If you’ve been following my blog, you’ve probably read in my old posts that I got married in England. I arrived in England back in 2017 on a fiancée visa, and got married on the same year. I then updated my documents here in England to reflect my married name.
When I changed a few documents (e.g. council tax, bank) to my married name, I didn’t have any ID at the time which shows my married name. So I provided my marriage certificate so they can update their system. Little did I know the naming system in the UK is different.
The naming system in the UK for women after getting married (and wanted to use spouse’s last name) is different from the naming convention in the Philippines. As a Filipino citizen, we should be following the Philippine law.
The UK name format is quite straightforward, a woman’s last name will be replaced with the husband’s last name. The middle name in the UK is part of the given name of an individual.
Unlike in the Philippines, the middle name is an individual’s mother’s maiden last name. After getting married, the existing middle name of a woman is replaced by the maiden last name. Is it confusing? See examples below for clarity.
UK Example of a Maiden Name:
First Name Middle Name Maiden Last Name Tiffany Wanders Cole UK Example After Getting Married (Only the last name changes since the middle name is part of the given name):
First Name Middle Name Married Last Name Tiffany Wanders Croft Philippine Example of a Maiden Name:
First Name Middle Name Maiden Last Name Tiffany Wanders Cole Philippine Example After Getting Married (The maiden last name becomes the new middle name. The existing middle name is dropped and replaced.):
First Name Middle Name Married Last Name Tiffany Cole Croft
See the difference? When you update your name in the UK, make sure you attach a cover letter explaining your situation and the naming convention difference between the Philippines and the UK. Recently, I have to provide a detailed cover letter to request a name correction on my driving license. This was due to their request for me to provide a deed poll. You only need a deed poll if you are changing your name. If you are changing your last name due to marriage, a deed poll is not required.
After sending my marriage certificate, Philippine passports and a cover letter explaining the correction, they finally approved my request.
If you’re a Filipino, to avoid this problem in the future when requesting a name change to your married name, ensure to attach a cover letter explaining what your name should be. When applying for visa, ensure you follow the correct naming format. If you can wait until you have your updated Philippine passport, the better as you can use it as evidence.
