• Marriage is only one of the reasons Mississippi residents change their names.marriage image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  In general, changing your name in Mississippi is not difficult. Name changes are common for those who are newly married or divorced. Stipulations in Mississippi state you cannot change your name to avoid a debt or to escape conviction of a crime. Changing your name will not erase your past criminal convictions nor will it clear your driving record or any other aspect of your current life. If you wish to change your name for reasons other than divorce or marriage, you may do so but the final decision is ultimately up to your local court.
  
  

Marriage

• To change your name because of marriage, you must obtain a copy of your marriage license to use as evidence of your name change. You must first notify the Social Security Administration of your name change. Fill out a Form SS-5, the application for a change of name form. Before you can change your name at the Department of Motor Vehicles or anywhere else, your name must first be recorded with the Social Security Administration.
  
  

Divorce

• Name changes because of divorce work the same way as changing your name for marriage. You must present the Social Security Administration with a copy of your divorce decree and a Form SS-5 to have your name changed back to your maiden name. Once you've changed your name with the Social Security Administration, you can notify your financial institutions, employers, the Department of Motor Vehicles and your utility companies of your change of name. Some of these companies may require a copy of your driver's license to change your name on their documents, so the DMV should be the second business entity notified of your name change.
  
  

Other Reasons

• To change your name for any other reason than marriage or divorce, you must file a petition with the county clerk in the Mississippi county in which you reside. The county clerk provides you with the required forms and fees needed to petition for a name change. You will have to attend a hearing with a judge to petition for your name change once all of your paperwork has been filed and your request has been published in a local newspaper or publication. The court will determine whether or not to grant you a request to change your name.