Executive summary

Marriage does not automatically change your legal name. A Filipina may choose to keep her maiden name or adopt her husband’s surname under Article 370 of the Civil Code.
Your passport must mirror your PSA civil registry records. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will only print a name that is supported by PSA‐issued documents (Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, and/or Report of Marriage).
About the middle name: If you adopt your husband’s surname, your maiden surname becomes your middle name, and your former middle name (your mother’s maiden surname) is dropped. You cannot leave the middle name blank unless your PSA birth record truly has no middle name (e.g., certain illegitimacy or foreign naming circumstances) or you have a court/administrative order authorizing the change.

Legal bases and guiding principles

Civil Code (Art. 370): A married woman may use any of the following:
- Her maiden first name and surname, and add her husband’s surname;
- Her maiden first name and her husband’s surname; or
- Continue using her maiden first name and surname.
Philippine Passport Act (R.A. 8239) and implementing rules: A passport is an identity and travel document. Name entries must be consistent with civil registry records; the DFA is not a forum to litigate or invent a new name.
Clerical Error Law (R.A. 9048, as amended by R.A. 10172) and Rule 108 of the Rules of Court:
- Minor clerical errors may be corrected administratively by the Local Civil Registry (LCR).
- Substantial changes to a name (including middle name in most instances) require proper legal basis—often a judicial proceeding, unless expressly allowed administratively.

Philippine naming convention refresher

At birth (typical): Given Name + Middle Name (mother’s maiden surname) + Surname (father’s surname).
Upon marriage (if the woman adopts the husband’s surname): Given Name + Middle Name (her maiden surname) + Surname (husband’s surname). The earlier middle name is dropped; it does not carry forward.

Key point: This is not “dropping the middle name entirely”—it is replacing your middle name with your maiden surname. Leaving the middle name blank (no middle name at all) is generally not allowed unless your PSA birth record has no middle name or you have a lawful order authorizing that format.

“Can I drop my middle name?”—The precise answers

1) If you take your foreign husband’s surname

What happens to the middle name? Your maiden surname becomes your middle name on the Philippine passport.
Can you leave it blank? No, unless your PSA birth record has no middle name or you have a lawful change approved (court/authorized administrative correction).
Can you use a hyphen (Maiden-Husband)? Hyphenation is a style sometimes accepted in practice, but the safer rule is: the passport will reflect the structure supported by your PSA record. If your civil registry (or a judicial order) reflects a hyphenated surname, DFA may carry it over; otherwise, expect the standard Article 370 formats.

2) If you keep your maiden name

Your passport stays exactly the same (given name + middle name + maiden surname). No change required.

3) If your PSA birth record has no middle name

The passport can lawfully show no middle name, regardless of marriage, because it mirrors the PSA record. If you later adopt your husband’s surname, your middle name remains blank only if your civil registry truly shows none (or you have a lawful order to that effect).

4) If you want to remove the middle name entirely even though your PSA birth record shows one

This typically requires a court order (Rule 108) because it is a substantial change. DFA will not do this through the passport process alone.

Documentary groundwork

If married in the Philippines

PSA Marriage Certificate (reflecting your marriage).
PSA Birth Certificate (for name at birth).
Current passport and DFA application requirements.

If married abroad to a foreigner

Report your marriage to the Philippine Embassy/Consulate having jurisdiction and obtain a PSA-issued Report of Marriage (ROM).
If the ROM is not yet available, you generally complete/expedite the ROM first. The DFA’s default stance is to rely on PSA-issued civil registry proof before it will change the passport name.
Translations/Apostille: If your foreign marriage certificate is not in English/Filipino, have it translated and apostilled (or consularized if from a non-Apostille state) for the ROM process.

Practical tip: If your other (foreign) passport shows a different naming style (e.g., no middle name), you may still maintain Philippine naming rules on your PH passport. Name harmonization across passports is optional but can simplify banking/immigration; just remember the PH passport must follow PSA records first.

