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Generally, people can file their own name change papers for a fraction of the ridiculously high fees attorneys charge for simple matters.
When we got married my wife had to legally change her name and it only cost $7 for her to file the form with the state.
It would have been free except for her situation. She went by her middle name and she wanted to be Middle Maiden Married. But the state would only do it for free if she chose First Maiden Married or First Middle Married.
I have never heard of anyone having to use a lawyer.
When we got married my wife had to legally change her name and it only cost $7 for her to file the form with the state.
It would have been free except for her situation. She went by her middle name and she wanted to be Middle Maiden Married. But the state would only do it for free if she chose First Maiden Married or First Middle Married.
I have never heard of anyone having to use a lawyer.
Nor have I for marriage changes, which just goes to show what a lawyer's racket paying hundreds or even thousands is.
Several years ago I heard of a county/state that had a $200 filing fee for name changes NOT related to marriage and the going rate from lawyers in the area started at $2,000. Never feel sorry for a lawyer for being in a profession with a bad rep.
I have a branch of my family that was Stewart, but back in the mid 1800s, when someone got married, the court clerk spelled it wrong, as Stuart. Since people used to spell it incorrectly that way all the time (plus many couldn't read or write) the couple decided to just keep it as Stuart.
I would have fought to keep my original name, but I'm someone who thinks that's really important. I even hate when people spell my first name "Tracey."
Evidently these relatives didn't care either way, so just went with it.
I've known several people over the years with very short "nice" last names, like Snow, Carr, White, etc, but they had been shortened from very long Polish, Italian, or Jewish/German names generations before. I guess in the early 20th century, a lot of people tried to cover up ethnic-sounding names.
It might interest you to know that the Royal Stuarts spelled their name that way in distinction to the "common" Stewarts, a habit they picked up while exiled in France.
And BTW, being mostly Scots-Irish but having a last name indicative of another country (the smallest percentage of my lineage), I have thought about legally changing mine to reflect my Scottish ancestry because I FEEL Scottish.
Last edited by Doctor Blues; 07-20-2011 at 06:05 PM..
Reason: typo
I changed my last name about a year ago. I am male and it cost me about 400 dollars at the courts office to change. I really didn't like my father's last name, and he wasn't my biological father anyway. I changed it to my mother's father's name, which I always liked.
It was quite a hassle, but only because I didn't know the procedure for doing it (and honestly, no one else at the clerks office knew either). If I was to go back and change my name again it would be a much easier process because I would know everything to bring to the clerks desk just one time around.
I document my family history very well. Any descendants of mine shouldn't have a hard time tracing me.
I did a FULL (first, middle, last) legal name change back in 2006. At the same time, one of my son's did the same. So yes, I would change. It's not such a big deal and it's a relatively inexpensive process if you do it on your own.
I guess the biggest pain was dealing with DMV afterwards. Grrrrrr. But everyone else, bank included, fell right in line after I produced one document.
It would be very simple for someone changing my line to figure out what took place. Everything gets documented extensively these days.
Since I have a non-English ('ethnic' ) name, I've sometimes wondered what it would be like to go by an English name, and not have to deal with other people's preconceived ideas about my background. But then, if everyone believed I was 100% Anglo Saxon, I guess I'd have to deal with everyone else's prejudices about that culture.
Anyone here with an English last name, who has ever wished they could change it to something from another culture?
Yes, chiefly because I don't think the last name is actually mine.
There are enough names out there that make life difficult.
I think Dahmers parents changed their last name.
Hitler had some relatives in the US that changed thiers.
Then names that get caught up in the vernacular like Weiner, Crapper and so forth that could prompt changes.
I have a pretty unique\rare last name. If my relative did something horrendous it could make life harsh unlike if our last name were Smith and people wouldn't automatically link you to them.
Many years ago in a newspaper column, the reporter wrote about a couple deciding on their son's name. They wanted to use a family surname for the middle name, but the name they wanted to use was (temporarily) tainted by a local man arrested for murder. I don't remember their actual last names, so we'll say his name would have been Timothy Murderer'sName Smith.
As a result they chose another name in their family tree. Thus he was named: Timothy McVeigh Smith. Sometimes ya just can't win.
Would you change your surname if you hated it? Or just got tired of having it mispelled constantly, or mis-pronounced constantly?
Just curious - and how would it mess up genealogy research if this was done. I have never found any in my lines or spouses lines that changed theirs.
Both my maiden name and married name are odd surnames. I always have to spell it and/or pronounce it for people. Most people are nice about it but some are not... Sometimes I have thought about to what I would change my surname--would I go for a change based on meanining or sound? Hmm... My last name now is very similar (in sound and spelling) to other surnames in Greek, Italian and Arabic that mean "eagle." I think it would be cool to be "Mrs. Eagle". I could say, "it's eagle, you know like the bird, the symbol of freedom." But my ethnicity and surname are not Greek, Italian or Arabic so I might feel somewhat phony.
I would seriously consider changing my name if I ran for office--I know not everyone can pull off an "Obama" like our president... I more people would pay attention to a "normal-sounding" name, especially since I'm a white American.
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) name, I've sometimes wondered what it would be like to go by an English name, and not have to deal with other people's preconceived ideas about my background. But then, if everyone believed I was 100% Anglo Saxon, I guess I'd have to deal with everyone else's prejudices about that culture. 
Sometimes ya just can't win.
Yeah odd surnames are frustrating.
. I could say, "it's eagle, you know like the bird, the symbol of freedom." But my ethnicity and surname are not Greek, Italian or Arabic so I might feel somewhat phony.
