Under Philippine law, this is a surprisingly nuanced question:

Short answer:

Yes, in many cases you can change your surname from your mother’s to your father’s, but this is not automatic and usually requires a judicial petition for change of name (unless you qualify under civil registry correction laws).
Using your husband’s surname is never mandatory; it is a personal choice, and what surname you may validly use after marriage depends on your legal surname at the time of marriage, not just what you “prefer” socially.

Below is a detailed, article-style explanation in the Philippine legal context.

I. Basic Concepts: Maiden Name, Legal Surname, and Family Names

1. “Maiden surname” is not a statutory term

The phrase “maiden name” is common in practice but not a defined technical term in the Civil Code. In Philippine law, what really matters is your legal surname, which is determined by:

Rules on filiation (legitimate / illegitimate / legitimated / adopted)
The Civil Code and special laws on surnames
What is recorded in your birth certificate, unless changed by law, court, or proper administrative proceedings.

So when we say “maiden surname,” we usually mean your legal surname before marriage.

2. Surname rules generally follow filiation

Under the Civil Code and related jurisprudence:

A legitimate child generally uses the father’s surname.
An illegitimate child generally uses the mother’s surname, unless legitimated or otherwise recognized under certain circumstances and properly changed.
An adopted child uses the adoptive parents’ surname, per adoption law and court decree.

Thus, if you are using your mother’s surname, it is usually because:

You were registered as illegitimate (so civil registry used your mother’s surname), or
That is how your parents chose to register you, or
Some later event (like adoption or rectification) was never done.

II. Legal Framework on Changing Your Surname

Changing your surname in the Philippines is governed mainly by:

Civil Code provisions on names
Rules of Court, Rule 103 – Petition for Change of Name (judicial proceeding)
RA 9048 and RA 10172 – Administrative correction of entries in civil registry
Jurisprudence (Supreme Court decisions) clarifying when change of name is allowed.

1. Rule 103: Change of Name (Judicial)

Traditionally, a change of surname is done via a petition for change of name in the Regional Trial Court (RTC). The court may allow a change of first name or surname if there are “proper and reasonable causes”, such as:

The current name is ridiculous, tainted, or difficult to pronounce
The name causes confusion
To correct a racial / family identity issue or align with filiation
To avoid embarrassment or harassment
Other exceptional reasons recognized by jurisprudence

Here, if your registered surname is your mother’s, but you want to use your father’s surname and your legal status/recognition supports it, you may file a petition for change of name to adopt your father’s surname as your legal surname.

This is especially relevant if:

Your father has recognized you (through affidavit or other legally accepted forms), or
There is a claim that your civil registry entry is inconsistent with your true status.

However, even with filiation, courts do not automatically allow the change. You still need to show good reason and legal basis.

2. RA 9048 and RA 10172: Administrative Corrections

These laws allow the local civil registrar (or consular officer) to correct certain entries without going to court, but they are limited:

RA 9048: Change of first name or nickname, and correction of clerical or typographical errors in first name, middle name, or surname.
RA 10172: Extends RA 9048 to errors in day and month of birth and sex, if they are clearly clerical.

A change of surname from mother’s to father’s is usually not treated as a mere clerical error. It is a substantive change of civil status/filiation implications, which normally requires a court proceeding (Rule 103 or Rule 108 combined with appropriate grounds), unless your case fits a very specific scenario where the surname error is truly clerical (for example, a misspelling, or obvious copying error where documents clearly show the father’s surname should have been used and the child is legitimate).

III. Using the Father’s Surname: Key Scenarios

Scenario A: You were registered as illegitimate (mother’s surname), but father later recognized you

Traditionally, an illegitimate child uses the mother’s surname. Recognition by the father (e.g., in the birth certificate, subsequent affidavit, or other legal acknowledgments) does not always automatically change the surname in the civil registry.

If you want to legally carry your father’s surname, you typically have to:

Establish filiation with the father (through recognition, DNA in contested cases, or other legal means); and
File an appropriate petition (judicial) to change your surname from your mother’s to your father’s.

Whether you can do this will depend on:

The nature and strength of evidence of recognition
Whether your change of surname will affect third-party rights or create confusion
The court’s view on whether the change is justified and in good faith.

Scenario B: You are legitimate but registered with mother’s surname due to clerical error

If:

Your parents were married at the time of your birth,
You are legitimate, and
The birth certificate mistakenly used your mother’s surname instead of your father’s,

then your lawyer may argue that this is a case of clerical or typographical error, depending on the facts and supporting documents:

If clearly clerical: It may be correctible via administrative proceedings under RA 9048, using your legitimate status as basis.
If unclear or disputed: You may still need a judicial petition under Rule 103 or Rule 108 to correct your civil status/surname.

Scenario C: You simply prefer your father’s surname for sentimental or personal reasons

If your legal status and birth record do not support use of your father’s surname (for example, you are registered illegitimate with no legal recognition or filiation established), then:

Personal preference alone is not a sufficient legal ground to adopt your father’s surname,
Unless you go through proper legal proceedings and meet the standards the court requires.

IV. Marriage and Surnames: What Happens When You Get Married?

Once you are legally married under Philippine law, the rules on surnames shift to the Civil Code provisions on married women’s surnames.

1. A married woman’s options on surname

Philippine law does not require a woman to take her husband’s surname. She may choose any of the following:

Continue using her maiden name (her legal surname at the time of marriage);
Use her husband’s full surname;
Use a hyphenated form (for example, her maiden surname + husband’s surname); or
Use legally accepted combinations recognized in practice and jurisprudence.

