How do you get your name changed?

You file the completed forms at the courthouse and attend a hearing.

Changing one's name is a simple and inexpensive process. Either a name can be changed by the common law "use" method whereas the person simply begins using the name in their personal and business affairs. Or a name can be changed by court order which is always the best choice as many governmental organizations such as the SSA require proof of a name change. Any adult person can change their name or the name of their minor child/children as long as it is not done for purposes of fraud, (such as using a celebrity's name for commercial reasons, to escape creditors or authorities, etc.). Contact the office of the clerk of the probate court for information on the procedure in the state in which you live.


You file the completed forms at the courthouse and attend a hearing. Some states require that you publish a notice in the local newspaper too and some states also have you sign a form or complete a fingerprint card so they can do a background check on you. Other jurisdictions use what is called a deed of change of name, a type of deed poll. Others, including some of the previous, also use a statutory declaration to change the name.

In all cases, various agencies must sometimes be alerted to the change, such as those maintaining passport or driver's license records.