Name after marriage

grastgirl

Has anyone changed their name for everyday use, but kept it for professional use? If so, has it caused any problems? Any pointers?

I ask because I'm a research scientist, who needs to put a name to scientific papers, this will be my maiden name, and should probably stay the same so I can build my reputation.

morg_monster

Hi grastgirl

I nearly did this as I'm a researcher too, but in the end, decided not to as I've started a PhD in a different area to my previous work, so the papers I've co-authored on in the past will be pretty irrelevant to my future papers. Obviously I can still stick them all on my CV. I don't see it causing problems when people search for my work, as they'd almost certainly be searching for the new stuff. I was always pretty far down the author list on the old stuff anyway...! The other option was to double barrell but I didn't want to do that. plus my new name is much more unique than my old one!

anyway if you do want to do it, I think it is fine. People have done it at my work and it hasn't caused problems as far as I know. You can use your wedding certificate to change your name with whatever bodies you want, including driving license and passport if you wish. Then obviously your "official" name is now your married name, but work should be happy with you using your maiden name 9-5, and in a research environment, they may almost expect it.

The only time it might make a bit of extra work for you is if you apply for jobs in your maiden name, if you get the job and they want to see ID etc you'll probably have to supply your marriage cert so they can see the link between the names. On your CV it might be a good idea to write "Mrs J Smith - known as Ms J Bloggs" to make it clear.
Oh and if you travel with your job at all to conferences etc, and have secretaries or PAs who book travel for you, you'd need to make sure any overseas travel was booked in the same name as your passport!

grastgirl

Morg_monster

Thanks for the insight, as it happens my maiden name is fairly unique (all the results on Google are for me), although my married name would be too. I think double barrelled with our particular combination would be OK, but I'm not convinced.

I can see there might be a problem for travelling to conferences and so on. So far I would probably be lead author on anything that was published, so I am keen to keep my maiden name (at least until I completely change direction where the name change could be useful).

Horace

Re the travelling to conferences etc...have those booked in your married name if you are changing your passport etc. With regard to your research papers there is no reason why you cannot continue to submit those in your maiden name.

When you apply for jobs then I am assuming that you would apply for these in your married name anyway.

nat82

My lawyer uses her maiden name for work but her married name for everyday use.

rachycakes

I changed my name by deed poll to have my maiden name as a middle name and my husband's name as new surname. This means I am technically Mrs S, but for work (as an academic) I can be Mrs C S, so anything I have published will still have my maiden name on it. Not sure if I've explained that well!?!

kte

gratsgirl - I've just got married and this is what I'm planning to do - for the same reason. Legally I'm changing everything to my new name but at work I will continue to be called by my maiden name...it means I will publish papers as that, but also things like my email address don't have to change.

The conference thing - I'm off to one next month. What I've done is got the university to book my hotel and flight in my new name, but to register me for the conference in my maiden name...I don't forsee any problems with this...but I'll let you know next month!

grastgirl

Thanks for the responses everyone, sorry I haven't been back in a while.

Horace, it's good to know that it doesn't matter whether I've changed my name or not in terms of what I use for research papers. I guess if i changed my name on my passport then I would need to apply for jobs in my married name, but possibly would have to tell them that referees may have known me under a different name, although I guess anyone who changes their name when they get married would have that problem.

Rachycakes, the method you've used sounds quite complicated, I don't think I'll be going down that route.

Kte, please let me know how it goes, this is the sort of problem I could foresee with changing it, but keeping it the same IYSWIM.

shellsuit

grastgirl wrote: »

Thanks for the responses everyone, sorry I haven't been back in a while.

Horace, it's good to know that it doesn't matter whether I've changed my name or not in terms of what I use for research papers. I guess if i changed my name on my passport then I would need to apply for jobs in my married name, but possibly would have to tell them that referees may have known me under a different name, although I guess anyone who changes their name when they get married would have that problem.

Rachycakes, the method you've used sounds quite complicated, I don't think I'll be going down that route.

Kte, please let me know how it goes, this is the sort of problem I could foresee with changing it, but keeping it the same IYSWIM.

Say my name now is Pauline Smith and I marry John Brown.

I change my maiden name to my middle name and take my husbands name as my surname.

So when I'm married I will be Mrs. Pauline Smith Brown.

Costs £34 to do this by deedpoll I believe.



Could get complicated if you already have a middle name though I suppose?

kte

shellsuit - that was my first thought, but I had to get my passport in advance of the honeymoon in my new name (as mine had run out) and had no idea how to deal with that on the forms!
I still haven't contacted the bank or anyone else yet so that's still a possibility for me...

never_enough

It's perfectly reasonable to keep your maiden name for work. Most of the researchers that I know have done so because of publications as you say. It is hard to lead a 'double life' name wise, remembering to pay things with the right card for example, or just being aware you have to constantly remind people who may be booking things for you that you are still Ms X rather than Mrs Y. I happen to like my name too...plus his ex still uses Mrs Y & publishes in the same area!!!! :eek:
Several friends have ended up changing their names to the same (his)once they've had children as it makes school/authorities easier to deal with. Some have double-barrelled names, which I don't particularly like, especially Ms P & Mr C who then have babies known as P-C, mostly because I feel sorry for the children. Best thing is to go with what you feel comfortable with for now, it sounds like you want to keep yours. You may feel differently in the future, or you may not.