Everything you need to know about hyphenated names

As the experts in Australian name change, we often see conflicting information about hyphenating your last name. If you’re considering this move, we’re here to lay out the facts and also explore the pros and cons behind this choice.

Hyphenated? Double-Barrelled? Joint names? What is it?

Simply put, once married, either spouse can add the other’s surname to their own. This is called a double-barrelled surname. It’s your choice if you separate the 2 surnames with a space or hyphen (hence, a hyphenated name!) Traditionally, the groom’s name appears last but the order is entirely your choice.

The marriage certificate allows either spouse the following options:
1. Leave your name as it is
2. Take your spouse’s name in place of your existing name
3. Add your spouse’s surname to your current surname

In this article, we’re taking a deep dive into option 3, adding your spouse’s surname to your current surname.

What exactly are the options for a hyphenated name?

Let’s say Brad Best is marrying Leah Lay. Either spouse can take any of the surnames below using only the marriage certificate. As a couple you can have different surnames. (It’s also worth noting that if either Leah or Brad have middle names, they remain as they are without any changes).

1. Best
2. Lay
3. Best Lay or Best-Lay
4. Lay-Best or Lay Best

The legality

Australia is great for so many reasons, but when it comes to married name change we love the consistency on how companies approach this. Once you’re married you can order the official marriage certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM). Some celebrants will include this in their package and your marriage certificate will arrive in the mail a week or two after you get married. If not, just order it from your state BDM website.

The official marriage certificate is the only proof you need to ASSUME your spouse’s surname! That’s right, it’s an assumed name. It is not considered a legal name change and your birth certificate does not change, even if every single account and identification has been moved over to your married name. Conversely, if after 5 or 10 years you decide to go back to your pre-married name, follow the same process to unassume the name. That means approaching each company and showing the necessary proof: BDM marriage certificate and either your birth certificate or divorce order. You don’t need a change of relationship to remove your spouse’s surname. You may just not bond with this new name and want your old name back. Honestly, it’s no one else’s business anyway.

Do all companies and states have the same approach?

Yes! The official marriage certificate allows all of these variations. All government departments. All state driver’s licences. All companies. We have come across people who were (incorrectly) told that they needed a legal name change with Births, Deaths and Marriages. This is not true! If you receive conflicting advice we recommend speaking to a different representative at the same company or going to a different branch. You may be dealing with an inexperienced or untrained customer service agent. If you find yourself a bit stuck, then work on updating your other records and accounts, then reapproach any companies that have refused your name change, showing your new passport, driver’s licence, Medicare card, credit card or whatever else you have available. Ironically, it could be easier to close your account and open a new one if any companies become difficult.

Digital Identity checks – traps for novice players!

So Brad has decided to be Brad Best-Lay. Notice in this situation Brad has used a hyphen. It’s absolutely critical that Brad uses the hyphen in every single place where he changes names. Why? Because in 2 year’s time Brad will apply for special police clearance for a new job. Brad is sent a link for digital verification and proves his driver’s licence, passport and Medicare card with online tools. Whoops! Medicare didn’t include the hyphen and now the names are not an exact match across his identity documents. Brad fails the identity check and now the new job is looking wobbly.

Unfortunately Australia is moving very quickly to digital verification, so it’s increasingly important this is accurate.

While Brad sent his Easy Name Change letter to Medicare and yes, it clearly had a hyphen between the names, the person processing the request at Medicare didn’t double check and accidently left the hyphen out. Brad must be diligent in checking the name recorded by each company, ensuring it’s exactly as he wanted it. There is still a lot of human element in name changes, and we’ve seen everything from passport names, date of birth, Medicare cards, credit cards and even marriage certificates get issued with incorrect details, even though the customer has done everything correctly.

The pros: Why hyphenated names are great!

1. Equal. What a great way to start life together! You’re both in this new co-branded family together.
2. Professional. Everyone knows that Leah Lay is the best dentist in the Gold Coast. Now when she changes her name she can be confident that customers will likely recognise her as Leah Best-Lay, where Leah Best may not be as familiar.
3. Attachment. This is a big one. Both Leah and Brad have had their own surnames their whole life. Much like your favourite jeans, it’s hard to walk away from so many great times within something so special. It also keeps the family happy. Not to mention that 2 decades later, it’s easier for old high school chums to stalk you online.
4. Genealogy. Perhaps not your issue now, but a family researcher in 150 years may find it easier to connect the dots. If you’re the last in the family it’s also a nice way to keep your name official, hopefully generations to come!
5. Your social media handle is free! Having a unique name makes it so much easier to lock in a good email address or social media handle.

The cons: Why hyphenated names are not-so-great

1. When it’s just you. Often we see in traditional relationships that just the bride change her name, then the hyphenated name is not passed onto the kids. 10 years later Mum can be a bit annoyed that she’s the only one in the family with this long name when everyone else has dad’s name.
2. Sheer length. For Leah and Brad Best-Lay it’s not so bad. But we’ve had customers with surnames so long that we could not use our mailing stickers. Some of their forms were cut off due to the form format. It can also cause issues with the maximum character setting on bank cards, Medicare cards, application forms, customs arrival forms and the like.
3. Dealing with simpletons. Some people don’t get it. They will just use half your surname when calling for you over the PA. They fill in forms incorrectly. They record your email address incorrectly.
4. Consistency. It’s so important that every company has recorded your legal name 100% accurately. You will often come across mistakes made by other people. You know you filled in the form correctly and it’s not your fault, but now it’s your problem. You need to get it fixed because it can cause difficulties proving your identity.

How can Easy Name Change help?

Easy Name Change helps married people transition to their new name by providing everything needed, from paperwork, to company instructions and even J.P. certified copies! Newlyweds typically have between 15 and 45 different companies to notify. The research alone for 25 companies will take 6 hours! Yuck! Save your sanity by checking off all the companies you need to update. We instantly provide forms, letters and emails in your name. You just need to sign and send! Start here.