name
Here are the top reasons people change their name:
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💍 Marriage (taking a spouse's name, hyphenating, or blending)
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💔 Divorce/separation (reverting to a birth name or previous name)
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🧘 Personal choice (gender affirmation, cultural identity, or aesthetics)
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👶 Adoption or guardianship changes
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✨ Spiritual or lifestyle reasons (new life, new you!)
In Australia, over 78% of married women still take their spouse’s surname, but an increasing number of couples now choose hyphenated or shared surnames, reflecting a shift toward equality and identity blending.
📝 What Documents Do You Need to Change Your Name?
No matter why you're changing your name, you’ll usually need:
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✅ Your official marriage certificate (not the pretty commemorative one)
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✅ Photo ID (passport, driver’s licence)
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✅ Proof of address (utility bill, bank statement)
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✅ If applicable, a Change of Name Certificate
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✅ Divorce papers or deed poll documentation (for non-marriage changes)
💡 What’s the Difference Between a Marriage Certificate & a Commemorative One?
Great question! This causes a lot of confusion.
| Certificate Type | What It Is | Can You Use It for Name Change? |
|---|---|---|
| Official Marriage Certificate | Issued by the state's Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM). It’s a legal document used for ID updates. | ✅ Yes! Required for banks, passport, ID, etc. |
| Commemorative Marriage Certificate | The pretty, keepsake version signed on your wedding day. Often framed. | ❌ No. Not valid for official purposes. |
| Statutory Declaration/Change of Name Certificate | Used if you're not changing your name due to marriage or reverting after divorce. | ✅ Yes, depending on the reason and local laws. |
So, don’t use your commemorative certificate to change your name. It won’t be accepted!
BUT - If you want a gorgeous Commemorative Marriage Certificate to hang on your wall then you need to look here: https://hiveandhill.com/collections/marriage-certificates
🇦🇺 Changing Your Name in Australia
In Australia, your name change starts at the state or territory BDM. Here’s where to go to order your official marriage certificate or start a name change:
| State/Territory | BDM Website |
|---|---|
| NSW | NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages |
| VIC | Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages |
| QLD | Queensland Registry of BDM |
| SA | South Australia BDM |
| WA | Western Australia BDM |
| TAS | Tasmania BDM |
| NT | Northern Territory BDM |
| ACT | ACT BDM |
You’ll usually pay $50–$65 for your certificate. Processing time is around 2–3 weeks, depending on your state.
👣 Step-by-Step for Australians:
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Order your official marriage certificate via BDM
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Change your passport first (Australia Post)
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Visit the Department of Transport in your local state to update your licence
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Update Medicare, Centrelink, ATO, and super
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Notify your banks, utilities, subscriptions, and more
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Start signing with your new name!
🇺🇸 Changing Your Name in the USA
You’ll need:
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An official marriage certificate from your state
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A visit to the Social Security Administration (SSA) to update your SSN
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A new driver’s license at your DMV
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A passport update via Form DS-5504 (if under 1 year) or DS-82 (if over 1 year)
Helpful Resources:
🇨🇦 Changing Your Name in Canada
Marriage name changes in Canada are done through provincial registries:
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Quebec RAMQ (has different rules—name changes are not assumed by marriage)
You’ll usually need:
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A marriage certificate
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Proof of residence
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Government-issued ID
🇯🇵 Changing Your Name in Japan
In Japan:
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Name changes due to marriage are automatic for the wife, unless otherwise requested.
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For non-marriage changes, you must petition the family court, which is a more complex legal process.
Foreign residents should notify:
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Immigration Bureau (for visa and residence card)
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Ward office for the juminhyo
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Employers, banks, utilities
Helpful Link: Japan Ministry of Justice – Name Changes
🇬🇧 Changing Your Name in the UK
In the UK, you can legally use your marriage certificate to change your name with banks, HM Passport Office, and most government services.
For non-marriage name changes, you’ll need a Deed Poll:
✅ Hive and Hill’s Name Change Checklist
No matter where you live, here's a handy checklist:
| ✅ Step | 💡 Tip |
|---|---|
| Get your legal certificate | Marriage cert, Deed Poll, or court doc |
| Update passport first | Most widely accepted ID |
| Update driver’s licence | Usually requires in-person visit |
| Notify bank & credit unions | Bring original ID and cert |
| Change Medicare/insurance | Upload or show official docs |
| Contact utilities & memberships | Many allow online updates |
| Inform employer/payroll | Ensure tax and super are updated |
| Update your signature | Start using it consistently |
🧠 Interesting Name Change Facts
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In 2024, 1 in 4 Australian couples hyphenated or merged surnames
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Over 90% of American women changed their names after marriage in the 1970s, but this number is now closer to 60%
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In Japan, 96% of married couples share a surname, largely due to legal convention
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In the UK, more than 50,000 people a year file for Deed Poll name changes
🚀 Need Help? We’ve Got You!
For an easy one stop shop for all your Name Change needs we recommend going to:
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easynamechange.com/au/ Reduce the time to change your name from 8+ hours to just 15mins. Guaranteed to be working with the latest forms from Australia, UK, USA and Canada.
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afterthewedding.com.au Provide comprehensive kits to simplify the name change process for Australian brides.