Key point: Your “maiden surname” for marital purposes is whatever your legal surname is before marriage. If you successfully changed your legal surname from your mother’s to your father’s before marriage, that new surname becomes your maiden surname for marital purposes.

2. Changing maiden surname before marriage vs. after marriage

If you change your surname before marriage (e.g., from your mother’s surname to your father’s via court), then that changed surname is your legal identity going into the marriage.
When you marry, you then have the choice of:
- Keeping that surname, or
- Using your husband’s surname (or a combination).

If you marry first, using your mother’s surname at the time of marriage, and then try to change to your father’s surname later, the situation is more complicated:

Your marriage certificate will bear your then-legal surname (your mother’s).
If you later obtain a court order changing your surname to your father’s, your future use in IDs and documents may shift to the new surname, but past records, including your marriage certificate, will not “auto-update”; they remain historically accurate as to the date of the event.
This can cause documentary inconsistency, so the timing and sequence matter practically, even if legally allowed.

V. So, Can You Change Your Maiden Surname From Mother’s to Father’s Before Using Your Husband’s Surname?

Let’s break the main question into concrete legal issues:

Question 1: Is it legally possible to change your surname from your mother’s to your father’s?

Yes, it is often legally possible, but:

It usually requires a court petition for change of name (Rule 103), or
In rare, clearly clerical cases, an administrative correction under RA 9048, if the record is plainly in error relative to your true legal filiation.

The court or civil registrar will look at:

Your civil status (legitimate/illegitimate)
The basis for using your father’s surname (proof of filiation/recognition)
Whether there is good reason and no intent to defraud or confuse third parties.

Question 2: Must this be done before marriage if you later want to use your husband’s surname?

Legally speaking:

There is no law that says “you must first adopt your father’s surname before taking your husband’s surname.”
The law only says that upon marriage, you may use your husband’s surname or retain your own (legal) surname.

However, from a practical and documentary-consistency perspective:

If you want your life history of names to be neat and consistent, it is much cleaner to:
1. Resolve your surname issue first (i.e., change from mother’s surname to father’s surname through proper proceedings), and then
2. Decide what surname to use upon marriage (keep father’s surname or adopt husband’s surname).

Otherwise you will have:

Birth certificate with mother’s surname,
Marriage certificate with mother’s surname,
Later court order changing to father’s surname,
Possibly IDs with husband’s surname after that.

This is not necessarily illegal, but it can make paperwork and verification harder later in life.

Question 3: Is there any legal obstacle to changing your surname to your father’s, and then later using your husband’s surname?

As long as:

Your change to your father’s surname is lawfully done (court or valid administrative process), and
Your marriage is valid, and
You understand that using your husband’s surname is optional,

then there is no legal rule forbidding this sequence:

Original birth: mother’s surname →
Court or admin change: father’s surname →
Marriage: optional use of husband’s surname.

The critical thing is that each step is done according to law, not just by personal usage or social habit.

VI. Practical and Procedural Considerations

If you are seriously considering this, you would typically:

Consult a lawyer specializing in civil registration / family law.
Gather documents:
- Birth certificate (with mother’s surname)
- Proof of parents’ civil status at time of your birth (marriage certificate, if any)
- Proof of recognition by your father (if applicable: affidavits, documents, etc.)
- IDs, records showing you have been known by your current surname
Decide if your case calls for:
- A judicial petition for change of name (Rule 103), and/or
- A Rule 108 petition (to correct entries in the civil registry), or
- A RA 9048 administrative correction (if truly clerical/error-based).
After the court/administrative process:
- Effects must be registered in the civil registry (Local Civil Registrar, PSA annotation).
- You then update your IDs, government records, bank accounts, etc.

Only after your surname change is completed and properly annotated will that become your legal surname.

When you later marry, you and your lawyer can:

Ensure the marriage certificate correctly reflects your legal surname at the time of marriage, and
Decide how you want your post-marriage surname to appear in records moving forward (by choosing whether or not to adopt your husband’s surname).

VII. Important Caveats

No self-help name changing. Simply using your father’s surname on social media, at work, or in informal settings does not make it a legal surname. Authorities always go back to:
- Birth certificate, and
- Any formal court/administrative changes properly annotated.
Do not assume recognition = automatic surname change. Your father’s recognition of you (even in a formal document) does not, by itself, automatically change your surname in civil records. Proper procedure is still required.
Timing and consistency matter. You can change your surname after marriage, but the historical record (e.g., marriage certificate) will reflect what was true at the time. Expect to show court orders and annotations whenever you need to prove identity.
Each case is fact-specific. Factors such as:
- Parents’ marital status at your birth
- Existence or absence of prior recognition
- Whether you’re already married
- Conflicting documents will affect which legal path is appropriate and how hard or easy it is.

VIII. Summary

A woman’s “maiden surname” in Philippine law is basically whatever her legal surname is before marriage.
If you currently use your mother’s surname and want to adopt your father’s surname, you generally must go through proper legal proceedings (often a court petition for change of name, or in some cases administrative correction if it’s truly clerical).
Using your husband’s surname is optional, not mandatory.
If your surname is changed to your father’s before marriage, that new surname becomes your maiden surname, and you can later decide whether to keep it or adopt your husband’s surname.
There is no legal prohibition against this sequence—mother’s surname → father’s surname → husband’s surname—as long as each step follows the proper legal process and is properly recorded and annotated in civil registry.

Because the consequences of mistakes in name and civil status are serious (affecting property, inheritance, passports, etc.), anyone in this situation is strongly advised to consult a Philippine lawyer or public attorney’s office (PAO) with their actual documents in hand so that the proper procedural route (judicial vs. administrative) can be determined for their specific case.