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changin' mah name
real_pochacco
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I want to change my name. I actually want to no longer have a last name. This might seem pretty obnoxious, but I have a rare first name, so I feel like it is fairly reasonable. (Plus, my last name is ridiculously long and hyphenated.) I am currently attending college in Portland, OR, but I am from the Bay Area. Can you guys tell me what I need to do in order to get my name changed, or if I can make this kind of change at all? I briefly looked online and I saw sort of kit of forms I can order, but they were pricey (something like 50 dollars, if I recall correctly).
real_pochacco on
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Hell, a lot of stuff, especially electronically, requires that a last name be entered to work, so you'll need to come up with something to use.
You're going to be saying "No, it's just Svengali" (or whatever your name is) quite alot.
Then just make your last name Na, and just go by your first name when in casual conversation.
Heh, yeah, but it's better than saying, "I don't wanna tell you my last name because you'll fuck it up when you inevitably repeat it back to me in disbelief."
So why not just change your last name to like smith or something instead of dropping it completely and making your transition period a living hell?
I recommend that you think longer and harder about this.
I have thought for a good long time about this. My main concern is the form question, what happens when I want to fill out some online form and they ask for my last name and the form won't let me move on unless I put something. Other than that, I don't really see any problem with having no last name.
you're just going to have to call customer service every single time you want to do something online... Also, every one of those customer service people are going to think you're a scammer, because it's going to take a while for the name change to go through the entire system so that they don't still see the old info.
Even if you don't think it's pretentious or anything, you do understand how annoying it's going to be for other people, right? Or is that one of the highlights of this for you?
If you get married, will she drop her last name?
I don't see why you have to legally change your name at all. Why not just pretend that it's something else?
No, no, I am not doing this just to annoy people.
Well that was easy ^_^
Basically there are legal steps to do it officially, which are necessary to get your social security card and crap in the right name, but in theory you can go by whatever the hell you want so long as you go by it EXCLUSIVELY, but don't forget the legal name. You also can't use it to evade debts or be unlawful, accidentaly or otherwise, so notify everyone that would care and change your name on all your cards, bank accounts, etc.
Edit: So my understanding is you basically you don't have a "legal" name for matters that don't use your social security number as an identifier(which uses the name on your social security card, which is the name on your birth certificate unless you change it officially)You can go to court, be sued, etc. under a name of your choosing so long as you use it exclusively and without intent to deceive or confuse
No way
In other words, just go by it.
exactly, spend about two or three months introducing yourself as just "guy", correct people, get used to the reaction, start changing all of your personal stuff that you can legally change without changing your name. It's like getting a temporary tattoo... Try it out and see how it feels, then make the decision.
Think of it this way...I would list the pros and cons of changing your name. There is a psychological benefit, it seems, if you change your name - as in it will make you happy. I just see a lot of things down the road that would annoy me to no end...taking out loans, mortgages, credit cards, jury duty, anything and everything that requires paperwork...
Which is everything in this damn country.
So I don't know. To me it wouldn't be worth it, but if it really makes you that happy...whatever works.
By the way, one of my coworkers here was named Sako Zadoyen, and about a year ago he dropped his last name and is just Sako. Aside from people making Cher and Bono jokes to him, I really don't think he's had any problems. Also, it hasn't annoyed any of us, we all think it's pretty cool.
But it depends on OP's first name. What is it, if you don't mind sharing?
Instead of going to all the trouble of getting your name changed, you could learn to live and let live :P
Out of curiosity, what school do you go to?
No, no, I am not doing this just to annoy people.[/QUOTE]
I'm sure Bono doesn't think he's pretentious either.
And even people who do bless themselves with silly names like The Edge have legal names that they use to do "normal" things. If you're going to insist that people never know your second name ever (and have them think you're nuts) you may as well keep a legal name that follows English naming conventions to make things easier.
By the way, I think this is a really pretentious thing to do.
You already knew him though. It's first impressions that will be a killer.
Can you imagine a job interview?
"Hi, I'm Joe Smith, and you are?"
"Jimmy."
"Jimmy...?"
"Just Jimmy, no last name."
"Ok..." *scribbles down Jimmy Asshole on his notes*
This would be a good idea, since there is no obligation to follow any naming conventions other than on certain legal documents you don't NEED to tell anyone your last name if you don't want to, and if you do want to tell them then at least they get a laugh
And yeah, all you have to do to change your name is start using a different one. My recommendation would be to drop one part of your hyphenated name, or, if you don't feel right doing that (don't want to piss off one of your parents), find and choose something you like. Why this huge aversion to having a last name, anyhow?
You've been told a lie. You have to legally change your name, for it, to you know, be legal.
Unless your name is one syllable...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kal_Penn
It could work...
In all casual situations use whatever name you choose and in professional situations try a different name. At the place I interned at this summer one of the employees used a different name outside of work. Didn't seem to cause him any trouble.
Funny you should mention that. While taking summer classes and a few during the Fall semester, I told everyone to call me by a different first name to see how it would work out.
Turns out that I significantly prefer the name I choose for myself instead of my given name and I'm seriously considering changing my first name to reflect my preference. But what I didn't expect to happen was that over time I grew to hate my old name and cringe mentally whenever I'm called by it in public.
Also, go to your city hall or courthouse and ask a clerk. There are a lot of things that require you to look stupid but only for a second or two before you can get what you want.
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