Couple of questions about it.
Q1) Have any of you done it?
Q2) Was it an easy process?
Q3) Did any sort of complications arise?
Q1) Have any of you done it?
Q2) Was it an easy process?
Q3) Did any sort of complications arise?
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Legal Name Change
- Thread starter Fearless Leader
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Yeah, I got my name changed last august, it's an easy process if you use a lawyer. Here in GA (I believe it varies from state to state) you have to run a notice in your local newspaper for four weeks, and then go before a judge. They want you to have a good reason to (I was taking my stepfathers last name), but you can do it for no reason.
I have heard its easy and that in US you can get it changed to just about anything and for just about any reason except for fraud purposes (Evading debts or trying to appear to be someone else.)
May I recommend the name Raymond Luxury Yaucht.
May I recommend the name Raymond Luxury Yaucht.
No so I can start my army of minions.So that you can start saying, "Call me Daddy?"
Only possible complication that I can think of is that most states will charge a fee - though I don't think it's that much.
Just make a list of all the place you need to call/write to have them update your information - it might be longer than you initially thought - and keep track of who you've notified and who you haven't got to yet.
Just make a list of all the place you need to call/write to have them update your information - it might be longer than you initially thought - and keep track of who you've notified and who you haven't got to yet.
I changed my name a few years ago.
The UK has two ways to do it :
1. Common law - you just tell everyone to call you by your new name. Some companies will be happy to bill you in your new name, others need legal proof as below.
2. Deed Poll. You go to a solicitors and get a legal document drawn up, for about £50, certifying your change of name. No reason is needed. You can then show that to the banks etc to get your credit cards, passport etc in your new name.
As mentioned above, the key thing is that there must be no attempt to hide your identity or evade anything.
Some people deed poll their names to strange things, like Mr IhateMcDonalds, often when in the middle of a court case against the entity they don't like.
RandomStory: My favourite non-entertainment-related namechange is Henry Morton Stanley, the famous American explorer who discovered Dr Livingstone in the jungle with the immortal phrase "Dr Livingstone, I presume?"
He was actually born with the name John Rowlands to a grindingly poor family in a Welsh coal valley - his parents weren't married, his father died soon after, and his mother refused to look after him, so as an illegitimite, he grew up in the harsh workhouse.
Escaping to the USA at 15, he encountered a wealthy trader in New Orleans, named Stanley, whos name he assumed, reinventing himself.
All his life, he was obsessed with fear that people would discover his real working class origins, his illegitimacy, and that he wasn't really called Stanley. As an old man, he wandered the graveyards of New Orleans, looking for graves with the name 'Stanley' that he could claim were ancestors of his.
The UK has two ways to do it :
1. Common law - you just tell everyone to call you by your new name. Some companies will be happy to bill you in your new name, others need legal proof as below.
2. Deed Poll. You go to a solicitors and get a legal document drawn up, for about £50, certifying your change of name. No reason is needed. You can then show that to the banks etc to get your credit cards, passport etc in your new name.
As mentioned above, the key thing is that there must be no attempt to hide your identity or evade anything.
Some people deed poll their names to strange things, like Mr IhateMcDonalds, often when in the middle of a court case against the entity they don't like.
RandomStory: My favourite non-entertainment-related namechange is Henry Morton Stanley, the famous American explorer who discovered Dr Livingstone in the jungle with the immortal phrase "Dr Livingstone, I presume?"
He was actually born with the name John Rowlands to a grindingly poor family in a Welsh coal valley - his parents weren't married, his father died soon after, and his mother refused to look after him, so as an illegitimite, he grew up in the harsh workhouse.
Escaping to the USA at 15, he encountered a wealthy trader in New Orleans, named Stanley, whos name he assumed, reinventing himself.
All his life, he was obsessed with fear that people would discover his real working class origins, his illegitimacy, and that he wasn't really called Stanley. As an old man, he wandered the graveyards of New Orleans, looking for graves with the name 'Stanley' that he could claim were ancestors of his.
i did the same thing - changed my last name to match my stepdad. i had my lawyer do the paperwork in VA where i was at the time. cost like couple hundred bucks, signed a few documents, and that was it. more trouble updating information with the DMV (worse employees ever!), credit cards, social security, etc...
My wife has.
No it wasn't. Changing driver's license, SS card, etc was a hassle.
No, just wasted time.
I'm changing my name to "Cash", so I can sue the banks that converted money from checks made out to cash.. I mean.. to me!
Like yellow, my wife also changed her name. It wasn't extremely simple, but neither was it all that complex.
The only complications were that people who knew her by the "old" name now had ot learn the "new" name. If you're doing something drastic, like changing your entire name (vs. just last name), then there may be other complications caused primarily by things cropping up that are still in your old name that you forgot to change.
Unless you're just talking about your MR name, in which case you just need to PM a god with a good reason...
The only complications were that people who knew her by the "old" name now had ot learn the "new" name. If you're doing something drastic, like changing your entire name (vs. just last name), then there may be other complications caused primarily by things cropping up that are still in your old name that you forgot to change.
Unless you're just talking about your MR name, in which case you just need to PM a god with a good reason...
Some countries have lists of 'official' names, and everyone born in that country must be called a name from that list.
I find this a hard concept to grasp, but apparently it's true. I had a girlfriend a long long time ago, called Victoria.
Nothing unusual about that, but she was from Argentina, and 'Victoria' is not on the list there. (the situation may be different now) Her mum apparently had a huge struggle to get the right to name her baby Victoria.
Victoria loved her unique name - she was pretty much the only one around - and when she came to live in the UK, she was really pissed off to find it was such a common name here.
I find this a hard concept to grasp, but apparently it's true. I had a girlfriend a long long time ago, called Victoria.
Nothing unusual about that, but she was from Argentina, and 'Victoria' is not on the list there. (the situation may be different now) Her mum apparently had a huge struggle to get the right to name her baby Victoria.
Victoria loved her unique name - she was pretty much the only one around - and when she came to live in the UK, she was really pissed off to find it was such a common name here.
apparently, you can change your name to a symbol, like Prince, but how practical it is I dunno...
Prince changed his stage name, yes. But I'm pretty sure his taxes, accounting and passport name remained the same.
I also have a different working name (for brand recognition reasons) and passport/taxes name.
I also have a different working name (for brand recognition reasons) and passport/taxes name.
Nope, you can't use any symbols or numbers in your name change. You can only use letters.