Maiden name, 2nd middle name

@Shayna, I actually laughed outloud at the lady at the DMV!

@FutureMrsB, I love the sound of mine, too. I had read some stuff online about people having problems with it, so I started to worry. Maybe it's a state by state thing.

@Susan, my last name is Americanized-Irish, only 6 letters, and people still manage to screw it up...

Yep. I haven't had any issues with it yet. I haven't gotten my DL yet but I assume it will be fine.

I'm moving my maiden name to my second middle name and taking FH last name. My family calls me by my first and middle (got to love living in the south) so i do not want to drop my middle name. I am also the only child of the only boy of my father and his siblings, so I don't want to lose my current last name either. I don't want to hyphenate as I already have a longer first and last name and it's a pain, so I could only image it getting worse. My mother did this as well, and at birth my cousin was given 2 middle names so I know it isn't an issue in the state. My full legal name will be FirstName MiddleName MaidenName LastName. I don't plan on using my Maiden name on anything that it isn't required for, but I still like knowing it will be there.

Why not hyphenate it?

@Deaunna, I've had several people with hyphenated last names tell me that they wish they hadn't. Unlike a middle name you use your last name all the time, so having a last name that is 2 names long can get annoying.

For me, I do want to have the same last name as FH, I'd just like to keep my maiden name in the mix. So it's really just a preference.

I am from El Salvador and is tradition to have both last names as well as your middle name

Thats why we tend to have very long names. I have never encounter a problem and I have live in the US for over 14 years

I plan to do this. I know it'll be a lot to write or have on documents, but I love my last name and my middle name is the same as my Nana's. I'll probably just use my middle name for initials, monograms, etc. but I like the idea of still legally having my last name attached to me somehow.

I was really grateful to find this post. I have been having trouble with the idea of taking my fiance's extremely common last name...Thomas....and dropping my less common maiden name. I am the first on both sides of my family to get married so there is no one to talk to about this. I liked the idea of moving my maiden name to be a second middle name rather than hyphening my last name. I am a school teacher and that would just be confusing to the students let alone when we have our kids. I don't want them to ever be questioned why their parents have different last names. I love the idea of keeping my full name now and just adding his last name. I'm so glad other people feel the same way I do.

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Thank you both Rachel and RaeGin for these posts! I'm going through the same process and it's been difficult. I'm keeping all my names too, moving my maiden name to become my second middle name, and sounds like I'm in good company with ladies who appreciate their families, their past, their heritage and are also excited to embrace their future family. DMV be damned, we know who we are! ; )

What do the ladies who have kept their middle names as well as their maiden names do for initials on forms when it asks for "middle initial"? Do you write out both middle name initials or just your maiden name's initial?

I'm planning to do the same thing, but have only heard people say it was too cumbersome. I happen to have a very long maiden name, but I'm just not willing to give up my middle or maiden. It's great to hear others who have done and feel good about it! I'll be Amanda Lynn ThreeSyllableMaiden MarriedName. HA HA.

@raegin what did you do and how did it work out for you??

I am also super grateful for this post. I've read other threads where people just say to drop your middle name but that's not the point! I honestly don't use my middle name or middle initials for anything really right now so was definitely curious to see if people had a hard time or not. I think this thread definitely helped me come to a better decision than hyphenating two very long last names.

View Quoted Comment I use the maiden name as the middle initial on everything and when I can only wrong one I. A space I use the maiden name.

This is awesome to see as I plan to do this in Illinois. SS card and Passport will have all four names and DL and State ID will have two middle initials. I can wrestle with the DMV if I have to.

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When you filled out you marriage application, did you put down you middle name and maiden name on the middle line? So technically both are middle names? I'm about to do this so I'm just trying to make sure I should keep both names in the middle. Ty!

This is so helpful. Thank you all.

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Lynn is my middle name and I love it!

View Quoted Comment Did you have a trouble legal paperwork or work ? Was their a confusing on your two middle names? Just recently changed my last name to his and kept my maiden name and middle name. My Ashley is my first middle is Nicole Briggs last is kern