{"id":351896,"date":"2016-04-04T11:02:38","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T16:02:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ability-fl-prod.internetbrands.com\/ability-law\/family\/marriage\/how-to-legally-change-your-name.html"},"modified":"2026-07-08T17:05:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T22:05:00","slug":"how-to-legally-change-your-name","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/family\/marriage\/how-to-legally-change-your-name.html","title":{"rendered":"How To Legally Change Your Name"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How To Legally Change Your Name<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Hanan Zaki, J.D., LL.M.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Rhonda Earhart, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

People can legally change their names in a few ways. One way is by petitioning the court through a name change request. Another way to legally change your name is by using your marriage certificate.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The legal name change process includes asking (petitioning) the court to use a new name by submitting a name change request. The name change process generally follows these steps, which we’ll get into in detail below:<\/p>\n