March 23, 2007

Old Question Answered

growing up i always wanted a "cooler" name. i never cared for my first name nor my last. both have grown on me over the years, but who wouldn't want to be a "gretzky", "lemiuex", or "oz"? ok... probably people that grew up with those names, but still... you get the point. for a man to change his name, there is a long legal process that must be endured. i suppose when we are all really numbers for tracking we'll be allowed to change our names like we change our cloths since those won't really matter any more. but i digress...

so while zipping through my newsfeeds, i saw an article title that caught my eye and vaulted me back to a question of my youth -- can a man change his last name to that of his wife when he gets married? women do it, equal rights, blah, blah, blah.

enter -- more men taking wives' last names.

i always thought it was possible, but never knew anybody that did it. what i didn't know was that it was legal in only some states though that appears to be changing.

in a round about way, the article also answered another question i had. could a woman (or man) change their name to anything they want when they get married. if the system is allowing it to change, why limit it to a name one of them already has. the answer appears to be yes, though the examples are all combinations (or mash-ups to use the 2k phrase) of their original names.

the question not answered was whether it is limited to last names! for example, if i ever divorced and remarried, could i change my name to wayne gretzky and she of course would have to change hers to janet jones. LOL.

if it ever becomes more universally legal, i've got a business idea. quick weddings to allow for simple/legal name changes followed by immediate divorces or annulments which ever is easier and allows for the new name to stick. cha-ching. would just have to get tina turner in as an investor so i could use one of her songs... sing it with me now... "what's love got to do with it?"

and for anyone that takes this idea, this post is dated. :-)

pun not intended.

Posted by ac at March 23, 2007 11:30 AM