Executive summary

In the Philippines, marriage does not erase a woman’s legal identity or automatically change her name. You may adopt your husband’s surname, but you do not lose your own names because of marriage. For Philippine passports, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) follows civil-registry law and long-standing Philippine naming conventions. As a rule:

If you adopt your husband’s surname, your middle name on the passport becomes your maiden surname (your last name before marriage).
If you keep your maiden name, your middle name remains what it was at birth (usually your mother’s maiden surname).
Removing your middle name entirely is not allowed for passports unless you have a lawful basis that changes your legal name (e.g., a court-approved change of name or an applicable special rule for certain cultural or civil-status cases).

Below is a complete, practice-oriented guide.

1) Legal framework (what actually governs names)

Family Code (Art. 370). A married woman may use:
- her maiden first name and surname and add her husband’s surname; or
- her maiden first name and husband’s surname; or
- her husband’s full name with “Mrs.” before it.
These are options, not obligations. Marriage does not divest a woman of her maiden name; it only grants the privilege of using her husband’s surname.
Civil Registry law and practice. Your PSA civil registry records (birth, marriage, court-annotated entries) are the primary evidence of your legal name. The DFA mirrors what your civil status and documents lawfully show. The passport is not the source of your name; it merely reflects it.
Philippine Passport Act & DFA rules. The DFA issues passports based on your PSA records and supporting proof of changes in civil status or name. Administrative changes are limited; material name changes generally require judicial or statutory basis.

2) How “middle name” works in Philippine practice

At birth (most Filipinos): Given name(s) + Middle name (usually your mother’s maiden surname) + Surname (your father’s surname if legitimate; special rules apply for illegitimate, legitimated, adopted, or acknowledged children).
After marriage (if a woman adopts her husband’s surname): Philippine convention used by the DFA on passports places your maiden surname as your middle name and your husband’s surname as your passport surname. Example: Ana Santos Reyes marries Mr. Dela Cruz and adopts his surname → Passport name becomes: Given name: ANA | Middle name: REYES | Surname: DELA CRUZ.
If you keep your maiden name after marriage: Nothing changes: your passport continues to show the names as on your birth records (subject to clerical corrections, if any).

Key implication: The “middle name” slot in a Philippine passport almost never disappears; it either remains your birth middle name (if you keep your maiden name) or becomes your maiden surname (if you adopt your husband’s surname).

3) Can you remove your middle name from a Philippine passport after marriage?

Generally, no. The DFA will not delete the middle-name field simply because you got married or because your bank prefers a two-part name. The middle name serves an identity function in Philippine records.

Only recognized exceptions allow the passport to have no middle name, namely when your legal name truly has no middle name under Philippine law or an applicable judgment. Common scenarios:

Your PSA birth record has no middle name (some cultural/ religious naming traditions; certain legacy registrations). The passport can mirror that.
Judicial change of name (Rule 103/105 proceedings or other applicable court processes) expressly removes or alters your middle name, and the PSA has annotated your record accordingly.
Special civil-status events that lawfully alter names (e.g., adoption with a decree specifying names; legitimation/acknowledgment rules; rectification of clerical error—note: this does not usually cover middle names; it is limited, technical, and must be PSA-annotated before the DFA follows).
Certain Muslim/indigenous naming systems where the civil-registry entry and governing personal law do not use middle names. The DFA relies on what the PSA record shows under those systems.

Without one of these lawful bases (and PSA annotation), a request to “drop the middle name” will be denied.

4) What you may validly request after marriage (passport perspective)

A. You adopt your husband’s surname

What changes: Your passport surname becomes your husband’s surname; your middle name becomes your maiden surname.
What you need: Old passport, PSA marriage certificate, PSA birth certificate, and standard application/renewal requirements.

B. You keep your maiden name

What changes: Nothing. Your passport continues with your maiden surname and birth middle name.
What you need: Standard renewal requirements; marriage documents are usually unnecessary unless your civil status or other data changed.

C. You hyphenate or use compound surnames

The Family Code allows the form “maiden surname + husband’s surname.” Hyphen use is a stylistic issue; in passports, special characters (like hyphens) may appear in the visual zone but are typically simplified in the MRZ (machine-readable zone). Expect harmless variations across systems; identity hinges on the official full name as printed.

Practical tip: Keep your bank, SSS, PhilHealth, PRC, LTO, and BIR records synchronized. If you hyphenate in the passport, mirror the same format in other government IDs where possible.

5) When you must go to court or secure PSA annotation first

You need a court order (and subsequent PSA annotation) before the DFA will reflect any of these in your passport:

Deleting your middle name (absent a birth record that already has none).
Changing your middle name to something other than your maiden surname under the married-name format or your birth middle name if keeping your maiden surname.
Reversing previous name changes beyond the standard effects of annulment/nullity or widowhood (see below).

