Re: OT: Anthroponymics

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?

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
>

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