How can someone legally change their name?

Question

How can someone legally change their name?

Answer 1

first off to set the record straight you DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD REASON TO HAVE YOUR NAME LEGALLY CHANGED!!!! almost 100% of the time the courts will change it no questions asked.

there are only 4 circumstances in which the courts will deny your request:

1) If you are changing your name for fraudulent purposes or to infringe upon the rights of others

2) if you are incarcerated/on probation/or have committed a previous felony and are not able to show that good cause exists to for your application for a name change

3) If you are a minor (not emancipated) and a) both parents are living and only one (or neither) consents to the name change there will be a hearing to determine if the name change is in the best interest of the minor and if the court says no its a no end of story, or b) if only one is living and he/she does not consent

if you don't fall under those above categories what you need to do is head on over to your city's court house, go to the circuit court, fill out the paper work, show proper identification (take as many as you can ie social security card, drivers license/permit, birth certificate, us passport, legal alien registration card......pretty much whatever you have cuz you never know how much they'll wanna see), and pay the filing fee. some cities have the applications online and you just send that in with the filing fee and whatever else they ask for (keep in mind if you mail it in you MUST get the application notarized and signed since the courts aren't seeing you in person). after that it could take a while for the name change to register and process through the courts. once you have received the official name change order from the court its your responsibility to get your name changed on everything else (ie. pretty much all your IDs, employer, address....)

long process....but i think i pretty much covered all you need to know. hoped this helped

Answer 2

if they are no longer a minor they can visit their local courthouse and get the proper form, pay a filing fee and a judge will make the decision as to whether or not the person gets a name change.

if the person is a minor they will have to have their parents either do all the paperwork or at least the parent's consent.

Answer 3

yes

Answer 4

marriage, or change by deed poll, or births, deaths, marriages registry

Answer 5

If you live in UK and a UK national, you can easily change your name by a deed poll. As long as you are more than 16 years old and live in UK. You don't need permission from any courts and you don't need to have any other permissions also.

You can do this on-line

http://www.deedpoll.org.uk/

This site will explain everything you need.

If you are a foreign national, but live in UK, even then you can use deed poll to change your name. But you should check with the embassy of your country first, to make sure that they will accept the deed poll and issue you with a new passport with your new name.

After you change your name, you will have to inform every office and department that has any concern with you, and provide them with a copy of your deed poll.

Answer 6

you have to go through the courts and give a judge good reason why you should be allowed to change your name

Answer 7

To make it legal, you have to have a court order saying you can change your name.

So, you petition the court, and provide reasons for changing your name. The court listens to your reasons, and says okay, or no.

Then, you have to publish a notice about the name change in the newspaper several times.

-Stuart

Answer 8

Yes my friend has 7 last names. She also changed the spelling in her name. My friend that lives next door wants to do the same. But now she wants to change the sound of it but I don't think you have to do that legally. Also my aunt changed her name too.  

Answer 9

It's quite costly to do so, I would reconsider about legally changing it, and suggest to just go by a different name.  

Answer 10

You have to have a pretty good reason to change your name (other than marriage). I don't think there are too many judges out there that would do it just because you didn't like your birth name. My sister wanted to change hers because she had been living with a guy for years but they didn't want to get married. The judge refused to grant her request.  

Answer 11

at the courthouse

Answer 12

I did it myself by going to the county court house law library and asking the clerk.  Most of the time they have common forms like that.  or you can copy the laws,  but you have to pay the library for copies.  The instructions are provided for typing up the form and filing.  There is a filing fee.

You will get a court date and will need to explain why you are changing your name.  The laws will tell you acceptable reasons.  I told them that my dad was abusive and I was taking a name on my mothers side.  which was true.  Anyway that was in Texas, so it's probably slightly different depending on state.  You'll also have some fees for social security name changes

Answer 13

someONE can only change HIS/HER name. HE/SHE can't change THEIR name. Subject/ object agreement. Someone, anyone, no one can never be followed by 'their'. In English, the proper pronoun is 'he, him, his (masculine)' if the gender is not known or is ambiguous.

Your question should have read, "How can someone legally change his name?" It doesn't matter if females are included or not.

You could also have asked, "How can people change their names?", "How can someone change his/her name?"

'Their' is always plural, so 'name' has to be plural, too. If 'names' doesn't work with 'someone', then 'their' doesn't work, either.