6) Name use after annulment, nullity, legal separation, or widowhood

Annulment or nullity of marriage: You may revert to your maiden name. DFA will require the final court decision, certificate of finality, and PSA-annotated records.
Legal separation: Does not affect the name. You retain the name you elected during marriage.
Widowhood: You may keep your husband’s surname or resume your maiden name. The DFA will require the PSA death certificate if you wish to change what your passport reflects.

7) Documentary checklists (typical, for guidance)

Exact DFA checklists evolve. Always prepare originals plus photocopies.

If adopting husband’s surname (first time):

Old passport
Completed passport application
PSA birth certificate
PSA marriage certificate
Valid IDs (government-issued)

If resuming maiden name (widow/annulled/nullity):

Old passport
Completed passport application
PSA-annotated marriage record and court decision/finality (for annulment/nullity) or PSA death certificate (for widowhood)
PSA birth certificate
Valid IDs matching the name to be used

If removing/altering middle name (non-standard):

Old passport
Court decision granting change of name (explicitly addressing middle name)
Certificate of Finality
PSA-annotated birth/marriage record reflecting the change
Other standard requirements

8) Frequently asked practical questions

Q1: I want a two-part name for travel convenience. Can the DFA print only my given name and my husband’s surname? No, not unless your PSA-recorded legal name truly has no middle name (or you have a court order and PSA annotation to that effect). The middle name is part of your legal identity in Philippine records.

Q2: My bank/airline ticket shows no middle name, but my passport does. Is that a problem? Airlines typically key off the passport MRZ, which strips punctuation and sometimes condenses name parts. Minor formatting differences are common. What matters is that the core name elements match. When in doubt, have your ticket reissued to mirror the passport.

Q3: Can I replace my middle name with my husband’s surname and keep my maiden surname as last name? No. If you adopt your husband’s surname, it goes in the surname field. Your middle becomes your maiden surname. You can’t rearrange fields ad-libitum.

Q4: I’m Muslim/indigenous and my PSA record uses a patronymic without a middle name. Will the passport force a middle name? No. The DFA mirrors your PSA entry. If your PSA-recorded name has no middle name, the passport can reflect that.

Q5: I’m an illegitimate child and my PSA birth certificate shows no middle name. After marriage, may I still adopt my husband’s surname? Yes, you may lawfully adopt your husband’s surname after marriage. If your legal name has no middle name, the passport can reflect that absence unless and until a lawful change inserts one.

Q6: We plan to use a hyphen (e.g., REYES-DELA CRUZ). Will immigration systems read it? The visual line prints the hyphen; the MRZ usually omits punctuation. This is standard and acceptable. Keep records consistent wherever possible.

9) Worked examples

Keeping maiden name
- Birth: MARIA SANTOS REYES
- After marriage (keeps maiden surname): Passport stays MARIA SANTOS REYES.
Adopting husband’s surname
- Birth: ANA SANTOS REYES
- Marries Mr. Dela Cruz, adopts his surname → Passport becomes ANA REYES DELA CRUZ.
Widow resumes maiden name
- Passport used during marriage: ANA REYES DELA CRUZ
- After husband’s death, with PSA death certificate → Can revert to ANA SANTOS REYES.
Court-approved removal of middle name
- Court grants petition; PSA annotates record to no middle name → DFA may issue passport as ANA DELA CRUZ (no middle). Without the court order and PSA annotation, DFA denies the request.

10) Common pitfalls & how to avoid them

Assuming marriage forces a name change. It doesn’t. You must elect to use your husband’s surname if you want it.
Dropping the middle name on forms “for simplicity.” Later mismatches can derail bank or immigration transactions. Always use your legal name.
Trying to use the passport to “create” a new name. The passport follows the PSA. If you want a different legal name, secure the proper judgment/annotation first.
Delaying PSA annotation after a court ruling. The DFA needs the PSA-annotated record, not just the decision.
Inconsistent hyphenation/spacing. Keep formats uniform across your IDs to reduce verification friction.

11) Action checklist if your goal is to “remove” the middle name

Verify what your PSA birth certificate and other PSA records currently show.
If your PSA record already has no middle name, you can apply for a passport reflecting that, with standard requirements.
If your PSA shows a middle name but you want it gone, consult counsel about a change-of-name petition.
Complete the court process → secure Certificate of Finality → obtain PSA-annotated records.
Apply for a new passport, submitting the annotated PSA documents and your old passport.

Bottom line

Marriage alone is not a legal ground to remove your middle name from a Philippine passport.
If you adopt your husband’s surname, your middle name becomes your maiden surname; if you keep your maiden name, nothing changes.
True removal of a middle name requires a lawful basis reflected in your PSA-annotated records—most commonly, a court-approved change of name or an applicable naming system that never used a middle name to begin with.

Keeping these rules in mind will help you structure your documents correctly, avoid ID mismatches, and ensure smooth DFA processing.