How and Why to Change Your Legal Name
Ranked #11,501 in Culture & Society, #233,638 overall
You Want Me To Call You What?
The idea for this lens came from a "tag you're it" by Susanna Duffy in a Virtual Jenga Challenge. Susanna's challenge to me was to make a lens that had something to do about "ginger." *Snicker* I'll bet she thought she was going to get some cookies or something!
Love the babies? Buy this Ann Geddes print at AllPosters.com
At the Very Beginning of Your Life
When should a child be named?
The name game all starts at birth...or does it? My father ended up with Baby Boy Combs on his birth certificate because obviously his parents hadn't come up with a name in the hospital. He didn't discover this till he enrolled in the Navy and had to produce his birth certificate. Oops! Some cultures don't name their children for a whole year because of the high rate of infant mortality. Some people wait a month or so.
Good Names For Your Baby
How do you choose it?
We chose names for our kids based on their bicultural heritage...what names could be said in Spanish or English with equal ease?
My advise is to think about the child and a name that resonates well with her or him (place one hand on your belly and say a name out loud. If it doesn't match it will not feel good).
On the other hand, Google thinks most teenagers will trash their own name on the internet with all the postings of their indiscretions. So maybe you need to pick out a name that is good for 20 years with the "real" name for when your kids turn 21!
10,000 Names for Your Baby
Amazon Price: $2.95 (as of 05/30/2012)
Bigger and better than ever, this comprehensive reference provides all the information parents need to choose the best name for their baby. Packed with thousands of new choices and the latest findings on how our names can affect our personal and professional lives, this book makes finding the perfect name easier than ever.
Reasons for Picking A Name
Ancestors, fads, or something else?
My Mother Found Out The Hard Way
If you name your children after yourself and their credit history goes bad, it could rebound on your credit history instead. Oops, sorry, mom! :-)
“I sometimes think I was born to live up to my name. I'd either have been a nun or this. Madonna”
Top 5 Reasons to Change Your Name
The Top Five Reasons People Change Their Names
First, last or both for changing names
2Change your last name because of divorce.
3Change your first and last names to sound less ethnic or cultural.
4Change your first name because it no longer reflects who you are.
5Change your name because as a movie star or public figure you need something catchy.
Newest!Change your name because of being infamous or associated with someone infamous. Google CEO Eric Schmidt says this will be a growing trend for teenagers who want to get away from indiscretions posted on the internet.
Star Trivia!
Do you know which star goes with which name?
Many stars and public figures change their names to escape religious or cultural intolerance. Or their name doesn't fit the image they want to portray. Sometimes they just didn't get a great name. Test your knowledge about these "before" and "afters."
How to Legally Change Your Name
It's tiresome
If I got to do it all again, I'd never have changed my name legally after the first marriage.
- Changing Your Name After Marriage
- Why is it only women who change their names?
- Social Security
- Be sure to let them know for your *cough* benefits some day.
- Changing Your Passport Name
- Are we having fun yet?
- Legal Zoom
- Does the research for you. Fill out their forms then just file them.
- Changing Your Name After Divorce
- All divorce decrees now are required to ask you if you are changing your name or not. It's a Homeland Security thing.
Numerology of Names
You Are Your First Name
Amazon Price: $21.34 (as of 05/30/2012)
The Numerology Name Dictionary by America's Foremost Numerologist Ellin Dodge. Wondering what your career strengths are? Confused by your boss? Is "John" really your soul mate? Nervous about impressing your future mother-in-law? Well, throw away those self-help books, skip your therapist appointment, and let your fingers do the walking through YOU ARE YOUR FIRST NAME for all the answers and more! Taught in the ancient mystery schools, the first letter of any name, the vowels, and the consonants all have meaning unveiling secrets and providing you with great insight about yourself, your friends, lover, boss and everyone else in your life! With YOU ARE YOUR FIRST NAME, all the answers you've ever wanted are pages away.
“Any child can tell you that the purpose of a middle name is to tell when he's really in trouble.”
My Name Change Story
Once upon a time...
I lived on a guest ranch and my name was Ginger
Well, actually I still live on that guest ranch and many people still call me by that name. As far as I was concerned I was going to grow up and marry a rancher and keep on ranching!
But my life led me in other directions. I studied massage therapy and got intrigued with energy healing. From energy healing I started doing intuitive readings for people. Some where along the way, "ginger" just didn't seem to fit. Although I had plenty of people say to me when I was called Ginger, "Oh I know a dog named Ginger," or "I have a horse named Ginger," I never had someone say...I know a psychic named Ginger!
