# I do not exist. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316 "2006-05-18T21:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/41 "2006-05-19T17:17:36Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] Would you believe that the BC was in the basement of a home for the elderly and I had to pay someone to search through old files? [/QUOTE] Was it inside a locked filing cabinet in a disused lavatory with a sign saying "Beware of the leopard” ? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/42 "2006-05-19T17:28:44Z")
[QUOTE=Cheez\_Whia] FWIW, when my ex-husband adopted my oldest daughter (in California), the adoption was finalized by re-issuing her birth certificate with my (then) husband’s last name. There were no “adoption papers”. [/QUOTE] Same here, my birth certificate lists my mothers husband as my father. Cute trick since he hadn’t met her till I was 4. Though, my original birth certificate was wrong too, my mother listed her first husband as my father even though he wasn’t. So, I’ve never had a BC that was correct. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/43 "2006-05-19T17:41:03Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] Considering they’ve prolly got a camera in your shower, you should feel quite happy for this accommodation. 😃 [/QUOTE] In that case they probably said “the poor guy is used to having things short, so why not his name?” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/44 "2006-05-19T19:00:31Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] Me: “But, err, I use Mike all the time, that’s been my legal name for years…” [/QUOTE] Not just for this problem, but I would recommend you go to court and obtain a name change certificate and keep it with your birth certificate. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/45 "2006-05-20T01:10:19Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] But it’s not. Unless you’ve had it legally changed, your legal name is Michael. [/QUOTE] That’s not true. “Legal Name” is a very hazy concept. Practically speaking, you don’t even neccessarily have to get it changed by a judge if you don’t wish to do so. If it identifies you, it’s valid. And children _definitely_ don’t need to have it changed by the legal system. They can just pick something and go with it. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/46 "2006-05-20T02:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] My birth certificate said that I was born on July 7th when I was actually born on July 14th which is what my driver’s license said. I didn’t know about the mistake until I needed a copy of my birth certificate to get a passport. [/QUOTE] My aunt recently had her husband get a copy of her birth certificate. She was surprised to see that it had her birthdate as April 2, instead of the April 20th she has been celebrating for almost 60 years (It wasn’t just a typo, the notarization was dated April 6.) She was a bit upset about this. She eventually decided to get her certificate changed to read the 20th, but to celebrate her birthday on the 2nd. Which I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/47 "2006-05-20T03:58:10Z")
[QUOTE=Lok] My aunt recently had her husband get a copy of her birth certificate. She was surprised to see that it had her birthdate as April 2, instead of the April 20th she has been celebrating for almost 60 years (It wasn’t just a typo, the notarization was dated April 6.) She was a bit upset about this. She eventually decided to get her certificate changed to read the 20th, but to celebrate her birthday on the 2nd. Which I don’t understand. [/QUOTE] I’m guessing your aunt’s parents were naughty and had to fudge the math a bit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/48 "2006-05-20T04:24:43Z")
Since she was the youngest of 5, not too likely. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/49 "2006-05-20T13:31:24Z")
Sometimes these name things can be costly. My supervisor’s real estate license said “FirstName LastName” but her business cards said “FirstName LastName MarriedName.” A customer with a beef on some minor incident went to the Real Estate Commission, who then cited her for not using the same name on her cards as her license, as required by law. She had to pay a fine of $500 for not paying the $5 to change the name on her license! ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/50 "2006-05-21T18:02:08Z")
[QUOTE=Brain Wreck] I decree that none of my kids shall have middle names. [/QUOTE] If you don’t give them a middle name, then I put “NMI”-No Middle Initial- when I fill out their life insurance paperwork so their name becomes Mary NMI Jones. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316/51 "2006-05-21T18:13:31Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] That’s not true. “Legal Name” is a very hazy concept. Practically speaking, you don’t even neccessarily have to get it changed by a judge if you don’t wish to do so. If it identifies you, it’s valid. And children _definitely_ don’t need to have it changed by the legal system. They can just pick something and go with it. [/QUOTE] While technically speaking this may be true in states that recognize common law name change, practically speaking it is bad advice. Just try to get a passport, license or other government document in a name different than that on your birth certificate. I am not saying its impossible. Some people may in fact accomplish this, but the vast majority of people run into difficulty if they do not go through the courts to obtain a legal name change. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-exist/357316.md?page=2)