# Did you or anyone you know ever get a legal name change? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082 "2017-07-25T15:41:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/1 "2017-07-25T15:41:26Z")
Not counting taking a spouse’s name, since that’s still a common change, have you known anyone who chose a different name? 20+ years ago, I worked with a guy who changed his first name. I wasn’t close enough to him or nosy enough to ask why. The only observation I can make is that his replacement name was a closer ethnic match to his last name, but that may or may not mean anything. For all I know, he was originally named for someone he hated, and as an adult, decided he wanted to sever that connection. Anyway, in the anonymous online world, I decided to be nosy - any interesting tales to tell regarding new identities? ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/2 "2017-07-25T15:48:20Z")
I know someone who changed her first name - she was in her 50s when she did it. She waited until after her parents passed, so they wouldn’t feel insulted or hurt by it. She said the reason for the change is that she just never felt that her first name fit her. So she chose a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/3 "2017-07-25T16:04:32Z")
I used to work with a woman who told me the story of how she came by her last name. Her maiden name was a long multisyllabic Italian name, she changed it when she got married, the marriage didn’t last, she didn’t want to keep her ex-husband’s name and didn’t want to go back to her maiden name, so she legally changed her last name to that of a famous pulp fiction detective. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/4 "2017-07-25T16:10:29Z")
I have a friend who changed her name from male to female as part of a gender reassignment. The first judge she went to refused to do it, she had to get a lawyer involved. My niece has thought about changing her last name to her mother’s maiden name (my family name) because her father left before she was born and she doesn’t like to carry his name. StG ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/5 "2017-07-25T16:17:55Z")
My son changed his last name to match mine. His mother and I weren’t married and, when he was born, it seemed to make sense for him to take her name since statistically if things didn’t work out she would be primarily raising him. Instead, she turned out to have zero interest in being a mother and I sued for custody and won. She became almost entirely absent and, in his early teens, my son expressed a desire to change his last name to match mine. By that point, I was remarried and with a second child so my older son was the odd man out in the name department. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/6 "2017-07-25T16:18:56Z")
My maternal grandfather had some very valuable bonds that were to go to his youngest daughter upon his death. My paternal grandmother (who was married to him) knew about these bonds, and when he died, changed her name to that of his daughter… and took the bonds. I believe this qualifies as identity theft, although everyone involved has died by now. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/7 "2017-07-25T16:24:32Z")
My niece legally changed her last name to that of her step father. She was born with the last name she shared with my sister and I. Her bio dad was not a consistent or positive influence in her life so was not a factor. So when my sister got married and changed her name it was not long before my niece was asking for a name change too. ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/8 "2017-07-25T16:34:44Z")
I was sorta tricked into changing my name. I was 8 years old. My mother had remarried and changed her name. But I was, apparently, old enough to have a say in whether my name would change too (my younger brother’s name was automatically changed). They brought me into a fancy lawyer’s office, told to sign here, here, initial here, etc. I found out years later those were consent to change my name. For the best - I was too young really. But there is a teeny twinge of resentment that it should have been made clear what was going on. Bigger surprise: when I signed, I had to use a different name than what I thought my name was. My mom shacked up with a guy after leaving my father (whom I never knew). She signed me up in school using boyfriend’s surname as mine. That was my name for years (almost half my life 🙂 ). I had never heard of the name they made me sign with. In short: I’ve had three names in my life - odd for a dude. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/9 "2017-07-25T16:35:45Z")
My mother’s sister decided to change her first name when she was in her fifties. I don’t know if she officially changed it, but she only responded to the new first name. It got to the point where my mother finally referred to her as “Ramona, who used to be called Frances.” ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/10 "2017-07-25T16:50:05Z")
I have had at least three relatives who did so. An aunt (my grandpa’s second wife’s daughter) who changed her first name to something silly that I won’t mention here because it’s not very common. A brother-in-law (my sister’s husband) who changed his last name to our last name and his middle name to something silly that I won’t mention for the same reason. My wife’s brother changed his first name to his middle name (which he had always gone by informally) and his middle name to something slightly less silly, a common nickname - think “Jimbo” rather than James. ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/11 "2017-07-25T16:53:23Z")
This may not count but my present husband of almost 34 years adopted my son from a first marriage and the entire name was changed since he was a Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/12 "2017-07-25T16:57:14Z")
Just last week, my brother had his name officially changed from his Hebrew given name to its English equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/13 "2017-07-25T16:59:42Z")
My best friend, his brother and mother all had the mother’s maiden name as their middle name. He eventually dropped this. His kids and wife however now have his wife’s maiden name as a middle name. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/14 "2017-07-25T17:04:47Z")
Kinda sorta - I’ve always used the diminutive form of my name (think Tom for Thomas) & have managed to get that on both my license & passport, along with just a middle initial. I wanna see if I can take both of those to Social Security & get them to shorted it there, too. > [@panache45](#): > > My maternal grandfather had some very valuable bonds that were to go to his youngest daughter upon his death. My paternal grandmother (who was married to him) Your paternal grandmother was married to your maternal grandfather? 😕 Does your family tree look like a flag pole? ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/15 "2017-07-25T17:16:25Z")
I know someone who changed his name to the Spanish equivalent. I don’t want to say the actual names but imagine a man named Stephen Wolf who changed his name to Esteban Lobo. I have no idea why he did this, since he has no personal or ancestral connection to any Spanish speaking country. He doesn’t even speak Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/16 "2017-07-25T17:22:54Z")
My father was given the last names of two better-off relatives as his first and middle names, I can only assume as a desperate bid by his parents for some hoped-for financial aid at some time in his life (I don’t think it worked). He hated his first name, always went by his middle name, and eventually legally changed it, so his middle name became his first name and he had no middle name. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/17 "2017-07-25T17:38:44Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Your paternal grandmother was married to your maternal grandfather? 😕 Yes. They were both widowed, and several years later, they got married. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/18 "2017-07-25T18:07:01Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > My son changed his last name to match mine. His mother and I weren’t married and, when he was born, it seemed to make sense for him to take her name since statistically if things didn’t work out she would be primarily raising him. Instead, she turned out to have zero interest in being a mother and I sued for custody and won. She became almost entirely absent and, in his early teens, my son expressed a desire to change his last name to match mine. By that point, I was remarried and with a second child so my older son was the odd man out in the name department. I know two kids, young adults now that had their mother legally change their last name to hers after she and the dad divorced and he had no interest in being a dad to them. It was their decision to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/19 "2017-07-25T18:55:14Z")
My ex-spouse, when we divorced, changed their first / middle name (starting over in life, and all that). They never really liked their first / middle as it was evocative of an image they did not like projected (think something the likes of “Ellie May / Jethro” along with the perceived teasing as a child). They ended up choosing something they felt was more up-to-date, which happened to be my sibling’s name also, although that was not the inspiration. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082/20 "2017-07-25T19:19:07Z")
A former co-worker had his name legally changed to MegaZone. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-or-anyone-you-know-ever-get-a-legal-name-change/792082.md?page=2)