What is a name change after marriage?

This entry describes a marital name change as the decision to take a spouse's surname, keep one's own name, use both, or in some places alter a given name after the wedding. It lists the trails a change leaves: documents, work, children, and records that still show the former name.

What this entry does not do

It does not say anyone must change a name, and it does not walk through a government form.