Heidi Klum Officially Takes Seal’s Last Name

Model/television host and producer Heidi Klum married singer Seal more than four years ago. But, like many women, she didn’t take her husband’s surname. The couple now heads a family of six, including children Leni, Henry, Johan and newborn Lou.

Recently, Klum asked a California court to legally change her last name to Samuel, Seal’s surname. Today, a Los Angeles family court commission approved the name change.

Klum’s representative did not comment when asked if the Project Runway host intends to be known professionally as Heidi Samuel from now on or if the change is merely personal.

Generally, when someone gets married, a name change can be initiated merely by taking the marriage license to the Social Security office and the local DMV for new identification cards.  However, some agencies do have a time limit, requiring that the official documents supporting the name change be less than a certain age – two years in the case of the Social Security Administration.

Though the name change process in court is not as quick and easy as taking a marriage license to the DMV, it is not a difficult process either. For adults, especially after a marriage or divorce, a name change proceeding is pretty painless.