Anybody here ever legally changed your name?

DonkeyKongSr · #1 10-17-2006, 06:06 PM

Other than chicks who got married and changed their last name of course.

I'm looking for "I hated my name" or "I didn't want to be associated with my parents anymore" or "I changed it for professional/financial reasons" or whatever reason. How easy was the process? How long did it take?

And, since I'm guessing that I might not get a lot of affirmative responses, have any of the rest of you considered changing your name?

*** · #2 10-17-2006, 06:16 PM

I didn't change it, but I seriously considered it. The only thing that stopped me was that I was already well established with my old name by the time I was in a position to do anything about it. I still haven't ruled it out completely, but what should people I knew before the change call me? My new name or my old name?

lippy · #3 10-17-2006, 06:18 PM

I'm strongly considering it... but I don't know.

I go by "Mike", have since I was born, but my legal name is David Michael Lxxxxx. Thus, it is a hassle whenever I am in a situation when people know my legal name (class, new jobs, doctor's offices, etc).

It's funny, I'm seriously thinking of changing my name to D. Michael, just dropping the first name for a single letter. This is probably a bad idea.

DonkeyKongSr · #4 10-17-2006, 06:18 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't change it, but I seriously considered it. The only thing that stopped me was that I was already well established with my old name by the time I was in a position to do anything about it. I still haven't ruled it out completely, but what should people I knew before the change call me? My new name or my old name?

[/ QUOTE ]

What's your reason? Just that you hate your current one?

And yeah, I'd like to know what happens with people who knew you by the old name. I'm really interested in that details as I have never knowingly met anyone who went by a name other than their birthname.

DonkeyKongSr · #5 10-17-2006, 06:20 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I'm strongly considering it... but I don't know.

I go by "Mike", have since I was born, but my legal name is David Michael Lxxxxx. Thus, it is a hassle whenever I am in a situation when people know my legal name (class, new jobs, doctor's offices, etc).

It's funny, I'm seriously thinking of changing my name to D. Michael, just dropping the first name for a single letter. This is probably a bad idea.

[/ QUOTE ]

Very bad idea. David is a great first name. The best. There was a poll taken once of best first names and it won. Either that, or I'm a David and just making [censored] up.

lancev99 · #6 10-17-2006, 06:20 PM

I haven't, but I had a friend try. From what he said it was slightly pricey( over $1000). And the judge denied the name change. Apparently the judge has the final say, there must be a legit reason for the name change, IE a criminal has your name and it has come up on a background check for you, or credit problems someone else had with your name. I guess it depends on what judge you get. I would say contact an attorney see what they say depending on what state you live it.

talentdeficit · #7 10-17-2006, 06:20 PM

half my family go by names other than their birthname. my father, mother, brother, sister and numerous aunts and uncles and cousins all use their middle names.

it's family tradition to give your children really crap first names.

lippy · #8 10-17-2006, 06:23 PM

I don't mind David... it's just, I am not David. I am Mike.

It's weird to me that my name and who I am are two different things.

Although, people rarely call me Mike either... variations of my last name, but that is aside the point.

Duke · #9 10-17-2006, 06:25 PM

I changed my name to Duke because I liked my handle on this forum.

*** · #10 10-17-2006, 06:25 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I didn't change it, but I seriously considered it. The only thing that stopped me was that I was already well established with my old name by the time I was in a position to do anything about it. I still haven't ruled it out completely, but what should people I knew before the change call me? My new name or my old name?

[/ QUOTE ]

What's your reason? Just that you hate your current one?

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't dislike it, but on my mother's side of the family there has been a man in each generation named Rapier Redmond or Redmond Rapier. It skipped a generation in hers because all the children were girls (even her cousins). I think the name is my birthright, and I quite like it, but my dad wasn't having any of it and my mom didn't press very hard. Instead I got named after a racehorse.

[ QUOTE ]
And yeah, I'd like to know what happens with people who knew you by the old name. I'm really interested in that details as I have never knowingly met anyone who went by a name other than their birthname.

[/ QUOTE ]
I met a girl who changed her full name to dissociate herself from her family. Her old friends usually call her by her old name, but sometimes the new one and new friends use her new name exclusively.