BS: How does one change a surname?

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: GUEST,Bagpuss
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 10:16 AM

We have a Jasper Carrott (real name Bob/Robert Davies). But its debatable whether he is a comedian...

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 10:09 AM

Hi Sally...Oops, I mean Mrs. Lemon (I don't know you well enough to be that informal!!)

Back in the ancient days of history, I thought very seriously of changing my name. Somehow "Richard Fielding" just sounded like some dull Barrister or accountant, and no matter how many variations I used with the first name (Dick, Rich, Rick, Ricky, even Eric) it still sucked. Someone suggested I go with "Dickie Fielding," but it struck me that with that monicker, I'd need a wooden dummy along with the guitar

"IT's Dickie Fielding and his little buddy "Woodie"!

I considered (honestly) "Kent St.Clair", but I'm not gay so I dropped that one quickly. I loved and played a lot of blues, so I thought about nicknames like "Papa", "Ramblin", and "Hard Luck". No way though. "Papa" sounds like you're braggin' about your sexual prowess, and I was a little too average for that......."Ramblin" implies you do a lot of hitch-hikin' and sleeping rough, but I've been driving a car since the age of 16, so that seemed a bit pretentious. Now "Hard Luck" Fielding would have been all right, except that eventually people would have discovered that my parents sent me to a Private (in Britain, 'public') school for 'discipline' reasons, and that I've never missed a meal in my life!

Nope.....always figured that folks like Gordon Lightfoot, Patsy Cline, and Dolly Parton just got lucky with their names.

How 'bout considering OTHER fruits and vegetables?

Sally Avocado

Sally Lime (sounds spy-like!)

Sally Carrot (don't you folks have a comedian named "carrot"?)

Cheers, and have fun

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 10:02 AM

A coworker of mine recently changed his name (he and his brother both changed their last names from Schnitzius to Stone). It was a matter of simplification, and I think they took their papers to a judge and had them signed. I don't know how much it cost. For a few years I hyphenated my husband's (now ex) name onto mine, but it was an exercise in frustration when southerners saw the hyphen. They dropped my last name, turning it into a middle initial, and used his and tacked on a Mrs. This Ms had to revert back to her own name. Since it was always my name, I just reclaimed it. Took my birth certificate to the Social Security office, and once the new card was in hand (very easy and quick) I proceeded to the driver's licence office. With those two cards the rest was easy.

At the divorce was another opportunity, and I nearly accidentally dropped my middle name, which I don't use because I'm not particularly fond of it. If I had signed the papers without it that would have been my legal name sans the middle name. I heard my mother's voice saying to "keep the name," so I signed it on those papers. And the attorney and the judge each took a handful of pages and we scribbled it in on all of the occasions where it needed to appear.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: Snuffy
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 09:25 AM

Ooops. Of course I mean Ms.

WassaiL! V

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: Snuffy
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 09:23 AM

Sally Forth?
Sally Nation?
Sally Vating?
Sally Ahmé?
Sally Dressing?
Sally Goround-Themoon?
Sally Port?
Sally Gardens?

Or are you planning to become Mrs Grapefruit, MrsTangerine, Mrs Lime, Mrs Satsuma, etc?

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: Beccy
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 09:05 AM

Over here stateside, you can function with a name different than your legal one as long as you use your legal name on important documents. It's a bit confusing, but it's less of a commitment to a new surname than going through the legal rigamarole (Think Martin (Estevez) Sheen...)
I must say that it was pretty easy to adopt my husband's surname when we married. So I suppose it's not too involved when you're doing it for the heck of it.

Beccy

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: GUEST,Bagpuss
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 09:00 AM

According to this Deed poll website :

"Any citizen of the United Kingdom aged 16 years and over can change their name to any name they choose simply by using their new name. This is known as changing your name by usage. With few exceptions, you can have whatever name you choose so long as you are not changing your name for fraudulent purposes or to avoid an obligation. Furthermore, there are no restrictions on how often you can change your name.

However, if you change your name by usage, you will encounter difficulties when trying to get certain documents and records changed since government departments such as the Passport Office, Inland Revenue and DVLA - and many companies and organisations - will ask you for "documentary evidence" that you have changed your name. Documentary evidence is a term used to describe a document that will be accepted to effect a change of name. Such documents are:

Marriage certificate (allows a women to change her surname to that of her husband).
Decree absolute certificate (usually allows a divorcee to revert to her maiden name).
Death certificate (allows a widow to revert to her maiden name).
Adoption order (allows an adopted child to change his/her surname to the adopted family's surname).
To change your name for any other reason than above, you need a document that provides evidence that you have changed your name. A Deed Poll is such a document and it will ensure that you get all your documents and records changed to show your new name without any problems or delays."

You can also do it by "statutory declaration" but as this involves lawyers, it will probably cost you more than the £39 it costs to do it by deed poll (on the site above - I dont know if that is a standard cost or if it varies.

Enough of the boring info - did you hear about the bloke who changed his name to "Yorkshire Bank plc are Fascist Bastards" - and when he closed his account with them, they had to make out the cheque to him in that name!

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 08:57 AM

I think it goes something like .... you can call yourself whatever you like for most purposes, but for certain legal documents you have to use your real name. But it used to be only about 25 quid to change your name by deedpole (not sure if thats one word or two).
How the devil you ever settle on a name to change to though.......

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: kendall
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 08:44 AM

There is a dentist here whose name is Peter Swallow. No way would I put up with that

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 08:29 AM

Well she's Du Lally Sally
Hangin' out in the alley
And she'll dally with your lolly
For a buck or two.
Du Lally Sally don't keep no tally
She'll do you twice
And your buddy too.

Sorry......I dunno' what the procedure is in the UK, but in the states it's a petition for name change that goes before a probate judge for approval. Afterwards you must change other records as well including Social Security and the like.

Ya' gotta' really hate your name to do it I guess and I've rarely seen the point. Personally, I went to school with a girl who should have changed her name and never did......Sharon Peters.....sounds like a bathroom game.......

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: GUEST,Bystander
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 08:20 AM

I must warn Sally that the word 'Du-Lally' or it's longer version, 'Du-Lally-Tat' is old cockney rhyming slang used to describe someone who was a few pence short of a shilling!

Subject: BS: How does one change a surname?
From: the lemonade lady
Date: 08 Apr 03 - 08:03 AM

Just as a matter of interest, if one does not like their surname and would like to change it how does one go about doing so?

I suggested to members of the Bothy Song Club the other night that they might like to suggest another name for me. My name is Sally and someone came up with 'Du Lalle' (with an accent above the 'e' but I don't know how to do that!)

Any more suggestions?

Sal