Implications of post-marriage name change

[aa78]

Are there any significant implications of changing wife's name after marriage by her own choice? i.e. using husband's first name in place of her father's name (her surname) on official documents like CNIC/SNIC, Passports, etc?

If woman's maiden name is Aa Bb and her husband's first name is Cc, would it be better to change name to Aa Bb Cc (with maiden surname becoming middle name) or Aa Cc (dropping maiden surname entirely)?

What effect does it have on previous documents using old/maiden name like academic degrees, certificates, job history, etc? What about old or existing bank accounts, old cheque books, passports, domicile certificates, etc?

Please do mention any other documents and effects, if applicable. Which, if any, documents need to have name changed post-marriage for maintaining validity? Are documents with old name still acceptable to government and private institutions, firms, etc?

What are the benefits and disadvantages either way considering realistic on-the-ground religious, social, professional, academic realities of our society?

Please provide your knowledge and opinions excluding sexist talk/allegations in the interest of helping people make an informed decision. It is a real life problem for many and while certain topics on PW have inquired about it in the past (here and here) they are lacking information, I just want to have a fresh take on it from legal and other perspectives which might be more relevant to 2017 for wider benefit.

[qwertz]

A guy got married 2 years ago. His wife wanted to change her name so that she can have his name on CNIC and other documents. But on inquiry from university/ college etc. it was determined that those degrees/ certificates will stay with her old name (girls first name and her father's name or caste). The couple checked with offices who issue utility bills (wapda, sui gas) and they agreed to change the name but with provision of some documents etc. They decided not to change the name of the bride and they are living happily.
Reference: Real life experience.
I feel its more of emotional demand from the bride that her name should be changed with husband's name coming after her first name. As such not a legal requirement.

[kiani]

no serious implications at all. you need to make a new CNIC and passport with new name by attaching the nikah nama. all old documents like degrees etc. stay on old name. anything new you want to fill out for that requires your old proofs like degrees will always give you the option of giving your name and also your maiden name and your proofs can have your maiden name on it.

having said that if you dont want name changed that should be ok as well.

as far as what the married name should be usually the wife takes the first name of husband as middle name and also takes the family name of the husband as her family name but there is no hard and fast rule about this.

[autophile]

I didn't change my wife's name, though her ID card had to be changed when our first child was born due to birth registration requirements, still kept her original name.

[capsat]

please do not confuse Martial Status change with change of name .

when a girl get married the status over cnic changes from single to married and at that time she have choice to add her husband name as last name or keep her father's name [ or family surname ]

change of Marital status while incorporating husband name in the maiden name is

NOT NAME CHANGE.

Sadaf Mukhtar D/o. Mukhtar Ahmed -

tie wedlock with Muddasir Niaz -

she has choice to change name while changing status over cnic
She can keep name as :

Sadaf Mukhtar W/O Muddasir Niaz - OR - Sadaf Muddasir ( or Sadaf Niaz ) W/O Muddasir Niaz
-

academics remain unchanged and have legal status as before.

[aa78]

A guy got married 2 years ago. His wife wanted to change her name so that she can have his name on CNIC and other documents. But on inquiry from university/ college etc. it was determined that those degrees/ certificates will stay with her old name (girls first name and her father's name or caste).

Which education board was it? Problem occurs when lakeer ke faqeer babbus check for exact name match on previous degrees and raise a red flag pointlessly.

I feel its more of emotional demand from the bride that her name should be changed with husband's name coming after her first name. As such not a legal requirement.

Indeed but it can help in certain cases. Plus it may provide emotional satisfaction in sense of belonging for some.

[aa78]

no serious implications at all. you need to make a new CNIC and passport with new name by attaching the nikah nama. all old documents like degrees etc. stay on old name. anything new you want to fill out for that requires your old proofs like degrees will always give you the option of giving your name and also your maiden name and your proofs can have your maiden name on it.

It was why I was thinking about the scenario of using maiden surname as middle name. It provides some legitimacy to our outdated official processes that the complete old name is still part of the current name, albeit with changed surname.

having said that if you dont want name changed that should be ok as well.

as far as what the married name should be usually the wife takes the first name of husband as middle name and also takes the family name of the husband as her family name but there is no hard and fast rule about this.

That stuff about using family name mostly happens in the west. I have seen it used very less here. Here it is first name of wife and first name of husband becoming wife's surname. It varies a lot.

[aa78]

please do not confuse Martial Status change with change of name .

Not confusing it. I know the difference.

when a girl get married the status over cnic changes from single to married and at that time she have choice to add her husband name as last name or keep her father's name [ or family surname ]

change of Marital status while incorporating husband name in the maiden name is

NOT NAME CHANGE.

Sadaf Mukhtar D/o. Mukhtar Ahmed -

tie wedlock with Muddasir Niaz -

she has choice to change name while changing status over cnic
She can keep name as :

Sadaf Mukhtar W/O Muddasir Niaz - OR - Sadaf Muddasir ( or Sadaf Niaz ) W/O Muddasir Niaz
-

academics remain unchanged and have legal status as before.

Yes. But from a legal perspective, does name change, as in bold above, have any disadvantage? CNIC and Passport will have to be updated and reissued but apart from that? Is it better to have old name or new name on subsequent academic qualification certificates/degrees?

Also, will the NIC Number change by changing so called family number?

Is MRC or Nikkah Nama sufficient for proving marital status change to NADRA or is involvement of witnesses necessary too? Either of document preferred by them?

[capsat]

nothing at all no implication

change name as she desire. only nikah nama is enough at nadra for cnic status n name modification NUMBER Remains unchanged.

