Portia de Rossi is taking on her wife Ellen DeGeneres' surname.

The 37-year-old actress - who married the talk show host almost two years ago - filed a petition in a Los Angeles court to formally become Portia DeGeneres.

Court papers state: "Petitioner is taking the last name of her spouse."

Portia signed the documents in March this year and filed them in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday (06.08.10) but the name change won't be official until a hearing takes place on September 23.

Although Portia is cementing the couple's love for one another by changing her name it doesn't look as if children are on the cards for them.

Portia and Ellen married in front of 30 guests at their Beverly Hills home on August 16 2008.