Re: OT: Anthroponymics

On Tue, 2005-10-25 at 12:02 -0200, João Ricardo de Mendonça wrote:
> This dscussion of given names prompts me to ask a question. What are
> the rules for oficially changing one's name in your country? In
> Brazil, you must prove to a judge that your name is embarassing or
> that it harms your reputation in some way. I remember reading in the
> newspapers about a man named Adolf Hitler who succesfully changed his
> name on these grounds. Do other countries have similar laws?
In most/many/some countries based on British law, the process is
relatively trivial. In some American states, for instance, all you have
to do is start using the new one. In England and most Australian states,
you use deed poll, the details of which I'm not really sure, but I think
it's essentially a contract with yourself. In Victoria, you have to sign
an application in front of member of the police and lodge it with the
Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (along with money), which is
then approved or refused; this is essentially what I thought deed poll
was, but apparently the process was changed in 1986. Maybe just a change
of name.

Apparently, a name change can be refused in Victoria:
      * A person will normally only be allowed to change names once in
        any 12 month period.
      * The Registrar may refuse to register a change of name if the
        proposed name is considered obscene, offensive, too long,
        consists of symbols without phonetic significance or contrary to
        public interest.
      * The Registrar may also require the applicant to provide evidence
        to establish that the change of name is not sought for a
        fraudulent or improper purpose.
      * The Registrar may refuse to register a subsequent change of name
        if a previous change of name has been used for a fraudulent or
        improper purpose.
(From the FAQ at <http://makeashorterlink.com/?B38721B0C>.)

So I probably couldn't change my name to that of our friend whose name
is quoted below, nor copy Prince, but otherwise the restrictions aren't
too onerous.

--
Tristan. No, call me John.

> João Ricardo de Mendonça
>
>
>
> On 10/16/05, John Vertical <johnvertical@...> wrote:
> > >How many first names can people have in different nooks of the world?
> > >Nowadays Swedes can have any number from one upwards, but most have
> > >only two. (I and my son have three each, but I never use Jung 'coz
> > >most people -- even Swedes -- think it's a surname.)
> >
> > In Finland, the standard is two first names, but one and three are also
> > allowed by law. I think joint names such as Jean-François count as two, but
> > don't hold me on that.
> >
> >
> > >BTW there is on record a Swede having 29 names -- one for each letter
> > >of the Swedish alphabet [A-ZÅÄÖ]!
> > >
> > >--
> > >
> > >/BP 8^)>
> >
> > That reminds me - I read from an old (70s I think) copy of Guiness World
> > Records that a Pennsylvanian man born in 1904 had the longest known personal
> > name, and he also had first names for every letter of the alphabet. But it
> > was his family name that was the totally insane one. I think I wrote it down
> > somewhere ...
> >
> > OK, here goes:
> > Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth
> > Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor
> > William Xerxes Yancy Zeus
> > Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorffwelchevoralternwarengewissenschaftschaferswessenschafe-
> > warenwohlgepflegeundsorgfaltigkeitbeschutzenvonangreifeudurchihrraubgierigfeindewelchevor-
> > alternzwolftausendjahresvorandieerscheinenerscheinenvanderersteerdemenschderraumschiff-
> > gebrauchlichtalsseinursprungvonkraftgestartseinlangefahrthinzwischensternaitigraumaufdersuche-
> > nachdiesternwelchegehabtbewohnbarplanetenkreisedrehensichundwohinderneurassevonverstandig-
> > menschlichkeitkonntefortpflanzenundsicherfeuenanlebenslanglichfreudeundruhemitnicheinfurchtvor-
> > angreifenvonandererintelligentgeschopfsvonhinzwischenternartigraum Senior.
> >
> > My German is a little rusty (OK, a lot rusty) - can anyone provide a
> > translation of the family name?
> >
> > John Vertical
> >
>
>