It is every Indian bride’s quintessential dilemma: should one change their surname to adopt their husband’s after they’re married? While a lot of us tend to go the traditional route and adopt our husband’s last name,
a bunch of modern day brides are choosing to stick with their maiden names, while there is still a whole lot that’s opting to keep their maiden name and add their husband’s surname to the mix! Whatever be your am, all options come with their own pros and cons. So if you’re not entirely sure of whether you’re taking the traditional route or overhauling your name, here’s what you should know before you make a decision!
Why You Should Change:1. Because come on, nothing sounds fancier than sealing the deal and becoming a Mrs. X! Plus, it makes the whole wedding a permanent deal to remember, what with the many significant changes it brought to your life.
2. Changing your surname makes it a whole lot easier to open joint accounts in the future, along with the paperwork for housing and education loans. Forget the fuss with proving your identity everywhere- your name carries the legitimacy!
3. You can be assured of being saved of a lot of explaining when you’re spelling out your name and your hubby’s!
4. ‘Mrs. and Mr. X invite you to an evening of hors d'oeuvres and jamming’. I mean, who doesn’t want that?!
5. If you have a maiden surname that you aren’t really fond of, simply make the switch! Not only is this the perfect time to get rid of that troublesome name, it is also a great way to start anew with your married life and the identity that it brings with it.
Why You Shouldn’t:
1. Firstly, it’s your name. Your identity- everything your family is known for is in that name! However much you’d like to change, consider the weight your maiden name carries, before you choose to switch (or not). Despite your marriage bringing a new set of responsibilities for you, there’s always a part of you that’ll be essentially you. Don’t let a ring subsume who you really are!
2. This one’s perhaps a more practical reason. With all your paperwork and identity cards having your maiden name, are you sure you want to jump over to the other side? Think of the tons of paperwork you’ll be obliged to do- including refurbishing your PAN card, passport, Aadhar card, and driver’s license, among others.
3. Knowing how government offices in India work, you might want to rethink that name before you make the shift. Getting your name officially changed will require multiple trips to these offices, and a lot of time. So only go ahead with the move if you are sure you have those months to spare!
4. If your fiance has a surname that you aren’t too fond of, give this a proper think before you take his name. Not only can a strange surname make things tough for you, but you might regret not keeping your own pretty name in the future!
5. Despite everything, if you and your hubby are both the kind to not care too much about who carries what surname, just stick with your maiden name! After all, there’s so much more to your marriage than token elements like the name you carry.
If you do choose to change, remember that the initial procedures will require you to apply for the change while registering your marriage in the Registrar’s office. Alternately, you could also apply in the state government gazette post which documents such as a notarised affidavit and your original documents will have to be submitted to the respective offices. The entire procedure could take anywhere between a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the case and the office that is processing your documents.