A friend told me today that the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted renamed his son Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. when the kid was 12 years old! I’d never heard this before, so I can’t swear it’s true, but it would not surprise me since FLO Sr. was an egotistical prick.
But no matter. What I want to know is what would be involved if a parent or guardian wished to do this today? Could he/she simply rename his/her minor child at will? Even if it required some sort of legal procedure, is there anything to stop or overrule the parent’s wishes. I mean, doesn’t the parent legally act for the kid until he reaches the age of majority, making the kid (and anyone else) powerless to stop mom and/or dad?
I don’t know for how long this would work, but after our first child was born, and I had already filled out the form in the hospital, my husband came in and said he thought a different name would be better. We were told that we could change it but there was a somewhat longer procedure to do so. He didn’t bother, especially since I preferred the name already designated. Whether we still could have done so years later I have no idea.
There’s a recent case I’m aware of. Asia Carrera, the former adult film actress and current blogger, was pregnant with her second child who she planned on naming Devin after a friend. Then her husband Don was killed in a car accident and she decided to name their son Donald when he was born. But after several months she decided it was too painful to be constantly hearing the name Don so she changed her mind and had her son’s name legally changed to Devin.
When our little one was born they told us we had up to a year to change the name without doing much but filling out a form. I don’t know what they would do if you wanted to after a year. I’m in Maryland.
Semi-hijack: I have many different names, doubtless some I’ve never heard of. If sloppy bookkeeping can grant you a new name, completely legal and verified, then it should be EZ for parents to change their kids’ names, if they’ve a mind to.
After divorce, one parent can contest a name change if the other attempts it. The judge decides on what is in the child’s best interest. If the kid is old enough to know their name well, it will likely be denied.
Married couples don’t take each other to court very often but I suppose the same would be true if they weren’t divorced. In general, it takes both parents agreement (or one parents lack of challenging it in court) to change the name.
