Before his death, my father learned from his elderly mother that our family's surname was actually an alias, quite a surprise at that late date. Grandmother's memory was a little cloudy on all the specifics, but was able to tell him that my dad's grandfather had been involved in a shooting, went on the lam, and changed his name to something more common in order to avoid capture. My son, a budding genealogist, has since confirmed the story through his research. We've been considering reclaiming our last name legally, not only for the purpose of preserving our heritage and repairing some broken links, but also because our 'real' surname is more pleasing to the ear. There are a number of us, including many of our three generations of cousins, who have expressed interest in the name change. Question: Would it be possible for all of us to petition the court and have our names changed in a single legal proceeding? It seems to me that would be a lot easier and take up a lot less court time.
2007-10-13
09:46:43
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6 answers
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asked by
joe friday's grrl
2
in
Law & Ethics