Chinese Wife and Name Change

[jchen]

My Chinese fiance and I are talking about if she would change her name when she comes to America and if so, to what?

 

I was curious what others have done or think about it?

 

The possibilities so far:

 

1. Keep her name as it is without my last name.

2. Add my last name to her Chinese name

3. Register her already used English name with my last name.

4. Register her english name with my last name and use her Chinese name as her middle name so that both her English and Chinese were on her documentation.

 

Any thoughts?

 

How has everyone else handled the "name" issue?

[dnoblett]

#1 is the Chinese way, in China most do not take their husband's family name.

#2 in a way we did this, my wife had no "middle" name, so her family name is now her middle name, and she took my family name, as per western customs.

#3 not too common, an "English" name is usually just a nic-name, not used for any legal things. This is the case with my wife.

#4 again not common, and is some states changing a given-first name requires additional legal processes. Family name chang is normal with a marriage, given name change is not normal.

 

My wife's name before marriage Yu __ Yang after Marriage Yu Yang Noblett

[chilton747]

My wife kept her original name. She was not ready to embrace this part of American culture. Is OK with me.

[dan_ling]

My wife took my last name which it shows on her greencard. Her chinese passport still has her maiden name though, because she said it would be to difficult to change it to my last name there in China.

[dnoblett]

My wife took my last name which it shows on her greencard. Her chinese passport still has her maiden name though, because she said it would be to difficult to change it to my last name there in China.

 

 

Same here, renewed passport last summer in China still in maiden name, no big deal, simply book international travel in passport name.

[Ryan H]

My wife asked about it, I told her that it won't be necessary.

[screamneagle]

My wife kept her full Chinese name and did not take my family name after we were married. This was never an issue. While in China I told my then fiancee and her family that I respected their Chinese traditions and culture and that I did not want to "Americanize" my future wife in any way. I was looking to marry a Chinese woman and I wanted her to STAY a Chinese woman ... embracing everything that made her Chinese ... including her name. It was more my decision for her to keep her full Chinese name although the subject never really received a lot of attention after my declaration. I mentioned it once ... it was accepted ... and the rest was history. I should add that it made her very happy!

[TLB]

My wife has also kept her name as it has always been, and this is not an issue with me.

 

I have seen quite a few use the option of adding the man's last name to the woman's full Chinese name; the other options I've not seen. I would say any name change is a pain and if you decide you want to go in that direction tread lightly, i.e., change as little as possible.

[Kyle]

my wife kept her name as is. heck, I'm lucky she lets me sleep with her j/k. She might consider taking my last name when she becomes a US citizen, but to be honest, at this point, I don't really care either way. I loved her in the beginning as Jingjing P. and that's not dependent on her surname. No, I'm not implying for anyone that it is. . .

[iyan46]

My wife added my family name after we were married and kept her family name as her middle name, added her new name to both her GC and passport. but it was all her choice ... i told her it was her decision and i would understand either way.

 

Dave

[warpedbored]

My wife took my family name and used her maiden name for a middle name. Now she is a US citizen so passport and everything matches.

[carl.hops]

Suprise! I'm married, anyways. She kept her name, thats the Chinese way and I'm still in China. We'd probably do the same if we moved to the states.

[xiaozhu]

Just read an interesting article and think you may be interested.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112736/name-change-dilemma-women-marriage-wsj?mod=family-love_money

 

I keep my own name but I know he wants me take his last name. We discussed it when we got married. I said to him: it was too much work to make a change on my passport, SSN, driver license, and I am known by my name in the field, plus I would go back to China for my work, how about thinking of it in the future when we finally settle down in USA.

 

Now I will move back. I am wondering what process it would be if change my last name. I have my name on my passport, SSN and driver license now. Thanks.

Edited May 15, 2011 by xiaozhu (see edit history)

[tsap seui]

Suprise! I'm married, anyways. She kept her name, thats the Chinese way and I'm still in China. We'd probably do the same if we moved to the states.

 

 

Glad to see you are doing well....married man.

 

tsap seui

[carl.hops]

Suprise! I'm married, anyways. She kept her name, thats the Chinese way and I'm still in China. We'd probably do the same if we moved to the states.

 

 

Glad to see you are doing well....married man.

 

tsap seui

 

 

 

Living it up here in Chinertucky like you might say.