DFA application paths

A) To adopt your husband’s surname on your passport

Ensure your PSA Marriage Certificate (Philippines) or PSA ROM (marriage abroad) is available.
Book a DFA appointment for passport renewal with change of surname.
Bring:
- Current passport and photocopies;
- PSA Marriage Certificate/ROM;
- Any required IDs that already reflect the new marital surname, if available (helpful but not always mandatory).
Expect your maiden surname to become your middle name on the passport. Your prior middle name is dropped.

B) To retain your maiden name

Renew as normal; no marriage document is required to compel a change. The law gives you options, not an obligation.

C) To revert to your maiden name (widowhood, annulment, divorce recognized in PH)

Provide PSA death certificate (widow), or final judgment of nullity/annulment/recognition of foreign divorce (for marriages to foreigners) plus PSA annotation where applicable, before DFA will revert your passport to maiden name.

Sample transformations

Birth record: MARIA SANTOS CRUZ
- Given: MARIA | Middle: SANTOS | Surname: CRUZ
After marrying Mr. DAVID LEE (foreigner), adopting husband’s surname:
- Passport name: MARIA CRUZ LEE
- Given: MARIA | Middle: CRUZ (maiden surname) | Surname: LEE
- The old middle name SANTOS is dropped.
If she keeps her maiden name: MARIA SANTOS CRUZ (unchanged).
If her PSA birth record had no middle name:
- At birth: MARIA CRUZ (no middle)
- If adopting LEE: Potentially MARIA CRUZ LEE (middle still absent only if PSA records support that format or a lawful order exists). Confirm with civil registry.

Special situations and cautions

Men changing surname due to marriage: Not provided under Article 370. A man’s surname does not change by marriage; legal name change requires an appropriate legal process.
Illegitimate/legitimated/adopted children’s middle/surnames: These follow specialized rules and jurisprudence (not covered exhaustively here). Passport entries still mirror PSA records.
Hyphenation or stylistic preferences: Acceptability depends on what appears in civil registry records (or on a court order). Personal preference alone is insufficient.
Multiple citizenships: Dual citizens often manage differing name formats across passports. For Philippine use, PSA rules govern. Align other IDs gradually to reduce confusion.
Visas and airline tickets: The MRZ on the passport does not encode a separate middle name; it treats middle names as part of the “given names.” Always match your ticket/visa to the passport’s machine-readable rendering (usually SURNAME << data-preserve-html-node="true" GIVENNAMES).

Checklist before you file with the DFA

Have your PSA Marriage Certificate or PSA ROM ready (if married abroad).
Decide which Article 370 option you will use (adopt husband’s surname vs. retain maiden).
Understand that if you adopt the husband’s surname, your maiden surname becomes your middle name (you do not “go without” a middle name).
If you insist on no middle name despite having one on your PSA birth record, be prepared to pursue a legal correction first.
Bring valid IDs and photocopies; ensure consistent personal details (birth date, birthplace, etc.).

Frequently asked questions (quick answers)

Q: I’m marrying a foreigner. Do I have to change my Philippine passport surname? A: No. It’s optional under Article 370.

Q: If I adopt my husband’s surname, can I keep my old middle name (my mother’s maiden surname) as well? A: Under Philippine convention, your maiden surname becomes your middle name, and the old middle name is dropped. Keeping both is not the standard format.

Q: Can I completely remove my middle name on my passport after marriage? A: Not unless your PSA birth record has no middle name or you obtain a lawful order authorizing that change. DFA will not process this by passport application alone.

Q: I was married abroad and haven’t filed a Report of Marriage yet. Can DFA still change my passport name? A: In practice, DFA expects PSA-issued proof (ROM). Complete the ROM, then request the surname change on your passport.

Q: My foreign husband has no middle name. Do I take his middle name or lack of one? A: No. Your middle name follows Philippine rules: your maiden surname (or none only if your PSA record has none).

Bottom line

Yes, the middle name you had at birth (your mother’s maiden surname) is “dropped” when you adopt your husband’s surname, because your maiden surname becomes your new middle name under Philippine convention.
No, you generally cannot eliminate the middle name entirely unless your civil registry supports it or you obtain a proper legal order.
Always align your passport with PSA records; if something in your desired name isn’t in those records, fix the record first (administratively or judicially), then the passport will follow.