So how did I get to gia? I wanted something connected to my legal name of Virginia (which is also my mother's name), and not a complete change like "She-who-makes-many-lenses" (although if someone has gone that route like Buffalo Medicine Woman, more power to them!). After I picked gia and was trying that on for a bit, I suddenly remembered then when my son was a baby and was just starting to talk he called me "gia" before he called me mama. How wonderfully strange is that?!
So gia I became...
But I also don't capitalize my name
What's up with that?
“My name may have buoyancy enough to float upon the sea of time. Keats”
Name Changing Etiquette
Did You Change Your First Name
Or Know Someone Who Did?
So You Took The Big Leap and Changed Your Name, What Now?
Or someone you know changed their name, what do you do?
It's okay socially to change your last name because of marriage or even divorce. But there's kind of a taboo about changing your first name. How do you handle telling your friends and family? You may find plenty of resistance to changing a name because they associate your name with a feeling of love (or whatever view they have of you). And then there's just the basic memory aspect of it. For some reason people get embarrassed if they forget someone's new name and call them by their old name. At my age, I'm just happy if I remember any name, so I certainly don't fault any one else's memory!In my own life I stayed "Ginger" for a long time with friends and family. With my clients I was "gia." And never the two shall meet! My friends who know me in the energy healing/intuitive world readily switched to gia. But others didn't and I was fine with that. But then one day...two years ago, I joined Facebook and my two worlds came together as one. I immediately confused old friends who always knew me as Ginger. Sometimes family don't know how to introduce me (do I introduce you the old way or the new way?)
My personal feeling is, if you knew me as Ginger...keep calling me that! And if you know me as gia...please call me that! And if you're introducing me and you're not sure...just introduce me as your sister, daughter, friend and I'll supply the name.
But other people are adamant that their new names are recognized and acknowledged by family and friends. If you've changed your name, send an email to friends and family. For businesses send a formal letter.
If you are on the other side of the equation and someone you know has changed their first name and they haven't officially told you anything...just ask what their preference is!
Here's a good tip for committing the new name to memory. Picture the person in front of you. Connect to the heart feeling you have for that person. With your nondominant hand lightly tap your thumb on each finger tip while repeating the new name over and over. Give it 20-30 seconds if you are feeling resistant to it. Voila! Committed to memory.
Name-Calling
The Ugly Side of Others Picking a Name for You
Easing the Teasing : Helping Your Child Cope with Name-Calling, Ridicule, and Verbal Bullying
Amazon Price: $4.09 (as of 05/30/2012)
Traditionally, teasing was viewed as a rite of passage, something to ignore until (you hope) it just went away on its own. But teasing can have damaging and lasting effects on your child, including low self-esteem, chronic stress, anxiety, dislike of school, or even aggressive behavior. Children need concrete ways to cope with teasers and the emotional turmoil teasing can cause. In Easing the Teasing, Judy Freedman draws from seventeen years of experience as a social worker in a suburban Chicago school system. Her groundbreaking program successfully teaches children and parents how to effectively deal with teasing and develop life-long coping skills.
Okay, now I tag...
The next person for the Virtual Jenga game is...And her challenge is to tell me where to go and what to visit the next time I go to India!
Drop me a message
You Can Call Me Ener-g or gia or hey you!
Got a story about a name or a nickname?
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Wedding_Mom
Dec 3, 2011 @ 4:58 am | delete
- Great lens and a great lens you have i love my name and i wouldn't change it for the world. But am so glad i have the know how if i do. Great job!!
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4U2C Mar 15, 2011 @ 2:53 pm | delete
- Because I like my privacy, I am going to comment "oddly". Loved the Lens, and I have just about had it, with changing my name. Forgive the dashes, but I'd like to stay somewhat anonymous, online. My legal name is E----y K-----n O----a G----r M---------a S------n S------n T--k. Now, if I could just change that to something simple, like Holly Hock, or Prim Rose, or Dandy Lion, or even Spring Brook. Oh, no! I have a "handle", just like you! P.S. Your poor dad!
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JeremiahStanghini Feb 18, 2011 @ 4:11 am | delete
- I almost changed my name when I got married... Took one of my middle names and made it my last name. :-)
With Love and Gratitude,
Jeremiah
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capriliz
Jan 22, 2011 @ 12:52 am | delete
- I can see why you would change your name because of a profession you were entering. I keep smiling at your story of having the name "Ginger". Every time my daughter meets someone with the name of Jake or Salley she immediately tells them that she has a cat by that name.
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sorana
Jan 21, 2011 @ 5:59 pm | delete
- gia ... interesting. I actually like your name. Interesting discussion about the name change.
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by Ener-G
Changing my first name was a big deal. It took time and patience and Facebook to get the job done!
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