▁name ▁immediately ▁upon ▁marriage , ▁as ▁marriage ▁is ▁not ▁listed ▁among ▁the ▁reasons ▁for ▁a ▁name ▁change . ▁ ▁English - spe aking ▁world ▁This ▁process ▁is ▁exped ited ▁for ▁newly ▁married ▁persons ▁in ▁that ▁their ▁marriage ▁certificate , ▁in ▁combination ▁with ▁identification ▁using ▁their ▁married ▁name , ▁is ▁usually ▁accepted ▁as ▁evidence ▁of ▁the ▁change , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁w ides p read ▁custom , ▁but ▁the ▁process ▁still ▁requires ▁approaching ▁every ▁contact ▁who ▁uses ▁the ▁old ▁name ▁and ▁asking ▁them ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁new . ▁Unless ▁the ▁stat utes ▁where ▁the ▁marriage ▁occurred ▁specify ▁that ▁a ▁name ▁change ▁may ▁occur ▁at ▁marriage ▁( in ▁which ▁case ▁the ▁marriage ▁certificate ▁indicates ▁the ▁new ▁name ), ▁the ▁courts ▁have ▁officially ▁recognized ▁that ▁such ▁a ▁change ▁is ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁common ▁law ▁right ▁of ▁a ▁person ▁( man , ▁woman , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁child ) ▁to ▁change ▁their ▁name . ▁However , ▁men ▁encounter ▁more ▁difficulties ▁in ▁changing ▁their ▁last ▁names . ▁There ▁were ▁some ▁early ▁cases ▁in ▁the ▁USA ▁which ▁held ▁that ▁under ▁common ▁law , ▁a ▁woman ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁take ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁name , ▁but ▁newer ▁cases ▁over turn ed ▁that ▁( see ▁" Ret ain ▁the ▁birth ▁name " ▁below ). ▁Currently , ▁American ▁women ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁to ▁change ▁their ▁names ▁by ▁law . ▁Lind on ▁v . ▁First ▁National ▁Bank , ▁ 1 0 ▁F . ▁ 8 9 4 ▁( W . D . ▁Pa . ▁ 1 8 8 2 ), ▁is ▁one