# How legal is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397 "2002-04-18T21:33:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/1 "2002-04-18T21:33:42Z")
No, I’m not trying to off someone and make it legit…it’a about changing my name. **even sven’s** thread over in IMHO got me thinking…what if I were to change my name. There’s only one thing I would change it to…bouv. Everyone calls me bouv (well, everyone but family.) I don’t want a last name, or a first name, just a middle name- bouv. How legal is this? Do I need a surname? If most forms of ID use a first and last name, would mine all be blank? Or maybe just a b for the middle initial? Desperate minds need to know! ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/2 "2002-04-19T04:15:25Z")
Alright, well, I have always wondered. What is a **bouv** , exactly? And does it rhyme with ‘move’? ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/3 "2002-04-19T04:59:02Z")
Hell, The Artist Formerly Known as Prince That Temporarily Had a Brain Cramp To be Named a Symbol And Is Once Again Known as Prince was able to change his “name”. How weird is that? Does anyone know if Prince changed it _legally_? IANAL so I can’t say that you are required to have a surname but I doubt it. (It is painfully obvious that we need more lawyers on this board to provide pro bono advice). I know middle names/initials are not required and that a woman’s taking a man’s name in marriage is tradition, not law. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/4 "2002-04-19T06:44:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by White Lightning \* > \*\*Alright, well, I have always wondered. What is a **bouv** , exactly? And does it rhyme with ‘move’? \*\* A **bouv** is…well…hard to describe. Most of my friends have spent years trying to figure that out. It does rhyme with move, though. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/5 "2002-04-19T12:39:19Z")
IANAL (obviously), but as far as I know you can call yourself anything you like. I don’t think you even need to get it “legally” changed, although the gubmint seems to prefer that you do something formal. Just go for it. **bouv** sounds cool. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/6 "2002-04-19T12:47:05Z")
Don’t let him be all mysterious. **I** know where the **bouv** comes from. And you let me call you by your name all last year. Jeez. ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/7 "2002-04-19T13:17:03Z")
Bouv makes me think of a bouvier. Nice doggie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/8 "2002-04-19T14:11:28Z")
Check with your local county clerk. I doubt there’s much of a procedure involved. In Texas, you file a petition containing certain information, including the reason for the change, and if the judge doesn’t think you’re a total wingnut, the name change is granted. The Texas statutes about name changes are in the Family Code, chapter 45. But, that costs money. There’s no law stating that you have to _pronounce_ your name a certain way. Just tell everyone, “Oh, sure my name is _spelled_ Mr. Or Mrs. John Smith, but it’s _pronounced_ ‘bouv’.” ---
**Author:** ![Nightsong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightsong/32/3083_2.png) [@Nightsong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightsong)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/9 "2002-04-19T15:03:53Z")
_searches through memory_ Assuming I am remembering this properly, I think you could use any name you liked as long as: you aren’t using it for illegal purposes (to get out of a lawsuit, imitate someone else, etc.) and you can prove that you are you if you need to. So, you could (in theory) have your credit card in the name ‘bouv’, bank account, etc., so long as you could prove that you are the person/leagal entity known as ‘bouv’. Notarized statement of ‘doing buisness as’ (which perhaps Prince did a variation of?), or something that legally connects you with the name should be sufficient. Of course, since IANALawyer, etc., etc., you’ll want to take this with a grain of salt, since I don’t know how accurate this memory is. Or even if it’s currently valid. 😃 Hmm, something to do research on… * * * \<\< I am not who I say I am. \>\> ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-legal-is-this/104397/10 "2002-04-19T15:20:22Z")
The Bouv(ier) des Flandres, The Dog of Flanders. At any rate, you might tell us what country you are in & maybe a state, then we could quote laws on name change?