Anyone ever changed their name legally?

[Khristine]

Ok! so i've been wanting to change my real name ever since i was about 14 lol. and i could never do it because my parents didn't really know how to go about doing it.

now that i'm almost 20 i'm still wanting to change my name. has anyone ever done this before? i've been looking online for forms and stuff like that, i know its going to be a hassle (chaging social security, ID's, stuff like that but i'm OK with it) ..

so anyone ever done this before that could help me out? what steps need to be done and stuff like that?

 

[Saje]

I changed one of my middle names because I liked the one my dad had chosen more than my mom's lol. It's quite easy. I went through the provincial government (through your state I guess) and they have a form. It's pretty much the same as changing your last name. And you just slowly convert your other id over. They'll just want proof that you've changed it. I don't know if it's the same there or not. My license still has my old middle name on it. Nobody notices. It expires this year so I'll do it then.

 

[Khristine]

i see. because i'm not changing my name completely.. I actually am adding a name because i don't have a middle name, it's actually my mothers maiden name. and i don't like it.

so i wanted to add the name, hopefully it won't be to hard.

 

[bubbatd]

I don't think that would be a problem. My mother gave me her maiden name as my middle name so I could drop it and pick up my maiden name when I got married. I think it's a good idea for girls so they can carry the family name on. keep us up on what you're thinking. My girls dropped their middle names too when the were married.

 

[Gustav]

I was originally called Ellen when I was born, but my mum's friend had a baby at the same time (like the same week) and she called her Helen. They thought it would be nice to have simular names as we were born so close together. But unfortunatley Helen had a hole in her heart and didn't survive! Mum and Dad thought it would be too much of a reminder with me being called Ellen and there being no Helen! So mum and dad swaped my middle names over so I became Louise Ellen Rose, instead of Ellen Louise Rose! Yeah they gave me two middle names . Not sure how they did it though as I was only little!!!

 

[Renee750il]

You can find out by calling or going to your local courthouse. There may even be something online at your county level that will point you in the right direction. Court clerks can be very helpful. Most of the time if they don't know they answer they can direct you to someone who will either know, or will know who to send you to.

 

[Khristine]

Thanks for all your replies everyone! I actually found a real helpful website and went with it. I have my paperwork already printed. I'm just having a heck of a time filling it out, because i don't know some of these terms the lawyers/judges use.

anyone think they can help me out? i just want to do this asap so i can call all the other places i need to lol

 

[Renee750il]

I'll be glad to help. What I don't know (a lot!) off the top of my head is in my well-used Black's Law Dictionary, and I'm sure Bogolove and Avenlee will chime in with their expertise, which may very well be more helpful than mine since most of my work has been in trial law . . .

 

[Khristine]

on other boards, people are saying i can change my name through the DMV? lol now im totally confused

 

[Renee750il]

That doesn't make any real sense, but since it's a bureaucratic function it's not necessarily going to make any real sense, lol!

I'd check with the court clerks first. Probably starting with Chancery Court.