Changing your name in NYC

[Alex+R 0]

I am looking into changing my name with marriage. As much as I don't want to have the same name as a New York Yankee (A-Rod), it might be a good idea to pick up another last name.

But then I encountered this on the NYC Marriage Bureau web site:

You are advised to carefully consider whether to change your surname or not. The various options are listed on the back of the application. Whatever your choice of surname it will be final and the only way you will be able to change it is by marrying your spouse for a second time. Although you may amend other mistakes in your marriage record a surname choice is not considered a mistake and therefore cannot be amended.

Marry your spouse again?

Thoughts solicited.

[fozzie 41]

I believe you can change your name anytime you feel like it, to whatever you want it to be. If you are changeing your name through marriage then the marriage cert is your proof. But you can change your name legally anytime you want. Not sure the ins and outs of how to do this though.

[Alex+R 0]

I believe you can change your name anytime you feel like it, to whatever you want it to be. If you are changeing your name through marriage then the marriage cert is your proof. But you can change your name legally anytime you want. Not sure the ins and outs of how to do this though.

Yeah, so what the hell are they talking about, "marrying your spouse for a second time"? I'm lost.

[sparkofcreation 0]

I believe you can change your name anytime you feel like it, to whatever you want it to be. If you are changeing your name through marriage then the marriage cert is your proof. But you can change your name legally anytime you want. Not sure the ins and outs of how to do this though.

Yeah, so what the hell are they talking about, "marrying your spouse for a second time"? I'm lost.

Well, I had a professor in grad school whose last name was (let's suppose) Smith, except in some places it was listed as Smith-Stupid (it wasn't actually stupid, but another negative adjective). Her husband's last name was Jones, though. When I finally asked her about it, it turned out her husband's last name had been Stupid, but when they had kids and the kids were getting teased, he and the kids had changed their last names to Jones (his mother's maiden name). She thought she already had books in print under two last names (Smith and Smith-Stupid) and by golly she wasn't going to confuse people by taking a third last name, so she wanted to drop the Stupid part and go back to being plain Smith. But they told her the only way to do that was to divorce and re-marry her husband; otherwise her only options were to continue to be Smith-Stupid or become Smith-Jones or plain Jones. So she kept Smith-Stupid legally, but publishes under Smith.

She likes to say "My husband finally stopped being Stupid, but they told me I had to stay Stupid forever."

[Alex+R 0]

I believe you can change your name anytime you feel like it, to whatever you want it to be. If you are changeing your name through marriage then the marriage cert is your proof. But you can change your name legally anytime you want. Not sure the ins and outs of how to do this though.

Yeah, so what the hell are they talking about, "marrying your spouse for a second time"? I'm lost.

Well, I had a professor in grad school whose last name was (let's suppose) Smith, except in some places it was listed as Smith-Stupid (it wasn't actually stupid, but another negative adjective). Her husband's last name was Jones, though. When I finally asked her about it, it turned out her husband's last name had been Stupid, but when they had kids and the kids were getting teased, he and the kids had changed their last names to Jones (his mother's maiden name). She thought she already had books in print under two last names (Smith and Smith-Stupid) and by golly she wasn't going to confuse people by taking a third last name, so she wanted to drop the Stupid part and go back to being plain Smith. But they told her the only way to do that was to divorce and re-marry her husband; otherwise her only options were to continue to be Smith-Stupid or become Smith-Jones or plain Jones. So she kept Smith-Stupid legally, but publishes under Smith.

She likes to say "My husband finally stopped being Stupid, but they told me I had to stay Stupid forever."

You're kidding. So the rules ARE as stupid as they appear to be...