# New law: As of today every adult must legally change his or her first name. My new name is… **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 23, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680 "2016-09-23T23:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [September 24, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/21 "2016-09-24T14:27:00Z")
Annie. No explanation needed. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/22 "2016-09-24T14:32:25Z")
Scout. 1. It’s the name of one of the main characters in my favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird 2. Easy to spell 3. Hey, Boo! ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/23 "2016-09-24T14:37:20Z")
Ben Dover (I use the name “Honey” at restaurants/McDonalds where they will call out my name.) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/24 "2016-09-24T14:49:09Z")
Excellent. I will ditch “Julia” for the form I use 99% of the time anyway: Julie. 1. I’ve always gone by it so it sounds natural to me. 2. Where I’m from in Ohio, many people pronounce Julie as JOAL-ya. It’s excruciating. JOAL-ie (rhymes with goalie) is much more tolerable. 3. I’m a casual person and “Julie” has always sounded less formal and more friendly to me. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/25 "2016-09-24T15:01:28Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > No, seriously, I’ve always liked the name “Siobhan.” I don’t have three reasons, I just like it. It’s a pretty name pronounced, like most Celtic names, but it always reads like “Slob-something” to me. Same for “Aoife,” which sounds nice but reads as… “Oof” or something. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/26 "2016-09-24T15:48:51Z")
Buck. I’ve thought it would be cool to change my name to “Buck Naked, M.D.”. There was an episode of The Twilight Zone (starring Martin Milner of all people) which featured characters named Buck and Medea, which would be terrific names for a pair of small spaniels. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/27 "2016-09-24T16:16:37Z")
**Budgiesaurus** 1. I like budgies 2. I like dinosaurs 3. something something Budgiesaurus ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/28 "2016-09-24T16:25:36Z")
I choose **Shirley** So I can say “Call me Shirley” ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/29 "2016-09-24T17:54:47Z")
Sara 1. Almost universally pronounceable, used in many cultures worldwide. 2. Short 3. Sounds good with my last name ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/30 "2016-09-24T18:39:45Z")
Dean 1. It is not subject to unwelcome nickname-ization, nor is is likely to be construed as a nickname. 2. It’s unambiguously masculine. 3. It’s not likely to be misspelled or mispronounced. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/31 "2016-09-24T18:42:14Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Dean > > 1. It is not subject to unwelcome nickname-ization Aw, hell, I forgot. The bastards would call me “Dino.” I know they would. Back to the drawing board. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/32 "2016-09-24T18:47:04Z")
Princess Consuela Bananahammock 1. I’m secretly Phoebe 2. I’d like to marry Paul Rudd 3. Yay Friends! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/33 "2016-09-24T18:54:13Z")
Erastus 1. He is one of my ancestors 2. He had four wives and thirty-three children. 3. Because of all the fucking, of course. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/34 "2016-09-24T19:03:50Z")
Theophrastus Bombastus. 1. It’s the manliest name ever! 2. My name-sake was a [cool guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracelsus). 3. I think it’s old Greek mixed up with Latin, that’s cool. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/35 "2016-09-24T20:33:34Z")
'Alex’andra 1. I’ve thought about this before and I just like how it sounds 2. Shortened version is unisex 3. There is no part three, but if I was changing my first name I’d change my surname as well and take my mums maiden name 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/36 "2016-09-24T21:37:52Z")
My name now, except it’s spelled the way people expect it to be spelled. 1. Other than the spelling, it’s pretty common. 2. I get to technically keep my name. 3. I won’t have to spell it out for people when it matters. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/37 "2016-09-25T01:18:04Z")
Jack 1. It’s my grandfather’s name 2. I like the name 3. Hi opal ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/38 "2016-09-25T04:26:46Z")
Thomas. 1. Thomas More. 2. Thomas Becket. 3. Tom Wolfe. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/39 "2016-09-25T05:20:41Z")
Xbrtjkzv 1. It’s weird. 2. Its virtually impossible to pronounce. 3. It confuses and irritates everyone. 4. It’s worth major points in Scrabble. If Scrabble accepted proper names. And it were a name. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680/40 "2016-09-25T06:15:18Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Of the first 12 responses, exactly 2 - or 16% - have followed the rules of the OP. > > Gotta love the Dope 🙂 > mmm I count 4, not counting the OP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-law-as-of-today-every-adult-must-legally-change-his-or-her-first-name-my-new-name-is/766680.md?page=3)