Names???

[The Prokeimenon!]

So does anybody know how to go about a legal name change? I've always wanted to legally insert my Baptismal name among my other names, but was never quite sure how to go about it.

Moses

 

[Erik3]

Many on here have said they would love to legally change their first name to their baptismal name.

Does anyone like their first name and prefer being called by that name?

Not to imply that the person doesn't like their baptismal name, just you like the name you've had and want to keep that.

Thanks, God Bless

 

[Emmanuel-A]

In my parish, it is rare that newly baptised/chrismated persons change their names when accepted in the Church. It only happens when the person's name is not the name of a Saint or when the person especially insists on taking a new name.

As far as I'm concerned, I feel blessed that my parents called me Emmanuel, why would have I changed my name, can you think of a better and more christian one ?

 

[Maximus]

Many on here have said they would love to legally change their first name to their baptismal name.

Does anyone like their first name and prefer being called by that name?

Not to imply that the person doesn't like their baptismal name, just you like the name you've had and want to keep that.

Thanks, God Bless

I like the name my parents gave me.

The name I received at chrismation is cool, too, but honestly, I rarely use it.

 

[Khaleas]

In my parish, it is rare that newly baptised/chrismated persons change their names when accepted in the Church. It only happens when the person's name is not the name of a Saint or when the person especially insists on taking a new name.

As far as I'm concerned, I feel blessed that my parents called me Emmanuel, why would have I changed my name, can you think of a better and more christian one ?

I would guess that is because most French are catholic (at least on paper or by tradition) and give their children saint names to begin with. My friend's mom wanted to name one of her sisters Bonnie but the priest wouldn't allow for it. So they ended up naming her Donna and now her parents call her Donnie.
So I'm guessing that if you have a pre-scism name you wouldn't change it.

 

[Irish Melkite]

So does anybody know how to go about a legal name change? I've always wanted to legally insert my Baptismal name among my other names, but was never quite sure how to go about it.

Moses,

Check this site. They offer (for what looks to be a very reasonable price) packets of legal forms to accomplish this, but you can get those for nothing from the clerk of whichever court in your state has jurisdiction over name changes. And, name changes are a simple enough matter in almost all instances that one can represent oneself in applying to do so.

The site's value is in the links it provides to the law of each state on name changes; I reviewed the material at the links for Massachusetts and a couple of other states with which I am familiar and the info posted is accurate.

Name Change Law.

Keep something in mind though, the court process is one thing and generally not all that complex or time-consuming. The aggravation is in all the other aspects. As any woman who has changed her last name after marrying will testify, they aren't impossible to do - but they are an incredible nusciance.

I'm talking about making the change on your driver's license, credit cards, bank accounts, automobile titles and registrations, utility accounts, medical records, credit reports, insurance policies, library card, property deeds, school records, loans, social security account, etc.. None of those things happen automatically; and I've only listed the instances where it is relatively essential from a legal or practical point of view that you do so - not things like subscriptions, memberships, etc., which are more on the line of "nice", rather than "need" to do.

A simple solution is to either legally change your middle name or legally add your chrismation name as a middle name; you can then choose to call yourself by that name in introducing yourself to folks, etc., without invoking all the complications that go along with an outright legal change of your first name.

Either way, you need to be conscious afterwards of that line on credit and employment applications (as well as elsewhere) that asks "aliases ?" or "by what other names have you been known?".

Many years,

Neil

 

[rhyddid_rose]

Christ is Risen

My name is Xara Eleni Rose Pascha. Eleni is my saint name and people in church and in the world call me that. Xara is hard to pronounce for most English speakers, so I ask people to call me Eleni. The priest at my old church calls me Xara Eleni at communion time.

Peace and Long Life


бабочка

 

[Marjorie]

My baptismal name is really just the original form of my name... Marjorie is my real name and Marina is my saint. So I am communed as Marjorie (i.e. "The handmaiden of God Marjorie partakes of the precious and all-holy Body and Blood for the remission of her sins and unto life everlasting") because it is good for your Orthodox name and your real name to be one if possible (because we Orthodox do not believe that Christianity is just a little part of our life but should be all of our life) but I have to say that it gives me great great great joy when anyone calls me Marina. That's just the new convert's zeal though, haha.

In IC XC,
Marjorie Marina