[kiani]

no issues with changing family name either if you want.

My mother who has lived and worked all her life in pakistan and is now retired, she changed her family name as well when she got married and took on my dads family name with no issues.

[nomanbhatti2002]

just get NIC changed (status only)and no need to change any other things
Also as per our religion ( i dont remember exact Hades) there is no requirement to put husband name infarct father name is preferred.

[pwuser15249337095]

Hello,
My mother name was Khatoon Bibi before she get married. She has matric certificate with name Khatoon Bibi. But when she get married on her nikkah nama her name was written Sumaira Khatoon due to her parents in law asked to do so, she didnt informed nadra. But she had her father name in nikkah nama. After marriage when she applied for CNIC she write her name Sumaira Naseem, as my father name is Naseem Akhtar. Now my mother have 3 different names 1) Khatoon Bibi doughter of Haji Allah Bakhsh, 2) Sumaira Khatoon doughter of Haji Allah Bakhsh 3) Sumaira Naseem wife of Naseem Akhtar. In my nadra record Sumaira Naseem is my mother name. Now problem is that she will get her father land distribued amoung her brothers and sisters, how all this mess can sattle ? What name she should carry and if she wants to have any of 3 names what steps need to be taken for each of them ?

[zxmco125]

It is better to keep wife name remain as it is before. As after marriage CNIC creation will get Husband name field on it where the name of husband is written. Also it is not necessary by our Deen-e-Islam i am refering as you asked religious prespective. Its kind of hinduana rasam.

I also keep my wife name as it was before and after marriage CNIC husband name field is published by Nadra.

[capsat]

if the family record of mr. Allah baksh at nadra office have name of your mother included as Khatoon Bibi and the matric certificate has that, there is no issue,

change of name in rural areas at time of marriage is very common, - if the other heirs are honest to distribute heirship share they can do it without any hassle, else your mother have enough evidence of being legal heir

Khatoon Bibi aka Sumaria Khatoon d/o Allah Baksh -- w/o Naseem Akhter

an affidavit based on matric certifcate can be attested by any 1st class magistrate and submitted to NADRA for corrective action - NADRA will add maiden name as AKA in present cnic thats called name modification

[pwuser154413295335]

please do not confuse Martial Status change with change of name .

when a girl get married the status over cnic changes from single to married and at that time she have choice to add her husband name as last name or keep her father's name [ or family surname ]

change of Marital status while incorporating husband name in the maiden name is

NOT NAME CHANGE.

Sadaf Mukhtar D/o. Mukhtar Ahmed -

tie wedlock with Muddasir Niaz -

she has choice to change name while changing status over cnic
She can keep name as :

Sadaf Mukhtar W/O Muddasir Niaz - OR - Sadaf Muddasir ( or Sadaf Niaz ) W/O Muddasir Niaz
-

academics remain unchanged and have legal status as before.

Salam....i am soooo confused about cnic issues i got married recently my inlaws n husband lives in uk...today i went to nadra office in islamabad with the copy of my nikah nama i wanted to get my martial status changed ....one of the lady worker over there she said u need ur husband's original cnic to get ur status changed i i told her my husband is out of country she said still u need his original cnic and then will process ur new cnic..but y? Pls help

[k-four-nine]

You can't get far in a NADRA Office without your credentials and CNICs of your parents and spouse, I'm afraid.

When I applied for my ID Card when I turned 18 (Ages ago), I was asked to bring ORIGINAL CNICs of my parents, my matriculation certificate, my B-Form, and finally a photocopy of a recent electricity bill (To verify my home address).

And while it was about a decade ago, I don't think the overall procedure has changed much, if at all. It's Pakistan, after all.

In any case, I don't think it's 'mandatory' for a wife to add the name of her husband with her name. Personally, I wouldn't force my wife to do that.

I'm an open minded semi-liberal person and I firmly believe that a husband is a husband, not an owner and should be treated as such. And this particular 'tradition' belongs to the dark ages where women used to be just an... Accessory and men used to give them their names to feel a sense of authority over their existences. To make them truly theirs, in a manner of speaking.

Lastly, I'm not a very religious man but I don't think Islam dictates such practice. Islam liberated women from the clutches of men to an extent, after all!

So... Any takers?

[capsat]

yes you need original cnic of your husband or any of your inlaw present with copy of their son cnic and original nikahnama to verify the fact of marriage. Only nikah nama is not enough to register / change marital status ~ from single to married and from daughter-of to - wife-of

this is the LAW applicable since 2004

[capsat]

I don't think it's 'mandatory' for a wife to add the name of her husband with her name

yes thats true its not mandatory, when changing status from single to married.

It depends on the mindset of family SHE is married into .., however Status need to be changed because for the legitimacy of the children who start to arrive later into the family tree.

[aa78]

I don't think it's 'mandatory' for a wife to add the name of her husband with her name

yes thats true its not mandatory, when changing status from single to married.

It depends on the mindset of family SHE is married into .., however Status need to be changed because for the legitimacy of the children who start to arrive later into the family tree.

Her own mindset matters too, not just the family she is marrying into. As a general comment, it might be "she" who wants that change. Let's not try to fit others with their own circumstances into our own limited understanding.

[k-four-nine]

As a general comment, it might be "she" who wants that change.

And the reason 'she' is willing to take part in this practice might be the social pressure from her in-laws i.e سُسرال.

I don't think many families in Pakistan would be pleased to see their daughter-in-law sticking with the name of her father. It'll raise more than some eyebrows, I'm sure!

So... It's best to take a good look at your society before pointing your finger towards حوا کی بیٹی.

Peace.