Would it be possible for several descendants of a man who'd adopted an alias to reclaim their surname at once?

Question

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.

For the record, no one was murdered, just shot in the leg, and it was only after my great-grandfather was wrongfully accused and pursued by a lynch mob in the deep south. This happened in Georgia.

Answer 1

I'm sure they would if there was a lot of money involved. Anybody can change their name anytime they want!

Answer 2

This is too weird, in my family history there is a story of a man that was a friend of the family , was involved in a shooting and took my family name and went on the lam. The family has been using our family surname ever since. You're not from Montana, are you?

Answer 3

I would think that a petition filed under multiple names would be approved all at once, barring any protests from certain family members. It should be a fairly simple, unneccessarily complicated procedure.

Answer 4

If I were your cousin, I wouldn't want my name associated with a murderer. So---- I think in order to preserve personal rights, the court will not be able to convert you all in one sweep. There may be people in your bloodline that prefer to keep the alias.

Answer 5

If his name was legally recorded i.e. a birth certificate and he never legally changed it then yes.

Answer 6

I believe it is the case that anyone can adopt whatever name they please, at any rate in the United Kingdom.