Conversation

In the Philippines, a wife can choose between 4 name formats:

First, the full names of the couple:
* Husband's First Name: John Francisco
* Husband's Middle Name (mother's maiden family name): Balagtas
* Husband's Family Name (father's family name): Cohen

And…
* Wife's First Name: Maria Jessica Jane
* Wife's Middle Name (mother's maiden family name): Kurios
* Wife's Family Name (father's family name): Makiling

The 4 options:
1. Retain their maiden name: Maria Jessica Jane Kurios Makiling
2. Hyphenate her husband's family name: Maria Jessica Jane Kurios Makiling-Cohen
3. Adopt her husband's family name: Maria Jessica Jane Makiling Cohen
- note: “Makiling” becomes her “Middle Name”, and ”Cohen” her family name”
4. Adopt her husband's full name but should be prefixed with Mrs., like so: Mrs. John Francisco Balagtas Cohen

Notes:
* The No. 3 option is the most common because of “traditions”.
* The No. 1 and No. 2 options are gaining popularity.
* The No. 4 option is rarely used. -- I remember reading that there were incidents wherein it became an issue in some countries, the immigration officer assumed they're holding a fake passport. In one case, the immigration officer understood it as they're brother and sister, not husband and wife, and their country requires that a wife should be accompanied by their husband.

Last, but not the least, I want to bring attention to the “Middle Name”.
a. A “Middle Name” in the Philippines is generally the family name of their mother before their mother was married.
b. In the No. 3 option, if a wife chooses it, her “married Middle Name” is her “maiden family name”, she drops her “mother's maiden family name”.
This is important to know because this usage of “Middle Name” is unique in the Philippines.

In other countries, a middle name can be:
* Whatever is in the middle of their full name.
Example: Maria Jessica Jane Kurios Makiling, the middle name is “Jane” not “Kurios”.
* It can also be the middle or second “first name”. In “John Francisco”, the middle name is “Francisco”.
* Or, the family name of the father because the father's family name is written first, like so: John Francisco Cohen Balagtas.

* And, in most other countries, it is either the father's or mother's surname only.
Example: Maria Jessica Jane Kurios; or Maria Jessica Jane Makiling

The Philippine naming convention is the only one of its kind today.
* “First Name” - can be one to 100 if you like.
* “Middle Name” - mother's maiden family name.
* “Family Name” - father's family name / surname.

^_^

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