h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For a great deal of time I have been casually thinking about changing my surname. However, I can't think of what to change it to - is there any reason why I can't just drop it altogether?

As far as I know, you can change your name to anything you want, surname or none.

There is an internet pundit regularly quoted on [URL removed by moderator] called Peri6. Or maybe it is Peri 6. He is an academic in a scottish university, I think.

In England your name is what you are called. A satisfyingly circular definition. In other words you dont need to mess with deedpolls. This may be different in Scotland, and is almost certainly different elsewhere in the world.

You can call me:

A girl called Ben

How about having no name at all?

PP

You are allowd to change your name, and have no surname. For instance, Caprice is just Caprice - even on her credit card. But beware, because you'll have a hard time with anything computerised that refuses to believe that you only have one name.

You are allowed to call yourself whatever you like and, as already mentioned, do not need to do a deed poll thingy as long as you are not using another name for CRIMINAL purposes. Deed polls are useful though so that you can prove that your new name is your name now for purposes such as passports etc.

Most credit card companies will let you choose how your name appears on them. They probably have hiccups if you leave the surname space blank.

Speaking as someone who has had to have almost as many discussions about the origin and meaning of my name as I have met people, I would still have a name I could use as a surname, even if it was not my original surname. Are there any family or place names you like?

a girl called Ben

I thought Caprice was Caprice Bourret?

Well, she *was* nearly Caprice Adams at one point, though...

Sorry to drift but even Tone has more taste than to go that far (I think) ...

I wonder what 'The artist formery known as...' put on *his* credit card?

Rolling around On The Floor Laughing!
agcB

I guess it wouldn't matter - he probably couldn't reach the counter to sign his name anyway.

I don't know anything anout Caprice, I just remember flicking thorough a magazine article about her, and I remembered the bit that said even her credit card has only the one name.

I know she drives a BMW, and isnt a very good driver (she clipped my wing-mirror), & this post has nothing to do with names

So as long as I answer to a name that I give someone, then it doesn't have to be my "real" name? So the online things that I gave a pseudonym to can't do anything to me for refusing to give my "real" name after all.

Which reminds me, Twinkle still needs a last name. Any suggestions?

Twinkle Twinkle has a nice ring to it don'tcha think?

The founder of this thread (the full stop known as " . ") has me curious to know if he is speaking of adding something to " . " such as another full stop but with the American pronunciation 'period'. He would then be known as "Fullstop Period". Or, is he thinking of dropping his real life surname.
If the latter is true I will happily trade him. Long have I envied those with common garden variety names like Smith. And he would find himself a prince of Belfast and most of Northern Ireland with a name like Fulton.

A painter friend of mine is known by one name only. This worked fine until she enrolled at university, they would not accept one name, siting the inability of their computer system to handle single names. The problem was easily rectified by calling herself the same name twice. Now everyone is happy.

Now there is a name that brings a smile - Happy Happy.

Happy Happy, is nice, so is Twinkle Twinkle. But what about Humbert Humbert?

What's so unusual about Fulton, anyway?

You should try being a girl called Ben

He could also try Period Fullstop?