Name Changes FAQ
How to legally change your name.
I just don't like my birth name and I want to change it. Can I choose any name I want?
There are some restrictions on what you may choose as your new name. Generally, the limits are as follows:
- You cannot choose a name with fraudulent intent -- meaning you intend to do something illegal. For example, you cannot legally change your name to avoid paying debts, keep from getting sued or get away with a crime.
- You cannot interfere with the rights of others, which generally means choosing the name of a famous person with the intent to mislead. For example, most judges will not approve your renaming yourself George Bush or William (Bill) Clinton unless you have a convincing reason not related to the famous politicians.
- You cannot use a name that would be intentionally confusing. This might be a number or punctuation -- for example, "10," "III," or "?."
- You cannot choose a name that is a racial slur.
- You cannot choose a name that could be considered a "fighting word," which includes threatening or obscene words, or words likely to incite violence.
| That's "Mr. Three" to You | Minnesota's Supreme Court once ruled that a man who wanted to change his name to the number "1069" could not legally do so, but suggested that "Ten Sixty-Nine" might be acceptable (Application of Dengler , 287 NW2d 637 (1979)). |
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Do I have to file forms in court to change my birth name?
In theory, no. In all but a handful of states, common law legal principles allow you to legally change your name by usage only. A name change by usage is accomplished by simply using a new name in all aspects of your personal, social and business life. No court action is necessary -- it costs nothing and is legally valid. (Minors and prison inmates are generally exceptions to this rule.)
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